RaR ch1 Standing at the trailhead

Twilight’s lab, CPA

Date: Sep 1st, 2013, time: 9:00 pm

*Twilight’s perspective*

Twilight said at the desk in her makeshift lab, screwdriver in hand. Of course, someone just had to come into her lab and mess with her stuff over the summer. She was still trying to fix everything and set all her equipment back to their proper settings. Whoever it was managed to knock over one of her electro-spectrographs, obliterating it into a bajillion pieces, and did gods know what to the other one.

As she was trying to fix the circuits of the broken machine, a lot of beeping came from behind her. She turned around to see that the other electro-spectrograph was picking something up. She dropped what she was doing and rolled across the room to check it out. Whatever it was picking up was nothing like she’d ever seen before. It was erratic and high energy. The readings died down quickly, but the machine recorded them.

“I’ll have to examine what was done to it, but these are the strangest readings I’ve ever seen. More research is needed.”

Some dump heap

Date: same day time: 9:00 pm

*fragment of apathy’s perspective*

Trash, that was all it saw. That thing threw it out, and now, it was in a pile of trash. What made it worse was that it was stuck inside a doll. It had been stuck in this thing for many years. For a while, it could jump from host to host, but it recently lost that ability. That’s why it was stuck. The most it could do now was spread its aura to its surroundings. How it loathed existence. Organic, inorganic, living, dead, it all disgusted it. It much preferred when there was nothing, when there was no universe.

A shockwave of energy hit it. Power? It was weak, but it was something. If it got more of this power, it could free itself from this prison. It could be free to destroy existence. It needs more though. More power. Another, need another.

Maddy’s apartment, Manhattan

Date: same day, time: 9:30 pm

*Maddy’s perspective*

“Another long day.”, Maddy said quietly as she headed into her apartment. It was small and only had a couple windows. Even with her relatively well paying job, renting a big, fancy place anywhere close to her work was infeasible, but as things stood, it was enough.

Maddy placed her purse and keys on the table as she went into the kitchen to begin making dinner. As she was washing up, she felt some sort of pressure, like when a car drives by way too fast, but the air was still. As a matter of fact, it was dead quiet except for the cars outside. She looked around for the cause, but nothing was amiss. She went back to dinner prep, but when she looked down, she saw that her necklace was glowing.

She took it off to get a closer look. The normally plain blue ball on a golden chain now looked like a tiny plasma ball. “What the…” Just as quickly as the weird light show started, it stopped. “Okaaay, that was weird.” As bizarre as that was, she wasn’t freaked out. Hopefully it won't do anything like that again. Mom never mentioned it doing anything like that before she passed, so maybe it was just a one time thing or whatever that pressure was caused it.

Maddy put her necklace back on and went back to dinner prep, putting that weird event out of her mind.

Some graveyard, Nigeria

Date: Sep 2nd, time: 12:00 am

*Kehinde’s perspective*

Kehinde dug through the dirt to reach the body below. The black dirt blended into the black fur on her paws, but it got in her claws and would be an even bigger pain to get out from under her nails if she shifted back without cleaning them. She knew which tribe’s graves to raid to get the prettiest clothes, most metal, and best meat. The humans’ foolishness only made her life easier. Her deeds would be discovered in the morning, but she would be long gone by then. After some time of digging, she reached the metal lid of the coffin. These things were always a pain, but they also usually meant better goodies were inside and the meat wouldn’t be as predated.

Once the lid was significantly uncovered, Kehinde lifted it up and examined the contents. It was an older woman wearing dyed cotton clothes and fine jewelry. She hopped in and removed the jewelry and added it to her bag then tore away her closing. Her body had decayed, so the cloth would not be usable, but that’s not what Kehinde wanted. Finally, she began eating the corpse’s flesh.

Her meal was interrupted by a wave of energy smacking her in her mussel. Kehinde began grunting at whatever might have done it, but there was nothing. With nothing in sight, she returned to her meal, but some time later, she was again interrupted by an annoyingly familiar voice.

“Hm, looks tasty.”

Anansi. Kehinde would’ve growled his name out loud but talking with a mussel was tricky. She stood up straight and began grunting at the man that was sitting on the mound of dug up dirt.

“Wow there, puppy girl, I’m not here for your meat. I have a proposition for you.”

Kehinde growled and glared at the trickster with contempt while picking the dirt from her claws but, despite her better judgment, did not chase him away. That spirit never did anything for himself and always tricked others to do his hunting for him, but she wasn’t a fool and would not be tricked, so decided to hear him out.

“Great, now, I’m assuming you felt that energy wave earlier.”

Kehinde nodded.

“Well, that was magic.”

Kehinde was skeptical, but Anansi was alive back when the world was filled with magic and has retained much of his own thanks to his worshipers.

“If you can find that source and bring it to me, we can split the power. You’ll finally be better at something than your sister, and you might even become head of your clan.”

That got Kehinde’s attention. Her older twin was always better at hunting, magic, scavenging, smithing, and pottery making, was prettier, and mother’s favorite. She nodded her head with a knife-like toothy smile.

“Perfect, meet me in Lagos in a week’s time. I’ll arrange your travel. Oh, and one other thing.” Anansi hopped off his mound and poked Kehinde in the forehead with one of his spindly fingers. Kehinde tried to bite off said finger, but he was too fast. “I know your people don’t send your pups to school, and you’ll be needing to know English where you’re going.” Anansi spun on his heels and walked off into the night. “Enjoy the extra power.”, he called back.

She didn’t understand what he was talking about until she felt a surge of energy. It wasn’t much, but a little went a long way nowadays. Kehinde returned to her scavenging. She still had several hours before she had to leave.

Wilds of Japan

Date: same day, time: 6:00 pm

*nameless’s perspective*

A fox sat on a rock, munching on his catch. His existence was a simple one, eat, drink, sleep, repeat. He would sometimes mess with the humans that came into his mountains, but that was growing old. His fur was brown with black tips. His seven tails swished calmly behind him. His eyes were a gold that shone in the dimming light.

The sun disappeared over the treetops, and the sky behind the fox was growing dark. The winds were still, and the animals were quiet. That was until a wave of energy tore through the mountain. The wind picked up, and the animals began making a ruckus. Magic? But there was so much. How can this be? The fox stood up from his seat and looked to where he felt the magic come from, but he couldn’t sense where the source was. He hadn’t felt this much magic since he was young. “How interesting.” The fox began walking down the mountain and to the nearest human settlement. He was going to reclaim what was his birthright.

Katon clan compound

Date: same day, time: 6:00 pm

*Ryoko’s perspective*

Ryoko sat in her living room with a book in hand and Hikari happily sucking away. Oda tended to irori and a pot of tea that sat above it. She fiddled with her new wedding ring as she cradled Hikari. It was an interesting yet beautiful tradition. Hers was made out of silver with three small diamonds. The design was simple, which was perfect for her.

A wave of energy rippled through the house, causing both Ryoko and Hikira to look up and around. The animals outside began making a ruckus, causing Oda to look up from the irori.

“What the hell’s going on?”, Oda asked. He got up, went to the door, and stepped outside and looked around, trying to figure out what was going on.

Ryoko followed him out and looked up at the moon. She felt strangely energized. It was nothing like she ever felt before but also familiar and comforting, like trying a delicious new flavor of your favorite candy. There was also something specifically familiar about it. Sunset?

Sunset’s room

Date: Sep 2nd, time: 3:00 am

*Sunset’s perspective*

Once upon a time, I was just a little filly. I was innocent, unaware of the evils of the universe. I was born in the middle of the Griffon Raiders War to Stormy Flare and Shadow Walker. My mother was badly injured by the final battle, and my father had to care for me, my older sister, and our mother while still trying to earn enough money to support us. Foals and nursing mares eat a lot of food, especially if one of them was half dragon. Combine that with corrupt nobility, and even my father’s well paying job struggled to cover everything.

As soon as I was old enough, I began stealing food. I was underweight, and my parents were in an even worse state. My life at school was fine, except for this one little filly that thought she was better than everypony because her parents wasted money on pretty, useless crap. If they didn’t they would likely not be living in lower Canterlot.

Life began looking up for me when I was talent scouted by Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. Education is free in Equestria, so our financial situation was no hindrance in that respect. The other students there were mostly snot nosed, rich, pompous clowns, but now, I had the power to show them up, and that I did. My display of power was noticed by the princess herself, and she made me her personal student; good thing too because I probably would’ve burned down Canterlot at some point if she didn’t. From that day on, the name ‘Sunset Shimmer’ was one to be feared, and anyone who did not fear it soon learned the proverbial pants-shitting sight that was a burning, shadowy unicorn running and screaming at you. That was a hilarious one. Their faces were priceless.

For years, I trained and studied to make our princess proud. I was able to alert Celestia to what the nobles were doing, and she put a stop to that, and my parents’ lives were greatly improved. I had access to all the food I could ever want and fruits most commoners had never even heard of; the same fruits many humans take for granted. I was promised that, if I could defeat the mad goddess, I would be given our country to rule over. She never directly promised that, but I was smart enough to figure out what was going on. I would finally be respected by both the regular ponies and the thestrals.

Once I was of age, I joined the military. I was born into the warrior cast. That’s what we did. I rose through the ranks quickly, adopting a phoenix along the way, and then there was the Equestria First Legion campaign. A group of radicals attempted to “purify” Equestria by attacking and kidnapping none-ponies and killing hybrids. Celestia personally promoted me to First Star General and ordered me to form a taskforce to eradicate them. Not only did they pose a threat to Equestrian citizens, they jeopardized foreign relations. If they were allowed to go unchecked, they could spark a war with the homelands of the creatures they harmed. Equestria was placed under a state of war, and I gathered over ten thousand soldiers from every branch to stomp this threat out. We scoured Equestria, captured as many conspirators as we could find, captured or killed their leaders, and ran the most widespread smear campaign to insure that they were seen as the monsters they were. By the end, children were reporting their own parents. Everypony that was involved was charged with conspiracy against the people and conspiracy against the crown. If it could be proven, they were charged with murder. They were religiously condemned for going against Faust’s plan. Their surviving leaders should still be in prison for their crimes.

