Chapter 1
Lunchtime at Canterlot High School. The cafeteria was buzzing with life as the students enjoyed what was being passed off by the school board as “food”.
Fluttershy looked down the hot line. As always, not much to choose from. Either meat or meat, a starch, another starch, and something that was supposed to be a vegetable, but was really another starch; all to be drowned in brown gravy. Even if she participated in the omnivore lifestyle, the options were not optimum. “I think I'll just have a salad” she finally said, “and a cup of fruit, please.”
The elderly lunch lady looked worryingly at the girl. “This can't be good for you,” she said, “eating the same thing day in and day out. You'll wither to nothing in no time. Here, at least take a roll.” She placed a small piece of bread on the tray.
“Thanks, Granny Smith” Fluttershy smiled. She grabbed her tray and scanned the sea of students for her friends. She stopped when she saw Rainbow Dash waving her arms in the air. They were in the far corner, their usual spot. As she approached, she noticed someone was missing. “Where's Sunset?” she asked, taking her seat.
“She's in the library” replied Pinkie Pie.
“Again?” asked Rarity, “That's everyday this week. What on earth is she doing?”
“Can't be studying” replied Twilight, “I didn't see her carry in any books with her.”
Rainbow Dash leaned back in her chair. “Maybe she's taking a nap. I know I could use one right now. School is so tiresome!”
“I think that's an effect of the food” said Applejack.
“Yes, darling” Rarity looked intently at the farmer girl, “When is your granny gonna do something about it?”
Applejack took offense. “Hey! Don't look at her, she just works there! It's the 'nutrition experts' at the school board you need to talk to.”
Fluttershy poked about her salad with her fork. She had given better food to turtles. Iceberg lettuce without so much as piece of anything else. A simple Caesar salad would be extravagant. There was a small packet of what she assumed was an oil and vinegar mix. She let out a sigh. “I'm about ready to give them a piece of my mind as well.”
“Nutrition concerns aside,” broke in Twilight, “am I the only one who is worried about Sunset?”
“Oh,” Rarity waved her hand, “she's probably fine. Probably just wants to get as far away from this slop as possible.”
“That's enough, Rarity” warned Applejack.
“I don't think that's it” Pinkie Pie said, thoughtfully.
Everyone turned to the party girl.
“Care to expand upon that, Pinkie?” asked Rainbow.
Pinkie put a thinking finger to her lips. “She just hasn't seemed herself lately. I mean, not terribly so not herself that there is something horrifically wrong, but more the something is bugging her type.”
“Well, we know it's not running out of journal pages” Rarity took a sip of her water.
“No,” agreed Twilight, “but, maybe we should check on her.”
Fluttershy set down the empty fruit cup. She had abandoned the pile of lettuce. “I'm ready, of you are.”
“Yes” agreed Rarity, picking up her tray to bus it, “I suppose I've eaten all I can of this.”
---
The school library was quiet and quite empty. There were a few students strewn about, but they were few and far between. It didn't take long to locate Sunset Shimmer. She was at one of the computers, typing away on various sites. By the look on her face, something was frustrating her. Cautiously, the girls approached.
Sunset didn't seem to notice them walk over. In deep thought, she let out a low growl, scribbled something in her notebook and continued scouring the web. Twilight was the first to glance over Sunset's shoulder. The screen was full of social media sites.
“Uh, Sunset?” Rainbow broke the silence, “Is everything okay?”
Sunset didn't respond.
“Sunset, darling” Rarity tried, “We're a bit worried about you. Won't you please just say 'hi'?”
Another growl, scribble, but then Sunset let out a sigh and buried her face in her hands. “I'm sorry, girls” she said, softly, “I'm just frustrated by a few things right now.”
Twilight knelt down to her friend. “Care to share?”
“You'll think it petty.”
Rainbow got her game face on. “Try us.”
Sunset took in a deep breath. “I can't find me.”
There was an awkward silence.
“What?” asked Applejack.
“I can't find me. The one that belongs in this world. I've searched pretty much everywhere. I've been able to find other ponies I knew back in Equestria. Old classmates, professors; I even found Starlight Glimmer. But, I can't find me.”
“You've tried other family members?” Fluttershy suggested, “Parents? cousins?”
“I've found a few” Sunset opened a minimized window. “Aunts, uncles, cousins, even my grandmother. But, I can't find my parents either. Even checking news articles hasn't shown anything, though I really haven't done much digging there.” She rubbed her screen-tired eyes, “By all appearances, I don't exist in this world.”
The other girls looked at each other in bewilderment.
Rainbow gave Sunset a curious look. “You mean you've never seen your human counterpart?”
Sunset nodded. “Why does that surprise you?”
“Just seems like odd. All the time you've spent here and haven't yet bumped into yourself.”
“But, why start this search now?” asked Twilight.
Sunset looked away. “I don't know. Maybe some part of me is hoping for something.”
Twilight was about to speak, but then the five minute warning bell rang. She put a gentle hand on Sunset's shoulder. “We'll talk more later.”
---
Twilight and Applejack searched the halls for Sunset. Not an easy task given that getting out as quickly as possible was every student's mission after the last class of the day. Eventually, they made their way to the library where, as suspected, Sunset was stationed at a computer.
"This is turning into an obsession” Applejack whispered to Twilight.
“Well,” grinned Twilight, “you know she's persistent.”
“That's what worries me.”
The two approached their friend, “Uh, Sunset,” began Applejack. She paused and looked to Twilight for support. She received it in a nod. “We feel like we need to talk.”
Sunset didn't look away from her screen, but instead let out a sigh. She had come to expect as much from these girls. She put down her pen and gathered her thoughts. “I know you're worried about me” she said at last, “but you really don't need to be.”