Overall, my life was great, if constraining, but that all came crashing down after one night. I had learned how alicorns are really created. They are not physical gods as I was taught. They were just (semi?)-immortal ponies. I could’ve lived with that knowledge if that was all, but I also learned that the gods I had prayed to and entrusted my life to were, in fact, also just normal ponies. They weren’t even immortal like their daughters. They were just two ponies that were deified to control the masses. I learned that all my suffering and pain wasn’t a part of some great plan to turn me into Equestria’s greatest leader and that destiny’s a sham. I suffered because life was cruel and ponies were crueler. In that moment, the last tether holding my sanity snapped, and I mentally imploded. I was left a zombie, an angry zombie. Life became meaningless, and death, uncertain, but in all that, one thing became clear. I had to make my destiny happen. I swore to myself that I would never become someone else’s victim ever again. I would become powerful enough to become my own god. I would give life meaning again. There were a lot of other unhinged rantings, but those were the ones that stuck.

I did some very illegal things to become more powerful. I might have had virtuous motives at one point, but over time, my mental state deteriorated and so did what good was in me. It wasn’t like anypony noticed. How could they when their only understanding of mental health was that war makes ponies act violently. My symptoms were hardly so obvious. I developed many of my complexes during that time, predominantly, my need for control.

Celestia figured out what I was doing and dismissed me as her student. I became enraged. She couldn’t just strip me of my destiny. She wasn’t a god. It was my destiny and mine alone. I am not proud of many of the things I said that night, other than that last one; I’m actually pretty proud of myself for that. Celestia had her guards escort me to the dungeon, but I was the second most powerful being in Equestria and easily escaped. I ran to the mirror portal with a great misunderstanding of what it was and became trapped in the human world, where I let the rot continue to fester and consume my mind, and I, ultimately, ended up here. I just wanted to save my sister. I’m terrified of death and those I love dying because… I don’t know what comes after.

Sunset laid face down on her bed with no more tears to cry. She had only gotten a few hours of sleep before she woke up and started crying again. This was not how she thought this night would end. She had no idea if Emi was going to survive, and that whole… she didn’t even know what to call what happened. She turned into a demon, tried to take over Equestria, tried to burn Twilight and her friends alive, and she didn’t even have control over herself, or maybe she did. The whole night was a mess, and now, Brigid knew everything. She knew just how terrible of a person Sunset was. She was going to disown her, throw her out onto the streets, or worse.

A knock at her door brought Sunset’s attention back to reality. “Come in.”, Sunset called out.

The sound of Brigid’s footsteps came up Sunset’s stairs, and she sat down on Sunset’s bed. “Are ya okay?”

“No”, Sunset said honestly. There was no longer any point of lying.

“Come ‘ere.” Brigid helped Sunset sit up. She looked into Sunset’s red, puffy eyes with the same love and surprising tenderness she always had. You would not expect someone big enough to fill a door frame and with such calloused hands to be so tender, but those are the very traits that force her to be as such.

Despite what Sunset thought earlier, she still had some tears in her. If she was in a joking mood, she would say someone should probably call Guinness. She began sobbing again and buried herself into her mother. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” Brigid said nothing and just let Sunset cry while she stroked her hair. Her tears began to subside again, and she looked up to Brigid with pleading eyes. “Please, don’t disown me. I’ll do whatever it takes.”

Brigid’s face shifted to shock before realization and concern. “Sunset, I’m not gonna disown ya. Pristine not only spent years denying treatment but also didn’t feel any sorta love f’r anyone, not even herself. Ah’ve seen y’r love. Ya just need help. Please, let us help you.” Sunset nodded her head and reburied herself in Brigid. “Dat’s da first step.”

Reads family home

Date: same day, time: 6:30 am

*Minerva’s perspective*

Once upon a time, I lived the life of a dad’s little princess. Both my parents loved me, and I loved them, but I was particularly close to my father. He was a member of the coast guard in his youth, and I grew up admiring soldiers. “We are Americans; we are all soldiers.”, he would say. I had an average American life until I was fifteen.

When I was fifteen, my parents were badly injured in a car accident and put on OxyContin. They became addicted and eventually moved onto heroin. In that time, they became dishonest and cruel. They were no longer the parents I loved. They were monsters. They stole everything I had and stopped paying the bills in order to pay their dealer. I had to start working and hide the bill money I earned, but that only worked until I was seventeen. I spent the last year of high school in homeless shelters or on the streets. Frankly, I found the streets safer than those supposed shelters. At least I was allowed to keep my own food and knife. Those places have so many stupid rules.

I was able to get accepted to Canterville College, promised I would join the military if they paid my tuition, and got out of there and told no one where I was going. That was the time I started practicing magic. It was strange. I always had the ability to feel others’ emotions, but it seemed to become stranger after I moved here. After college, I joined the brand new cyber security division in the army, it wasn’t even a corps yet, and became a second lieutenant. Life was good, until 9/11 happened.

I transferred to a combat role and jumped in with both feet to fight al-Qaeda. I was made a first lieutenant and put in charge of a platoon. That was a bad idea as I froze during our first firefight and managed to get a big chunk of them blown up within three months. I don’t remember the next six months as I was blown up and hit my head. I also lost my legs. At least that got me sent home, so I didn’t get anyone else killed.

When I got back, I had no one, no family, no friends, nothing. I was left looking through the contacts of my college dorm mates. I didn’t expect anyone to help me, but much to my surprise, no questions asked, Brigid came to my rescue. She took me in and helped me adjust to living without legs. I was even the maid of honor at her wedding, but it wasn’t like there was really anyone else.

About a year later, we decided to have kids. She did it the old fashioned way, and I was artificially inseminated. Our kids were supposed to be born around the same time, but I had complications that ended up with me getting a C-section and Anura born two months early. A few months after Anura was born, I got my first pair of prosthetic legs. It was weird walking again, but I readapted quickly.

The last five years have been interesting with Brigid and Anzhong adopting this strange mystery girl. We had no idea where she came from or where her parents were. All we knew was that she needed love and a family, and we gave it to her. Three years ago, Brigid and Anzhong’s youngest was diagnosed with leukemia. We’ve tried everything to cure her, but she hasn’t improved and was put on hospice not long ago. Two and a half years ago, we learned the truth of the mysterious girl. Sunset was a magical unicorn alien, and the portal to her home world only opens for three days every thirty months. I’ve firmly put that in the ‘sentences I never thought I’d say in real life’ pile. The last time the portal was open, she went there and stole something she thought would cure Emi, but it didn’t work. Now, Emi’s on the verge of death, and we can’t do anything about it. None of us, especially Sunset and Anura, have been taking it well.

Minerva pulled herself up out of bed. She grabbed her socks and rolled them on. They’re officially called sleeves, but sleeves go on your arms. These are socks. She stuck her sockets on and rolled up the socket fabric. Her legs were modular, so the legs and feet can both be switched out. Minerva can walk on her sockets. That’s generally not recommended or efficient but still doable. She attached her legs then grabbed and slipped on a pair of jeans from her dresser then clicked her feet into place. An advantage to having removable feet is that you don’t need to put your shoes on in the morning.

Minerva got a shirt on, grabbed her bag, and went out to the kitchen to make breakfast. Anura came out soon after, and she looked awful. She looked completely drained. Her eyes were red and puffy, and her colors were duller, not her actual colors but the metaphysical colors that Minerva's powers interpreted aura as. Anura’s was usually a vibrant green, but it now looked like murky swamp water. Minerva wished there was literally anything she could do, but there was nothing. Her best friend was dying. They’ve been attached at the hip since Emi was born. Anura once said she was losing a part of herself, and that definitely looked to be the case.

Minerva placed the food on the table, and they ate in silence. She tried to say something, but everything died in her throat. As soon as they were done, they went over to Brigid’s house. Anzhong was drinking his coffee, and Brigid looked tired, both physically and emotionally. Her normally rich blue looked faded. Anzhong’s bright gold was dull, even though he didn’t physically show it, and he also gave off a lot of anger, some ambient but mostly directed at himself. That’s troubling.

“How are you doing?”, Minerva asked.

“Not well. Sunset was injured last night.”, Brigid replied.

“What?” Anura sprang to life and ran into Sunset’s room.

Minerva and Brigid ran after her and followed her up to Sunset’s bed. Sunset was laying on her stomach with bloody bandages covering the areas just below and to the inside of her shoulder blades. Her aura had completely changed colors. Her once cyan was now red. Minerva had never seen anything like that before. How is this even possible? She didn’t have a standard for her new color, but it probably shouldn’t normally be that dark.

“Sunset are you okay?”, Anura asked worriedly.

Sunset cracked an eye open and looked at the three of them. Her eyes were also red and puffy. “You look like crap.”, Sunset said to Anura.

“She’s okay.”, Anura said dryly.

“Let’s let ‘er sleep.”, Brigid said and corralled them down the stairs and out the room.

“What happened to her?”, Minerva asked as soon as they were out of her room, with more than a bit of accusation coloring her tone. She didn’t believe either of them did that to her, but it happened to their daughter while they’re unharmed.

“A couple days ago, Sunset stole anothe’ Equestrian artifact, but dis one had unexpected side effects. She got inta a fight for da artifact, n’ she tried ta used it. But, well, she described wha’ happened as ‘er inne’ demons bein’ given physical form n’ takin’ ove’ ‘er body. Dis included wings n’ a tail. Dat same artifact was used ta defeat ‘er, but it also ripped ‘er wings n’ tail off. Dat’s wha’ does wound are from.”

“That’s… extreme.” Minerva didn’t even know how to start processing that. Demonic possession, and by one’s own inner demons? At least, that’s what she thinks Brigid’s saying. Either way, demons and demonic possession wasn’t something she ever thought was real. “Will she be okay?”

“Ah think so. Ah’ll be stickin’ around ta help take care a’ ‘er.”

“What do you need?”

“Ah don’t know. F’r now, let’s jus’ get people where dey need ta be.” Brigid took Anura’s hand, Anzhong got up, and the three of them went out to the car.

Minerva was tempted to ask Sunset more questions but thought better of it. Instead she just went back to her house.

Sunset’s room

Date: same day, time: 10:00 am

*Brigid’s perspective*

Ah was once jus’ a little girl. Ah was born in Ireland, on a farm, durin’ da Troubles, n’ despite every‘hin’ dat was goin’ on around us, we were mostly safe n’ happy. Ah was da eldest a’ four, but it felt like twelve with mo cousins also livin’ unde’ da same roof. Ah was da eldest child a’ da eldest cousin, so Ah was bein’ prepared ta takeove’ afte’ mo parents afte’ dey takeove’ from mo grandparents, but mo parents were never able ta takeove’ n’ da day Ah’d takeove’ came soone’ dan anyone expected.

Me mum worked in a clinic durin’ da off season, helpin’ any n’ all dat were injured. It didn’t matte’ who ya were, wha’ color y’r skin was, y’r gende’, or wha’ religion ya followed. Ya were human n’ deserved ta be treated. Dat’s where she met mo dad. She wasn’t a doctor, but when ya live on a farm, ya gotta be able ta keep y’r people alive long enough to be transported. It would take one a’ us breakin’ our leg for a hospital ta become necessary.

When we was old enough, our mum would take me n’ me sibs ta da clinic ta help. Ah saw first hand how she was treated by da Protestants n’ da Catholics. Both sides would berate her f’r helpin’ da othe’, but da Prodies would physically assault her. Mum was a badass howeve’ and could easily put people in dose beds, but Ah was enraged dat someone would attack me mum f’r helpin’ people. As soon as Ah was big enough, which wasn’t very long, Ah started bashin’ in da heads a’ Prodies wheneve’ Ah was brought ta da city.

Dat was life, until dat day. Ah was seventeen when it happened. We were jus’ finishin’ up supper when a caravan came drivin’ down our road. Da time n’ number a’ cars told us we were in dange’. Ah only survived because mo family took out almost all a’ da attackers. Ah only took out one. Ah saw human soup dat night.

Because a’ bureaucracy, Ah was sent ta live with me aunt. Ah hate dat woman n’ ‘er husband. Dey are every bad thin’ ‘bout humanity, greed, vanity, narcissism, racism, everythin’. Ah ran away from ‘em da moment Ah could. Ah chose da college furthest away from dem dat would accept me. Ah would’ve liked ta go ta Washington, but no dice.

Ah ended up in Maine, at da college Ah now teach at. Dere Ah met mo future husband who got me ta open up again. Late’ Minerva asked f’r ma help, n’ Ah obliged. Ah helped her get back on her, metaphorical, feet n’ process wha’ happened ta ‘er ove’ dere. We bonded over our shared trauma n’ became as close as siste’s. Ah sorta adopted ‘er inta mo clan since she also had none a’ ‘er own.

We both wanted children n’ agreed ta get pregnant at da same time. All went accordin’ ta plan until Anura needed ta be taken out early due ta medical complications. Da doctors gave ‘er a good prognosis, but not much has beaten how scared we all were. However, dat wasn’t da end a’ our medical problems. Not long afte’ Ah gave birth, Ah learned Ah had ta get both me ovaries removed or die. Lucky me. Dat killed me inside. Ah wanted nothin’ more dan ta rebuild mo clan, but now, Ah couldn’t do dat. Ah got counselin’ afte’ dat, but Ah was still sad Ah couldn’t have anymore children. Anzhong suggested we become foster parents n’ we registered with da state.

Almost five years ago, a scared little girl came inta our lives. She didn’t know English or any othe' language Ah knew of. We brought ‘er in, n’ Ah taught ‘er English. Now, she’s injured both mentally n’ physically afte’ turnin’ into a demon durin’ a plan dat went sideways in an attempt ta save ‘er siste’. Only time will tell how dey both come out a’ dis.

Brigid sat on Sunset’s bed, changing her bandages. She had completely bled through them a couple times throughout the night, so Brigid added more cotton each time. The process was unpleasant for Sunset, so Brigid tried to be as gentle and careful as possible while going quickly.

“Hiss”

“Sorry, baby. Dis shouldn’t be much longe’.” Brigid managed to change Sunset’s dressings with minimal extra pain. Once done, Brigid rubbed the uninjured parts of Sunset’s back which calmed her back down. Sunset was still in pain but was otherwise restful. She fell back asleep, and Brigid left her room and met up with Minerva in the living room.

“How is she doing?”, Minerva asked worriedly.

“Not great. She’s asleep again, but Ah’m gonna bring back some a’ ‘er blood from da hospital. She’s losin’ a lot.”

“They’ll let you do that?”

“Ah’ve done enough blood transfusions ta fill up a cow, n’ it’s mo daughte’s blood. If dey got a problem with it, dey’re gonna have a bigge’ problem with me.”

“Well, if they’re smart, they won’t.”

Brigid gave Minerva a smile then went out to the car and drove to the hospital. As has become a disturbingly familiar process, Brigid signed in as a guest and made her way up to Emi’s room where she was met by Emi’s doctor. “What’s up, Doc?”

“Each time I hear you come in saying that, I expect you to be holding a carrot.”, Dr. Rojas said.

“Maybe Ah will, one day. How are ya, Emi?”

“Ah’m feeling better.”

“It’s remarkable. She’s made a complete turn around. She’s… getting better.”, Dr. Rojas said in astonishment. Joy swelled inside Brigid. She was still disappointed that Sunset disobeyed her, but she was even more happy that Emi was going to survive. “I have no idea how this is possible.”, Dr. Rojas added.

“I do. It’s magic.”, Emi said.

Dr. Rojas smiled at Emi then turned to Brigid with a different type of smile. Emi looked towards Brigid, past Rojas, and mouthed “She doesn’t believe me.”

“With dis development, wha’ treatment would you recommend?”, Brigid asked.

Dr. Rojas grabbed the clipboard and began looking though it. “I’m going to have more tests and scans done, but I’d say that we put Emi back on her previous treatment plan. We might even be able to do the bone marrow transplant by the end of the year or early next year.”

“Does that mean I can go home?”, Emi asked. “I want my onesies back.”

“Soon, you’ll get to go home soon.”, Dr. Rojas assured.

Brigid walked over to Emi and gave her a kiss on the forehead. “Ah have ta go pick up some stuff f’r y’r siste’. Ah’ll be back late’.”

“Is Sunset okay? I smelt blood on her last night.”, Emi asked in Irish.

“She was injured, but she’ll be okay.”, Brigid answered in Irish.

“Okay, I’ll see you later.”, Emi said in English.

“Ah love you.”, Brigid said, then headed down to Dr. Dracul’s office.

Sunset’s room

Date: same day, time: 12:00 pm

*Sunset’s perspective*

Sunset woke up to the sensation of something cold on her arm. She looked over to see Brigid wiping her elbow down with an alcohol swab, a bag of her blood and med tape on her side table, and a makeshift iv drip stand made out of a clothes hanger; broom handle; and there had to be a base, but Sunset couldn’t see it from where she was and didn’t care to get up and check. “Mm, did I really lose that much blood?”

“Are”, Brigid corrected. “Ah’m tryin’ ta keep ya from da red zone. How are ya doin’?” Brigid inserted the iv then began stroking Sunset’s hair.

“I feel awful.”

“How so?”

“When I was hit with the elements, I was first made to feel all the pain I unjustly caused. I didn’t even remember most of it. I was so horrible. I’ll never be able to make up for all of it.”

Brigid took a seat on Sunset’s bed and helped her into a sitting position to be able to directly face her. “It will take time, n’ not everybody may be willin’ ta forgive ya, but dat doesn’t mean ya don’t try. From dis moment on, be da best version a’ Sunset Shimmer. Everyone will judge ya from dat.”

Sunset lowered her head, unable to meet Brigid’s eyes. “What does that Sunset even look like?”

“Ah don’t know. Wha’ Ah do know is dat ya can become her if ya try. Y’r fathe’, Minerva, n’ Ah weren’t always da way ya see us know. We all were angry at our unjust world at one point n’ took it out on does around us. Ah was cold n’ hostel to anyone dat tried ta get close ta me, Minerva would blow up on does tryin’ ta help ‘er, n’ Anzhong was a straight up bully.”

Sunset shot her head up in surprise, meeting Brigid’s eyes again. “Wait, Dad, a bully? No way. There’s no way Dad ever bullied anyone.”

“Oh yeah, not even Ah believed it at first, but he n’ Daiki were da biggest bullies in deir school. Ya should really talk ta him ‘bout dis. Ah know almost nothin’ ‘bout it.”

“Maybe”, Sunset said reluctantly.

Brigid smiled down at Sunset then Sunset’s stomach reminded her she didn’t eat breakfast. “Do ya want lunch?”

“Yes, please.”

Katon family home

Date: same day, time: 5:00 pm

*Anzhong’s perspective*

From just a few months old, my family knew my life would not be easy. I was born completely blind. I don’t care about being blind, I know nothing else, but being blind in a mountain village has quite a few dangers. There weren’t rope bridges connecting the various parts of the village, but there were several cliffs and other sheer drops. As soon as I was old enough to understand, my mother taught me to navigate the world in a different way. Not many people realize this, but all that lives on Earth has a special connection to her. If you listen, she will speak to you. Some people, like my children, can do this naturally. Many gain a version of this ability upon becoming parents; what you call “mom-stincts” and “dad-stincts”. Having every cell in your body scream at you that something’s wrong with your child is something else. My mother taught me to do this.

For centuries, groups in Japan have taught themselves these abilities to become the near mythical warriors they are regarded as today. These people were ninja. I’ve used this ability to run and jump and play without worrying about falling off the mountains. I now use this same ability to become my own near mythical warrior in the courtroom.