“Really?” Twilight raised a brow, “You don't eat, we barely see you. Aside from class, do you even leave this spot?”
“What we're saying” continued Applejack, “Is we don't think this is healthy.”
Twilight placed her hands on Sunset's. “Look, whatever it is, you know you can tell us. Even if you can't tell us right now, just know you don't have to this alone.”
Sunset let out a grin. These were the times she asked herself what she had done to deserve such friends. She looked up at the two girls. Wait, she thought, where are the others? It was then she remembered: Pinkie had her job at Sugarcube Corner, Fluttershy her volunteer work and Rainbow was at soccer practice. Still, that didn't explain Rarity.
“She's with Sweetie Belle” replied Applejack, “She got sick during third period. Rarity swore up and down it was something she ate for lunch.” She huffed.
“There was that stomach bug running around” Sunset offered, “Maybe it's not completely gone yet.”
“This isn't a stomach bug. Let's just say: Aunt Flo ain't kind.” She chuckled lightly, “You should have seen the look on Rarity's face when she found out.” Her friends gave her a strange look and Applejack felt her face grow red. “Not that I'm not sympathetic to poor Sweetie Belle. My first few years weren't exactly the easiest either.”
The three sat in an awkward silence.
“Wow,” Twilight gave a nervous giggle, “that was an odd conversational shift.”
“Whatever,” smiled Sunset, waving it off, “we're all girls here.”
Twilight quickly took the opportunity to return to the topic of Sunset. “Anyway, why don't you take a break and we can head down to Sugarcube Corner? I have coupons for milkshakes.”
“I'm in” smiled Applejack, “Though, I can't stay long. I promised Granny I would help her with the family scrapbook this evening.”
The two looked anxiously at Sunset. It wasn't long before she acquiesced. She grinned with a sigh. The prospect of a milkshake was rather tempting. “Okay.”
---
Granny Smith, lead the way to the attic. “I've been meaning to do this for a long time.”
“I'm glad to help” replied Applejack. She climbed the ladder and surveyed the cluttered storage space. “Uh,” she scratched her head “where do we start?”
“Over here” Granny Smith was in a far corner, tugging at a steamer trunk. “Little help?”
Applejack looked at her grandmother and shook her head with a smile. A woman at her age, when will she learn to just leave it to the younger people and not even bother? She walked over and, with one hand, lifted the trunk. Her geode really did come in handy quite a bit around the farm. “Okay,” she turned to Granny, “where do you want it?”
Granny picked up some lighter cardboard boxes. “We're gonna take it down stairs.”
Grandmother and granddaughter settled in the family living room. All the furniture had been pulled to the edges of the room, leaving a large working space of the floor. They had brought in the table from the kitchen to give them a central workbench.
Applejack set her trunk down and opened it. “Gee, Granny” she gawked, riffling through the contents, “Do you ever throw anything out? I thought Goldie Delicious was bad.”
“Goldie?” cried Granny, “My cousin is a straight up hoarder. My style is a bit more refined.”
Applejack was skeptical of that last statement as she examined was appeared to be a carefully wrapped sandwich.
“Oh, that!” the old lady laughed, “That's one of your great-great uncle Tart's many ventures. Yes, sir, That old Tart Apple sure had some wacky ideas!” She let out a short laugh, “None of them really caught on. That there is one of his apple butter sandwiches.”
“Apple butter exists, Granny. Heck, we make it.”
“On bread made with apple flour?” Granny said, slyly.
“Apple flour is a thing. Try searching it online.”
Granny smith gawked. “Hmph! Whatever! Just remember it was your uncle Tart Apple who did it first!”
“Okay, but why keep the sandwich? Wouldn't a jar of apple butter or a roll of apple bread do?”
“Oh, we have those, too—er, somewhere... That sandwich was made for your father. His lunch for his first day of school. See?” She held up a picture of a little boy with messy hair, dressed in a button up long sleeve shirt and shorts, a bright, toothy grin on his face. Granny wiped a tear, “Look at him, so excited to start school. Just like his big cousins.”
"Did he not know what school was?”
“Probably not. Most likely thought it was this cool place where all the big kids hung out all day.”
Applejack let out a laugh. “Boy, was he in for a shock!” She then paused and tried to comprehend the situation. “So, how do we still have the sandwich?”
The old lady waved her hand with a laugh, “That silly boy! Was so excited for his first day of school he left the house and just plum forgot to take his lunch!”
Applejack buried her face in her hat. That was it. She had no response to that.
Granny cracked a smile and patted her granddaughter's arm. “Well, that's enough of that. You continue sorting out that old steamer trunk and I'll just work over here.” She pointed to an opposite corner.
Hours later, Applejack felt she had barely scratched the surface. As soon as she thought she had emptied every compartment, she found another filled to the brim. She looked at the stacks around her. So far, she had sorted out newspapers, photos, greeting cards, grade school craft projects. Still, she was wary of that sandwich. Turning back to the steamer trunk, she felt good about herself. She had almost completely taken it apart. All that remained was one last compartment. With a deep breath of renewed energy, she opened it.
More newspapers.
“Well,” she thought, “this should be easy.” She gently pulled at the papers. They were densely packed—like most everything else in the trunk. Applejack slowly removed the publications in chunks, glancing at them as she piled them with the others. She flipped through, organizing the ones that were a different orientation from the rest. Suddenly, she came across a headline and everything seemed to stop. She almost dropped the other papers. Instead, setting them on top the trunk.
Wildly, her eyes read the front page article. Seeing it continued on another page, she frantically flipped it it. A gasp escaped her lips “Oh, no!”