I loved my mother, I still do, but she’s not here anymore. She and my sister were my only friends growing up. My dad and I never had the best relationship. He worked long hours, and we just never knew how to connect, and I suspect he was scared of me two. I couldn’t hide my kitsune-ness very well. My mother and sister were the only ones that would play with me, and I was fine with that.

One day she was taking me into the city, for what I can’t remember anymore. The train we were on derailed, killing her. I was covered in her blood. I heard the dying breaths of my mother. It took seven years to get the justice we deserved due to corruption. This sparked my need to rid my world of corruption.

My father began drinking heavily after my mother died and stopped going to work. He ended up taking the two of us to live in the US to get away from the pain and start anew. My father was able to get his drinking under control, but it wasn’t so easy for me. I was angry and took it out on the people around me. I would beat up kids for any reason I could think of, they smelled, they bumped me, I felt like it. This was no justification, but I only had one friend in the states and was lonely. My father beat the stuffing out of me when he found out, to make me feel the pain I caused, and raged at me about how I used my mother’s teachings dishonorably and how I dishonor her memory. That hurt me deeper than any kick he gave me. He hadn’t even so much as raised his voice at me before or after that. I wasn’t the hot shit I thought I was. I never so much as touched another kid at that school after that.

When it was time to go to college, I had a choice to make. I wanted to become a lawyer, but I couldn’t do that if I kept my only friend. He was the son of the yakuza head. If we remained friends, I could easily be accused of corruption. We walked on opposite sides of the gray line, and I couldn’t interact with him without risking my future. I decided to cut ties, and we went our separate ways.

It was just me and Ai when I first went to college, but it wasn’t long before I met the woman that would change my life forever, Brigid. She was crabby and closed off for the first few months I knew her, but I could sense the kind, loving heart buried beneath her armor. We stayed by each other’s sides and brought the best out of the other. We became each other’s best friends and, later, lovers.

A short time before we were to get married, a woman named Minerva came into our life. Brigid helped her rebuild her life after she returned from war. I will admit, I was a bit jealous she was getting so much of my fiancé's attention, but I forced myself to accept her. There was nothing else I could do. I still wouldn’t call us friends, but we respect each other. Not long after, they both decided to get pregnant. That time was far from easy for both of them. Anura was born early, and Brigid lost her ovaries shortly after Emi’s birth.

Raising Emi was no easy feat either. She got cranky a lot, was always hungry, and had a lot of energy. It got a bit easier after we adopted our second daughter. She was interesting. I found her dumpster diving, and she only knew a handful of English words. I called my wife in hopes she could speak to her, but not even she knew what language she spoke. As we had become foster parents, we were allowed to take her in, and we adopted her when she knew enough English to tell us her real name.

Little did we know at the time, she was hurting an unbelievable amount. That pain was only exasperated when Emi was diagnosed. We later learned Sunset’s true nature, and began to start understanding the pain she was in. That also got Brigid to finally start believing in magic. We tried to get Sunset the help she needed, but she kept refusing and refusing, and now, we’re here.

Brigid pulled into the garage, and the two of them headed inside. Brigid headed upstairs to get more coloring books and stuff for Emi, and Anzhong headed to Sunset’s room. He knocked on the door, and Sunset answered almost a minute later.

“Hey, Dad.”, Sunset said meekly.

Anzhong said nothing at first. A mixture of disappointment, anger, and sadness swelled inside of him. He didn’t know how to feel about it. His daughter did one of the worst things a girl her age could do for the last two and a half years, and she did it right under his nose. “Is your back still hurting?”, he finally said.

“It is... Are you mad at me?”, Sunset asked worriedly.

“Yes, I am.”, Anzhong said matter-of-factly. “You’re not like the other kids in your class. You have the mind of an adult. You were yourself bullied in your youth, and yet you bullied others. You hurt innocent children that are just like you once were. You should’ve known better. We’ll be heading to the hospital as soon as your mother grabs some things for Emi.” Anzhong turned back around and headed back out to the car, but he only got half way there when Brigid came storming out of the house.

“Wha’ da hell did ya say ta ‘er?!”, Brigid shouted angrily.

“I told her exactly what she needed to know.”, Anzhong said calmly.

“And wha’ would dat be exactly, because da look Ah saw on ‘er face before she ran back inta ‘er room was not one a’ someone dat jus’ got a talk from ‘er fathe’?!”

“I told her she should’ve known better. That she has an adult's mind and should know how damaging bullying is!”, Anzhong said, beginning to shout.

“She has an adult’s memories, but ‘er neurology is dat a’ a teenage’! She physically isn’t able ta process everythin’ dat’s happened ta ‘er! She’s already traumatized enough from last night! She doesn’t need us addin’ ta dat!”

“She needs to learn that kind of behavior is not tolerated!”

“N’ ya don’t do dat by traumatizin’ ‘er!”

“Your coddling of her won’t do it either! She needs to learn that actions have consequences!”

“Oh, look who’s talkin’, Mr. Lawyer Man, who by name droppin’, she could get out a’ any trouble!”

“That wasn’t of my doing! You’re the one that’s been first to bat to defend her actions! You know what, no! I’m not having this argument!” Anzhong marched back to the car while he heard Brigid go back inside. Anzhong got back in the car and waited for Brigid and Sunset, which was a couple minutes.

“Ah hope y’re happy?”, Brigid said as she got in the car.

“About what?”, Anzhong snapped.

“Sunset’s gone.”

“What? Where did she go?”, Anzhong said, shock and worry in his voice, all anger gone.

“Ah have an idea.” Brigid pulled out of the garage and drove them a short distance away. As soon as they were parked, both of them got out, and Anzhong followed Brigid.

“Where are we?”

“At da high school.”

Anzhong headed to the portal but didn’t find Sunset, but he did find her keys. “She was here.”

“Can Kiba track ‘er?”

“No, I never trained her to do that, but I know where she went.” Anzhong stuffed the keys in his pocket and ran off into the woods with Brigid close behind.

Everfree Forest

Date: same day, time: 5:10 pm

*Sunset’s perspective*

Sunset tried her best to navigate the forest but doing so while injured was not easy. She really hadn’t thought this through. She only grabbed her phone, Bedelia (her stuffed phoenix), and keys, and the keys were out of habit. That’s why she left them by the statue, she wouldn’t be needing them anymore. Her family would be better off without her, without such a monster.

Sunset ran as far as she could before she had to sit down. She found a large tree and decided to lie down under it. She still couldn’t lie on her back so lied on her stomach, her phoenix clutched in her arm. The cold ground felt nice beneath her. She heard rustling and her head shot up. It was a couple of foxes and their two kits eating some bush berries. One of the kits looked at Sunset quizzically. “You’re almost grown. It’s almost time for you to go off on your own.”, she said to the kit. The kit just looked confused and went back to eating.

The wind picked up slightly, and she could smell Brigid, Kiba, and Anzhong on it. No. Sunset stumbled back up and began running again, sort of. Saying she was running was being nice. Really, she was stumbling forward while, somehow, not falling over. She could feel her blood begin to leak from the cotton. She really hadn’t thought this through. Sunset began to feel lightheaded. She was hungry, thirty, and losing blood. She wanted to go home.

Sunset’s lightheadedness caught up to her, and she began to fall but was caught before she hit the ground. “Ogh, you’re getting heavy.”, Anzhong said. Anzhong gently laid Sunset down, and she curled up into a ball. Anzhong sat down beside Sunset and began stroking her hair while Kiba sniffed at her and lied down next to her.

“Leave, you’re better off without me.”

“You say that, yet you’ve made no move to resist me.”

Sunset began to cry as the sound of two large feet crunching leaves quickly approached. “Sunset, are ya okay?” Brigid sat on the ground and pulled Sunset into a hug. “Ah’m sorry, baby. Y’r fathe’ shouldn’t have said dat.”

“No, he’s right. I’m a terrible person.”

“I didn’t say that. I said that you did something terrible, but I evidently said it very poorly. Sunset, I’m disappointed in you, but I still love you. You’re my daughter. I forgot that you are, despite all you’ve gone through and the years you’ve lived, just a child.”, Anzhong said. His voice was his normal matter-of-fact tone, but Sunset could feel his love for her and his regret for his actions.

“Did one of your victims die?”

“Your mother told you I used to be a bully.”

“She did.”

“Sigh, no, none of my victims killed themselves, but what I did was despicable. I would beat kids up for whatever reason I wanted. My thought was “I’m strong, and they’re weak”. I had a very poor understanding of the role of the strong.”

“That sounds familiar.”, Sunset commented.

“That is a common sentiment amongst bullies. Sunset, I want to help you, but you need to understand, bullying is contagious. It’s a symptom of trauma, and the trauma you inflict can cause them to become bullies themselves, and the cycle continues. All this is something you can choose not to spread.”

Sunset nodded. “I want to stop it. I want to make it better.”, Sunset said with determination.

Anzhong reached over and, after locating it, lovingly caressed Sunset’s face. “That’s my girl.” He removed his hand and pulled Sunset’s keys out from his pocket and presented them to her. “Please don’t leave these where other people might grab them, and if you’re going to run away again, at least pack a bag, even just the bag itself.”

Sunset took back her keys and held them to her chest. “I’m sorry.”

“Okay, let’s get ya cleaned up. We’re already late.”, Brigid said. She picked Sunset up, and Anzhong stood up as well. She carried Sunset out of the forest while, carefully, rubbing her back. “Sunset, dere’s a phrase dat Ah was taught a long time ago. Ah think it might help ya.”

“What is it?”

“Life is like a pond, and all da bad in life things are like stones bein’ thrown in it. Dey may ripple da wate’ n’ remain in da pond f’r da rest a’ time, but dey, ultimately, don’t damage da wate’, n’ da wate’ moves n’ grow around da stones.”

“So, what you’re saying is that the trauma will always be a part of me, but I can move past it and continue to grow and even use the trauma as a source of growth.”

“Bingo” It didn’t take long for them to make it out of the forest, and Brigid placed Sunset in the car and then drove them all home. Sunset was able to walk inside under her own power, but Anzhong and Brigid remained close until Sunset was sitting down.

“I think I bled through my bandages.”

Brigid nodded then removed Sunset’s jacket and shirt. “Eyuh, dey need ta be changed.” She began to clean her up. Sunset put her keys back into her pocket and squeezed Bedelia in preparation for the pain.

Anzhong sat down in front of Sunset and held out his hand. “Squeeze my hand. It will help.”

Sunset looked down at his hand skeptically then back up at Anzhong. “Really?”

“It’s wha’ da doctors tell ya ta do when y’re givin’ birth. Ah nearly broke his hand when Ah was givin’ birth.”, Brigid explained.

Sunset took Anzhong’s hand, and Brigid began changing her bandages. Sunset gritted her teeth and squeezed Bedelia and Anzhong’s hand. It felt like someone was searing her skin each time her wounds were exposed to the air, even with her blood covering her nerves. Brigid worked quickly, but Sunset still let out pained hisses.

“Ah’m sorry, baby.”, Brigid said and rubbed the good part of Sunset’s back. Another couple painful minutes later, she had fresh bandages on. “Dere, all done.”

“I’m hungry.”, Sunset said.

“Good, because we’re goin’ ta da hospital f’r dinne’. Ah’ll get ya a new shirt.” Brigid got up and disappeared into Sunset’s room.

“Sunset”, Anzhong said.

“Yeah?”

“Did you use what I taught you to bully the other kids?”

Sunset shook her head fervently. “No, I would never dishonor you like that.”

Anzhong nodded. “That already makes you better than me.”

Brigid came back with one of Sunset’s old shirts and helped her get it on and then her jacket. Anura and Minerva came inside and looked at the scene.

“Is everything okay?”, Minerva asked.

“No, but it will get better.”, Anzhong said.

Brigid carried Sunset out to the car, everyone else following. Everyone jumped in, and they were on their way to the hospital.

Sunset looked back at Anura, who looked like a part of her was gone. “Anura, are you okay?”

“I don’t know what I’m going to do when Emi dies. It’s always been the two of us. I don’t know what I’m going to do when it’s just the one of me.”, Anura said sorrowfully.

“Well, ya won’t have ta know for a while longe’. Ah got a good prognosis from da doc ta day. It looks like Emi will be okay.”, Brigid informed.

Anura’s head shot up and hoped filled her eyes. “Really?”

“Yeah, da doctors are gonna keep ‘er a bit longe’ f’r observation, but she looks to be gettin’ bette’.”

Sunset felt a weight she didn’t even know was there lift from her chest. It worked. It worked! She leaned against the window and closed her eyes. She felt exhausted in every sense of the word and cold. Once they got to the hospital, Brigid picked Sunset up and carried her inside. They headed to the cafeteria, where Emi already sat in a wheelchair at one of the tables with a nurse. The six of them joined her, and Brigid dismissed the nurse.

“Hey, what ya did worked. The doc said that my cancer cells are dying.”, Emi said. “You, however, look like you’re dying.”

Sunset gave her a wry smile. “I’ll live.”

“What does everybody want?”, Minerva asked.

“I’m surprisingly hungry,” Emi said, “so a lot.”

“A lot of whatever, preferably warm.”, Sunset said.

Anura just shrugged her shoulders.

“How very helpful.”, Minerva deadpanned.

“I’m not hungry.”, Anzhong said.

“Are ya sure?”, Brigid asked.

“I don’t really feel like eating.”

“Okay”, Brigid said, then she and Minerva went off to get the food.

“So, what happened to you?”, Emi asked.

“That’s… a long story.”, Sunset said quietly.

“Ah’ve got time.”

Sunset would’ve glared at Emi if she had the energy. “I’ve been sick for a very long time. When I was getting that energy to help you, I got into a fight over it and tried to use its power to win. The magic manifested my sickness into a living monster that took me over completely. The process to remove the monster left me pretty badly injured. I’m lucky to be alive.”

“Since the monster’s gone, does that mean you’re better?”

“Not entirely. The monster’s gone, but my sickness might never fully go away.”

“Then what do we do? Are you just going ta be sick forever?”

“Maybe, but I can still work to make it better, and that’s what I wanna do.”

“Okay”

Brigid and Minerva returned with several plates of food and placed them around the table. “Ya’d think, with how much our insurance is payin’, da food would be free.”

“Blame the insurance companies. They aren’t actually paying that much. All the prices are jacked up because all the insurance companies “negotiated” for discounts, and the hospitals had to raise their prices in order to get the money they need.”, Anzhong explained.

“Figures”, Minerva said bitterly. “On to a happier topic.”, she said in a more cheerful tone. Everyone looked around the table, and despite the good news on Emi’s health, no one was exactly in a cheery mood. “On a happier topic, none of us are dead.”, she deadpanned then sat down.

They ate in silence. Emi ate slowly but was eating. Out of the corner of her eye, Sunset noticed Dr. Dracul walking over to their table.

“Hello, Doctor.”, Brigid said.

“Hello. Sunset, I have something I think you’d like ta see.”, Dr. Dracul said.

“Let me finish my food first.”, Sunset said.

“Of course.”

Sunset shoveled her food into her mouth then followed Dr. Dracul out of the cafeteria. He took her up to the elevator, up to the NICU, and over to the window to the baby room. “You see that little girl over there?”, Dr. Dracul said while pointing to one of the babies.

“Yeah”

“Her life was saved by your blood. She wouldn’t still be here without you.”

Sunset got a fuzzy feeling in her chest at his words. She saved that kid without doing anything underhanded or hurting anyone. Granted, it wasn’t much, but she needed anything she could get. “Thank you for showing me this. I needed it.”

“Your mother came by for some bags of your blood. Are you okay?”

“Yeah, just got some bad cuts.”

“Okay. I should let you get back to your family.”

Sunset waved goodbye to Dr. Dracul and headed back down to the cafeteria and retook her seat with her family.

“Wha’ did Dr. Dracul want ta show ya?”, Brigid asked.

“A little girl that got a transfusion of my blood.”

“Bet it feels good to know you helped her.”, Minerva said.

“Yeah, it does.”

Crystal Castle

Date: 1st day of the 9th month of the 1120th year, time: 2nd hour ASR

*Twilight’s perspective*

Twilight looked at her friends, the princesses, and Shining Armor, who were all waiting to hear about Twilight’s adventure on the other side of the portal. Spike was off somewhere else. He was there, so he didn’t feel the need to be here. Twilight and Celestia managed to convince everypony to wait until after breakfast, but now, there was no more stalling. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to tell them. It was that she didn’t know how to tell them. That place was weird. Finally, Twilight took a deep breath and began talking. “So, you all want to know about my time on the other side of the mirror portal, and I have already told you that you have counterparts in the other world, but I want to start off by asking you something, Prin- Celestia. How much do you know about that place?”

“I do not know much about that place. I was there once, but that was only for a few seconds. I would really like to hear what you have learned.”

“Okay, first, the creatures on the other side of the portal are not ponies.”

That elicited confused murmurs from everypony, except Celestia. “If they’re not ponies, what are they, griffons?”, Shining asked.

“No, they call themselves “humans”.”

“Humans, that sounds familiar. I think Lyra once mentioned them.”, Pinkie said.

“Wait, really? That-”, Twilight tried to say but was cut off.

“Later, I want to hear about my hoo-mahn counterpart.”, Rainbow said impatiently. “What does she look like? Do they even have mares and colts?”

“Right, yes. First off, yes, they do have mares and colts. As far as they look, they are similar to minotaurs in that they walk on two legs and have two front appendages to grab and use tools, but unlike minotaurs, they are almost completely furless, except for their manes, and they don’t have hooves. Instead, they have feet similar to Spike’s. I have no reference how big they are compared to ponies, but they would likely be a bit taller due to them walking on two legs, but I can’t imagine they’re much taller.”

Everypony, except for Celestia, was either giving expressions of curiosity, confusion, or outright disgust. “How would not having fur benefit them? Do they have chitin or scales instead?”, Fluttershy asked. She was one of the ones with a curious face.

Twilight debated telling them, but most of them would likely, at the least, not believe her but would more likely be freaked out, but she also didn’t want to lie to them. “They don’t have chitin or scales. Instead, they sacrificed protection for the ability to cool themselves while running by sweating.”

“That makes no sense.”, Shining said.

“It apparently worked for them.”

“What did they wear? Do they wear anything?”, Rarity asked.

“They do wear clothing. As a matter-of-fact, because they don’t have natural protection, they are constantly wearing clothes. I didn’t see a single human not wearing clothes. I don’t think I can describe their clothes to your standards though. Sorry, Rarity.”

“Was my counterpart as funny as me?”, Pinkie asked.

“I didn’t really spend enough time with her to get a sense of her humor.”

“Eh, that’s okay. I hope I get to meet her one day.”

“Do you think these hoomahns might be a security threat to Equestria?”, Princess Luna asked.

“I’m not sure. They don’t have any magic, but their technology level is far beyond anything Equestria has. They have these little devices they call phones that allow them to communicate anywhere on the planet and larger devices called com-pute-rs that give them access to the entirety of their collective knowledge; the contents of thousands of libraries can fit inside of those things. I was more concerned with learning about their current culture, so I didn't get a good look at their technology.”

“Hm, the next time the portal opens, we should launch an expeditionary force to learn about them and any possible threats they may pose.”

“Not to be rude, Princess, but it’s safe to assume that they don’t know about the portal. If we launch any forces through, we will be alerting them to its existence, opening us up for invasion. In short, we should absolutely not do that.”, Shining said.

“Yeah, the only humans that know about the portal are my Canterlot High friends and Celestia’s counterpart, who’s merely a school principal. The greater world knows nothing about the portal or Equestria.”, Twilight added. Princess Luna merely huffed and turned her head up.

“If nopony else has any questions, we should start preparing for the summit.”, Celestia said. Everypony nodded and began getting up and leaving the room.

“I’ll probably have more questions later, Twilight.”, Rainbow said as they were leaving.

“I’d be happy to answer them to the best of my ability.”, Twilight answered, then approached Princess Celestia with her own question. “Prin- I mean Celestia, you said you were there once. What happened?”

“Hm,” Celestia closed her eyes in contemplation before opening them again with a bit of sorrow, “it’s not much of a happy story. Perhaps I will tell you another time.”

Twilight was annoyed that she wouldn’t get to hear the story but also trusted that when Celestia said it wasn’t a happy story that it wasn’t. It looked like she would have to wait to hear it.

Outside CHS

Date: Sep 3rd, time: 5:15 pm

*Brigid’s perspective*

Brigid walked alongside Anzhong and Sunset as they went around to the side entrance of the school as the front was less than safe. Sunset was gripping onto Brigid’s jacket like she was the only thing keeping her alive. It reminded Brigid of when she first went shopping with her. There was barely anyone around the school. There were inspectors looking at the damage, but that was about it. They arrived at Celestia’s office, and Anzhong let them in. Brigid had to suppress a snarl upon seeing her. They were obviously different species, but this was the human counterpart to the mare that harmed Sunset. The hair was a dead give away, but it was also those eyes. They were also slightly different, this Celestia having the eyes of a hunting animal, but other than that, they were the same. The other woman in the room stood behind Celestia with the eyes of an observer, detached but watching.

“Hello, I am Principal Celestia, and this is Vice Principal Luna. We can get another chair if you would like.”

“I’d prefer to stand.”, Sunset said timidly. The proud soldier visage was gone, and now, she was hiding away in her jacket with her head down. Brigid rubbed Sunset on the shoulder, getting her to let go of her jacket, and she and Anzhong sat down.

Celestia’s demeanor gained a firmness as she turned to Sunset. “I’ve talked to the other students and gotten their side of the story, but I want to hear what you have to say about all this.”

Sunset turned her head away from Celestia. She undoubtedly saw the same thing as Brigid, but to her, it means something entirely different. “Sunset, tell Celestia wha’ ya told us.”, Brigid said gently.

Sunset turned back to Celestia but still couldn’t look her in the eye. “I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for any of that to happen. The crown was never even supposed to enter the school. I… had a lapse in judgment.”

Brigid’s brow furrowed in response to what Sunset said. “Dat’s not wha’ ya told us.”

Sunset hesitated but finally spoke after a couple moments. “I had a mental episode. That demon was jus’ tha physical manifestation of my… problems.”

“Are you saying you weren’t in control of your actions?”, Luna asked.

“Yes and no, it’s hard to explain.”

“I understand what you’re saying. I’m familiar with such episodes, just with less… magic.”, Celestia said. “You don’t need to say more if it bothers you.”

“Thank you.”

“Now, we still need to talk about repayment for the damage and how we’re going to handle this going forward and keep it or anything like it from happening again.”

“We’ll cover the costs of the repair, and we are taking Sunset to therapy along with having her apologize to every student she has wronged.”, Anzhong said.

“Except for Lily.”, Sunset said, lifting up her head for the first time since they left home.

“Sunset.”, Anzhong chastised.

“No, I’m saying anything to the B other than the only reason I haven’t done worse to her is because I like not being in jail.”

“Sigh, we’ll talk about this later.”

“You wouldn’t say sorry to someone that hurt Mom like that.”, Sunset said angrily. “Even with what happened, I still care about Flash enough to be angry at her.”

“I understand Sunset…”, Anzhong tried to say, but Sunset cut him off.

“No, you don’t! I understand I unjustly hurt people, I really hurt people during the formal, and I will make amends for that, but I also hurt people that hurt other people! I’m not sorry about beating up Sea and Thunder or Honeycrisp and Pazazz, I’m not sorry about all the stuff I did to Lily, and I’m certainly not sorry about stealing the crown!”

Brigid put her hands up, stopping anything more from coming out of either of their mouths. “We’ll pay f’r da damages, and Sunset will be goin’ ta therapy n’ makin’ right wha’ she did wrong. Will dat be all?”, Brigid said in a way that left no room for argument.

“Yes, that sounds good.”, Celestia said.

“Ah’ll get ya a check by da end a’ next week.”

“That would be good.”, Celestia said. Brigid, Anzhong, and Celestia stood up, and Brigid was surprised by the fact Celestia was almost eye-level with her, relative to how eye-level other people normally are to Brigid. Celestia was slightly shorter than her but only by about a few inches.

“Hey, Ah won’t hurt mo neck ta look ya in da eye.”, Brigid commented as she shook Celestia’s hand.

“It has been a while since I needed to look up at someone.”

Brigid nodded her head and assured her family out. They still had a lot of stuff to do that day. One of which was to begin looking for a therapist.

Canterlot Hospital

Date: same day, time: 8:00 pm

*Jiraiya’s perspective*

I used to be a normal boy until my country went to war. I had a mom, dad, and older brother, but the war took all but my mother from me. I was ten years old and angry at everything except the girl I met at the edge of the forest. She was a strange girl, and I had never seen her around the village before, but I was head over heels for her. In my darkest hours, she listened to me without making me feel like I was being judged. I could tell her all my darkest thoughts. She’d even seemed disappointed when I retracted my statements about wanting to kill the emperor or every American soldier I could find. Years later, I learned why she was so strange and that she was a fox spirit. She became the shrine maiden at Inari’s shrine and gave the village the messages she received. She taught me everything I know about fighting, and I taught her about humanity. I was the first human to not reject her for what she truly was. She was the one to convince me to go to medical school. We loved every part of each other because we were a part of each other. That made it all the more painful when I lost her.

I always thought she would far out live me, but that was not to be. When my eldest was twenty-one and my youngest was nine, a train derailment took the life of my wife, Aoi. I began to drink to distract from the pain, drinking more and more as the years went on. I eventually left Japan with my son to put some needed distance between us and the tragedy.

After moving to America, I managed to rebuild my life and stop the unhealthy amounts of drinking. I began working at Canterlot Hospital, and that’s how I ended up here.

Jiraiya stood to the side of the bed of one Torta Klubnikaevna Alekhina, putting burn ointment on a burn that covered most of her right forearm while her family waited around. “So, how did this happen?”

“I lost my balance and knocked over pot of water.”, Ms. Alekhina said.

“Do you have any concerns regarding your balance?”

“It’s side effect of one of my medications. I’ll be scheduling appointment with my GP to discuss it.”

“That’s good.”

“So, how long have you been in the US?”, Ms. Alekhina asked.

“Almost twenty years.” Jiraiya began placing the dressings on Ms. Alekhina’s surprisingly muscular arm. She was rather chatty, and Jiraiya kept up the conversation, but she seemed to be picking up a more flirtatious tone as she went on. Jiraiya finished up her dressing and helped her off the bed. “There you go. Now, for wound care-”

“Oh, I know what to do. I've got more burns than winters under my belt.”

“Very good then. I’ll send you on your way. Just make sure to sign out with the front desk before you leave.”

“Thank you, but before I leave, do you have pen and paper?”

“Sure, right here.” Jiraiya gave her the requested items, and she quickly wrote something down, tore off the bit she wrote on, and gave everything back to Jiraiya.

“Here’s my number. How about you give me call some time?”

“Oh, Baba, leave the doctor alone.”, Ms. Alekhina’s older grandchild said. Despite neither her mother or sister having the same accent, the older grandchild spoke with a British accent. As weird as it was, Jiraiya didn’t think too much into it as he had a job to do and there are a dozen reasonable explanations, including foreign accent syndrome.

“Thank you for the offer, but this wouldn’t be appropriate.”, Jiraiya said.

“Why, are you married?”, Ms. Alekhina asked.

“No, that’s not it. It’s not appropriate for a doctor to date their patient.”

“But after I sign out, I won’t be your patient.”

“Oh Mama.”, Ms. Alekhina’s daughter said.

“This is not unheard of. Though, it typically happens with first responders. Just give it a couple weeks, and you’ll forget all about me.”, Jiraiya dismissed with a wave.

“Hm, we’ll see. I’ll be seeing you in couple weeks. Do svidaniya”, Ms. Alekhina said with a wave of her fingers, and she and her family left.

Jiraiya looked down at the number and chuckled to himself. He stashed it away in his pocket. There was no way she would end up wanting to date him, but hey, maybe he’d get lucky.

Port of Tokyo

Date: Sep 4th, time: 9:30 pm

*nameless’s perspective*

The fox watched from the shadows as doc workers loaded crates onto and off the ships. How in Inari’s name humans advanced so much in three hundred years was a mystery to him. He nearly got hit twice by those metal monsters roaming those black paths. He pulled out a world map he’d snatched and looked it over again. That energy blast came somewhere from the east, so he had to find a ship going that direction. Strangely, there was a new country called ‘Rice Country’. He would find a ship going there then try searching from there.

The fox tucked the map away in his tails and began walking around. He used an illusion to hide himself from the humans as he searched for the right ship. The foremen held devices that told them which crates went where and on what ships. He eventually found a ship going to this ‘Beikoku’ place with strange symbols on the hull. Getting onboard was simple as he just had to walk up the ramp. Inside the cargo hold was what was probably the strangest thing he’d seen all day. Some of the humans were covered in ink or mud, but they didn’t smell of ink or mud. Maybe it’s something they do for their health. Hm, there were some women that used charcoal to blacken their teeth. Today was quickly becoming the strangest day of his life, and he once encountered a young kitsune with horse ears traveling with six humans that also had horse ears. The fox quickly left the cargo hold and headed toward the cabins. He eventually found one with a sleeping human inside. Although “quietly” wasn’t exactly possible, the ship was so noisy that the creaking metal was not noticed. He closed the door behind him and approached the still sleeping man. He was clearly an outlander by his facial features, but his skin was normally colored. The fox jumped into the sleeping man.

The process was a bit magic intensive, but remaining within the human would not drain his power faster than he could restore it. The human bolted up as the fox began to take control. He thrashed, trying fruitlessly to fight him. Within a few seconds, the fox was in control. The fox looked through his host's memories and found out his name was Ch-uck. Chuck, strange name, but names were strange to him as a whole. It made sense for humans to have names, being that they are social animals, but kitsune were solitary by nature. Aside from one’s mate, the longest any spend with other kitsune was the time needed to raise young. I would likely need a human name once I reached my destination. Hm, Tomoe, maybe. Lee is pretty generic. I’ll think of one later. This one is not expected on shift for a few more hours. I should sleep. The fox returned his host body back to sleep, but the noise did not make it easy. His only saving grace was that he now only had to deal with human hearing.

Reads family home

Date: Sep 5th, time: 8:00 pm

*Anura’s perspective*

“That’s my dad?”, Anura asked.

Mom and Anura sat in the living room with her father’s donor information in front of them. It had his picture, blood type (O-), education level (bachelor), occupation (nurse), marital status (single), languages spoken (Filipino and English), whether he is a twin or not (not), ethnic origin (100% Filipino), career goals (nurse), interests/hobbies (biking and hiking), how he would describe himself (outdoorsy and introverted), familial medical history (nothing notable), other kids he fathered (seven), and other such information in it, but there was no contact information or even a name. He looked absolutely nothing like Anura, but she did share his blood type. A couple very notable features were a large scar going from his nose to his left ear and that same ear had an equally large nick in it. It looked like all the damage was caused by a single cut.

“Yes”, Mom said.

“Why didn’t he leave any way for us to contact him?”

“Well, people get paid a lot to donate to fertility banks… He probably wanted some extra money. Stuff can get pretty expensive, and nurses aren’t always paid as much as they should be.”

“Oh” Anura tried to keep a neutral face as she tried to sort out her emotions. She wasn’t sure how to feel about that. Her father didn’t technically abandon her because he never met her, but she still felt like he didn’t want her. Would she ever get to meet him? If she did, would he reject her?

“Are you okay?”

“I’m… I'm not sure. I only exist because he wanted money. It… kinda feels bad.”

“Anura, you don’t only exist because he wanted money. I was a part of that equation too, and pregnancy is quite a bit more involved than just planting the seed. You exist because I wanted a child to love and raise, and that’s what I now have. I love you to the moon and back. Jiraiya loves you, Brigid and Anzhong love you, and Emi and Sunset love you.”

“I know, but I can’t stop it. I care what he thinks, but I don’t want to care about that.”

“Emotions are funny like that. I wish there was something I could do about that, but I’ll tell you what I can do. I can love you with all my heart.”

Anura pushed the folder away and hugged her mom. “I love you.”

Mom scooped Anura up and held her to her chest. All that needed to be said had been said, so they just stayed like that in silence.

Outside CHS

Date: Sep 6th, time: 9:00 am

*Sunset’s perspective*

Brigid walked Sunset from their home to the high school. Her back was healing surprisingly well and no longer hurt as much. How much she could do was still up in the air, but she should still be able to do something, and that’s what Brigid cared about. Even with her back getting better, she still had to carry her backpack in her arms or by her side rather than where it’s supposed to be. Outside CHS were a bunch of construction people working on the crater and the destroyed entrance and VP Luna waiting outside. Brigid brought Sunset over to Luna. “Here she is.” Brigid patted Sunset on the shoulder then left her with Luna. The first thing Sunset noticed was the lack of her two lackeys. If those two fools think they’re gonna leave me ta do all the work, they’ve got another thing coming.

“I know you don’t want to be here. I certainly don’t. But you did this, and now, you need to make retribution, and I need to monitor you.”

“I only did that.”, Sunset said while pointing to the entrance. “Twilight and her cronies did that.” Sunset pointed to the crater.

“I’d say stopping your rampage gave them suitable cause.”

“Grr, fine. What do you want me ta do?”

“You can help the bricklayers.”

Sunset got her work gloves from her bag then headed over to the entrance and found a safe place to put her bag.

“Are you da kid that’s supposed ta help us?”, a man Sunset assumed was the foreman asked.

“Yes”

“Alright, I’m Rivet. Have ya done work like this before?”

“No”

“Alright, you’ll be sticking with me.” He handed Sunset the same tool Luna handed her that night. “This is a brick trowel. We use this to spread the mortar. You’ll be spreading the mortar while I lay the bricks.” Rivet brought Sunset over to a bucket filled with what could only be the mortar.

Sunset stuck her trowel in and scooped some out. “Is this a good amount?”

“Eyuh”

The two of them got to work, quickly picking up a rhythm. Sunset’s back ached whenever she had to carry the bucket, but she was able to power through it. She was able to call upon an unusual strength. It wasn’t much, but it made things easier. Maybe it’s my human body interacting with the residual magic. Several minutes later, two cars pulled up, and out stepped Snips and Snails from each of the cars along with two unpleasant looking ladies.

Upon seeing her moron lackeys, Sunset jumped up to shout at them. “It’s about time you two idiots show up! Were ya plannin’ on leaving me ta clean up this whole mess?! Get ta work now!”

The boys jumped and ran over to Luna followed shortly by the women Sunset presumed are their mothers.

Sunset turned back to her work and ignored the boys for the rest of the day. They worked throughout the day, only stopping for lunch and when the sun went down. Sunset’s back ached, and she felt sore, but she caused this. She deserved this pain. Brigid had told her to wait to be picked up, so she grabbed her bag then went to find a place where she could be out of the way. As she sat down, she was approached by Snips and Snails.

“Hey, Sunset.”, Snips said. “We can’t hang out with you anymore. Our moms say we’re not allowed.”

Given her reaction to Flash breaking up with her, Sunset expected to feel something, but she didn’t. She didn’t even feel relieved that she wouldn’t have to deal with their incompetence. She felt nothing… other than amusement at them squirming as she silently looked up at them with a blank expression. “Fine, whatever.”, Sunset said with a dismissive wave of her hand.

The two of them ran off, and Sunset was left alone in peace. Brigid and Anzhong soon came walking up, and Sunset got up to meet them. Brigid stroked Sunset’s hair and brought her over to VP Luna.

“How’d she do?”, Brigid asked.

“She did good. She did what she was told without complaint.”, Luna said.

“Good, we’ll see ya tamorrow.”

The three of them began the walk home with the sun having fully set.

“So, did ya learn anythin’?”

“You’re gonna conscript me into helping you with masonry work, aren't ya?”

“Maybe”

“Then I learned nothin’. I don’t even remember what I was doin’ all day.”

“Well, if yer memory's dat bad, we might wanna take ya ta a doctor. Speakin’ a’ docs, we do still need ta pick a therapist.”

“Great”, Sunset said through gritted teeth. Even with everything that happened, she wasn’t too keen on seeing a therapist, and the thought of having to pick one gave her an odd sense of anxiety.

“If it makes ya feel bette’, yer fathe’s also gonna go see a therapist.”

“I don’t remember saying that.”, Anzhong said.

“Odd, both a’ ya are havin’ memory problems. Maybe Ah should check da CO detectors.”, Brigid said in her playful tone.

“Darn, looks like she’s too smart for us ta fool.”, Sunset said.

“Hm” Anzhong nodded.

Katon family home

Date: Sep 7th, time: 7:00 pm

*Sunset’s perspective*

Sunset looked through the glass of the back door like a dog waiting for their human to come home. That wasn’t far off from the truth. Emi was coming home. She heard the car drive down the alley and into the garage. Brigid soon came out of the garage, carrying Emi. Sunset ran outside and hugged them.

“Sunset, hey, I need your help with something.”, Emi said.

“Anything”

“Great, we need to go to your room.”

“Okay”, Sunset said, not sure where she was going with this. Brigid handed Emi off to Sunset, and Sunset carried her to her room. “What do ya need?”

“Your drawing tablet.”

“You ain’t usin’ mo tablet.”

“No, I need ya ta draw somethin’ for me.”

“Oh, okay.” Sunset brought Emi over to her desk and sat her on her lap as she set up her tablet. “Okay, what do ya need me ta draw.”

“My symbol.” Emi pulled a folded piece of paper out of her pocket and opened it up on the desk. The drawing was crude, but it got the idea across along with the helpful little labels with arrows.

“Oh, okay, why is the shuriken in that shape?”

“It’s how I saw it in my dream.”

“Do you know what it means?”

“No”

“That’s the Star of Magic, the Element of Magic. That’s the thing I used ta save you.”

“Oooh, cool.”

The design was relatively simple. She just had to tweak the standard six pointed star. “There, does that look good?”

“Yes”

Katon living room

Date: same day, time: 6:00 pm

*Sunset’s perspective*

“I think the first question we should ask is, who would even believe my story.”, Sunset said. Brigid, Anzhong, Emi, and herself sat around the living room coffee table with a list of possible therapists between them. She still couldn’t sit on the couch or her beanbag and was sitting on a cushion Anzhong got when he broke his tailbone some years back so as to not aggravate her tail wound. Emi called it a “butt donut” because it was donut-shaped without the cover.

Emi’s condition had drastically improved. She’s still not anywhere near as active as she used to be, but she’s not constantly tired anymore and is in a cheerier mood. “That basically eliminates all of them. They’ll think you’re crazy n’ lock ya up in the loony bin.”, she said.

“I’m glad you’re doing better.”, Sunset said sarcastically.

“Maybe you can leave out all the magic stuff when talking to the therapist.”, Anzhong suggested.

“That’s not gonna work. A good chunk of my issues are rooted in my time in the military. I don’t think I could twist the story to where a nine-year-old general makes sense. Plus, the whole turning into a demon thing was pretty traumatic, and I wouldn’t be able to mention that.”

“Ya could try doin’ magic in front a’ ‘em ta prove it’s real.”

“Or I might end up scaring them. This HIPAA thing will keep whoever I talk to from spilling the beans, right?”

“Dat’s wha’ it’s supposed ta do, n’ any doc worth deir salt abides by it.”

“But it’s just a piece a’ paper that gives us power ta sue ‘em if they don’t and not something physically or magically keeping them from doing so.”

“Dat is true, but same issue Ahui brought up, nobody would believe ‘em, n’ dey c’n’t cast spells ta prove it.”

“True, but my anxiety still isn’t assuaged.”

“Sigh, let’s come back ta dis late’. Maybe Ah c’n try talkin’ ta ‘em first ta feel ‘em out.”

With that, the four dispersed, and Sunset went back to her room. I can’t avoid it forever, but who can I trust?

Lagos, Nigeria

Date: Sep 9th, time: 8:00 am

*Kehinde’s perspective*

Kehinde looked herself over in the mirror as she washed her face. She kept her amber hair and brown eyes in her false, human skin, but that was the only thing that stayed the same. She looked human in every way, though not very attractive by their standards. Her people have always been able to hide amongst humans. Their voices were a bit nasally, and their bodies a bit hairy, but these features were never distinct enough to be a smoking gun. It was even easier now that it was illegal to accuse someone of being one of her people. It was funny how humans grouped the Jews in with her people. They did practice the same triads, but that was their only similarity. Her human form has the same dark brown skin as the majority of the humans around and has one of those “it could be anyone” faces. This all worked in her favor.

Kehinde exited the bathroom and began searching for Anansi. She searched in places away from the prying eyes of humans. A six armed man was not something that would go unnoticed, but he was not hard to find as he smelled of deceit. Even humans can smell it and, thus, don't like him. She was already near the less populated part of the city, so just had to look in alleys and shadows.

“Hello there, puppy girl.”, Anansi said with his annoying voice. He was hiding in a dumpster, and now he smelled even worse.

“You reek.” Kehinde approached the dumpster but kept her distance.

“Not all of us are blessed with the ability to blend in perfectly with the most dangerous species on the planet.” Anansi hopped out and presented Kehinde with several pieces of paper, a book of some kind, and a rectangular device.

After a second of looking at them, Kehinde recognized them as immigration papers, a passport, and a smartphone and how to use them. How the hell do I know- bug boy.

Anansi apparently noticed Kehinde’s realization and grinned. “You’ll be needing these where you’re going. You can’t survive there without them.”, Anansi said while pointing to the phone. Kehinde knew better than to ask where he got such items as they were likely either stolen or he swindled others into getting them for him.

“Where exactly am I going?”

“To the United States of America, the state of Maine.”

A flood of information was brought forth in Kehinde’s mind. She now knew the local costumes and dialect, the state and federal laws, the dangers, and even how to use their toilets. “Wait, you’re telling me they have so much clean water that they crap in it, unbelievable.”

“Helps with the smell. Now, I arranged a ship to take you. Go to the docks and ask for Captain Olowe. He and most of his crew are popobawa, so your nightly transformations will not be an issue.”

“I thought mapobawa were solitary creatures and drank human blood. What are they doing on a ship?”

“Despite the stories, most are just trying to make a decent living, and they have a wide range of personalities amongst them. Though, not all of them are as law-abiding. That’s where the stories come from. Not all other species are as one note as yours.”, Anansi said, putting four hands on his hips and crossing his top two arms.

Kehinde just rolled her eyes and headed to the docks. Finding the right ship wasn’t hard. She just had to follow the smell of bats. The ship was smaller than the average, but it was still a cargo hauler. A popobawa disguised as a human and wearing a typical, short-sleeved captain uniform stood at the end of the loading ramp as the ship was loaded. “You must be Captain Olowe.”

The captain scrunched up his nose upon smelling Kehinde. His sense of smell wasn’t as good as hers, but it could likely pick up on her midnight snack. Kehinde gave him a predatory smile as he continued to look at her with suspension. “And you are?”, the captain said with an air of disdain.

“I’m your passenger. The one an annoying trickster sent.”

“I see. Follow me.” The captain lead Kehinde through the corridors, past humans and mapobawa.

“So, how did your people end up on a cargo ship? I thought you were solitary creatures.”, Kehinde asked with a bit of a mischievous tone.

“We are. That’s why you’ll rarely see us outside of our cabins when we’re off shift.”, The captain said curtly.

“I see. What about food? Don’t you feed on human blood?”

“We feed on blood, but not human blood specifically. Any mammal blood will do.”

“And the anal rapes?”

The captain spun around, face red as blood. “We are not like that! That was the actions of a few that led to more being blamed on all of us by the true culprits! We are nothing like you!”, the captain shouted, getting the attention of everyone in that section of the ship. The captain spun back around and returned to leading her to her quarters. “These are your quarters. I suggest you don’t leave them.” The captain leaned into Kehinde’s personal space and snarled at her. “If you hurt a member of my crew, I will throw you into the ocean. I don’t care how much I’m being paid, you don’t get a second chance.”

“Anansi is paying you, with cash?”, Kehinde said in disbelief. She was uncensored by his threats or posturing. He may be hot stuff against male hyenas, but females are much bigger and stronger. His itty-bitty arms wouldn’t even be able to hold her long enough to get her off the deck.

“No, he’s paying us in cow’s blood.” The captain stomped off.

Kehinde entered her cabin. Throwing her bag on the floor and flopping on the bed, she prepared for the long trip.

Outside CHS

Date: Sep 15th, time: 8:20 am

*Sunset’s perspective*

Canterlot High, she only ruled it for a couple days, but those were a couple of really crappy days. Sunset looked up at the now repaired entrance with a swirling mix of emotions, none of them good. It was like the events of the Fall Formal never happened, but they did happen, and she had the injuries to prove it. They were almost healed up, and Sunset could now sit in a chair somewhat comfortably.

She slowly walked forward and into the school. The halls were filled with students milling about before the first bell. The moment they noticed her, they stared daggers into her. They hated her, and they were no longer too afraid to let her know exactly what they thought of her. The sheer amount of emotional energy directed at her caused her head to hurt. She hurried to her locker, not wanting to be stared at like that longer than she had to. As she walked to her locker, Sunset ran into Meg. “Hi, Meg.”, she signed. Meg looked at her with utter betrayal and hurt in her eyes before scurrying away. Sunset couldn’t blame her. She’d hurt everybody.

The day went on with Sunset trying to avoid everyone and getting stared at. Even the teachers didn’t look at her the same, though not in a hateful way, more of a ‘WTF is going on’ sorta way. Not all of them were there, but teachers gossip, and a student turning into a literal demon is probably the biggest piece they’ll ever hear. Lunch time eventually came, and after getting her food, Sunset tried to find a seat, but everyone purposely made sure there was no space for her whenever she neared their table.

“Twilight asked us ta help her.”, Rainbow said.

“Ah know, but do we really want her ta sit with us?”, Jacklyn said.

“She’ll be really sad if we don’t. She’ll think no one wants to sit with her.”, Pinkie said.

“Ah mean…”

“Applejack,” Rarity chided, “she needs help. If we don’t help her, she likely won’t get any and will slide back into her old ways.”

“Ah guess y’re right.”

“Sunset, over here.”, Fluttershy “called out”.

“She’s not gonna hear ya if ya don’t speak up.”, Rainbow said.

“You’d be surprised with how good my hearing is.”, Sunset said as she got close.

“Wait, ya heard all that?”, Jacklyn asked, looking sheepish.

“The whole thing. Good ears run in my family.” She chose to not make a big deal about Jacklyn’s words. She was right to feel that way, and the rest were being nicer than she deserved. She sat down in the open seat, causing the surrounding people to clear out.

“You mean pony ears run in the family.”, RD said.

Sunset stopped mid stabbing her fork into her food. “Little Ms. Princess told ya, didn’t she?”, she said, adopting a bit of her old sinister tone again.

“Sure did.”, RD said in her usual cocky tone. “So, a teenage army, was that really your grand plan for conquering your home world?”

“Imma stop ya there. Don’t trust anything demon me said. Everything it spouted was nothing but my dark fantasies and intrusive thoughts. I’m not stupid, and that wasn’t my original goal.”

“So, what was your original goal?”

“That’s none of your business.”

“Sunset, we want to help you, and that means we need to know what’s going on.”, Rarity said.

“I said it’s none of your business.”, Sunset said, putting a bit more malice into her voice. The result of which caused Fluttershy, who was sitting across from her, to shrink away from her and try to hide behind the table’s edge.

“Hey, it’s okay.”, Jacklyn cut in. “This isn’t an interrogation. Sunset can tell us when she’s ready.”

The girls continued talking amongst themselves, leaving Sunset to eat in peace. The food in the high school was a step up from the middle school, but it still pales in comparison to anything she could get at home.

“So, I tried telling my parents what happened,” Rainbow said, “but they didn’t believe me.”

“Mine too.”, Rarity added.

“Same.”, Fluttershy said.

“Maybe Granny could talk ta ‘em and vouch for ya.”, Jacklyn suggested.

“My mom saw a video of a ghost throwing a bottle of laundry soap at me. Even with the president that set, she still didn’t believe me. I doubt Granny’s testimony’s gonna convince her.”

“Are ya sure it was a ghost, sugarcube?”

“Oh right, I forgot to mention I’ve developed the ability ta see ghosts. My apartment building’s full of them.”

That got Sunset’s attention. “Ya mean “see” as in sense or “see” as in actually see them?”

“I can see them clearly. I thought I was hallucinating for a while before the bottle throwing incident.”

“Huh, interesting.”

“My parents believed me. My family used to practice witchcraft, so magic’s kinda normal for us.”

“Really?”, Rainbow said skeptically.

“Eyup, my family hasn’t practiced it for hundreds of years though. I think my ancestors suspected my aunt’s magic might’ve caused the disappearance of their whole town and it scared them away from it.”

“What?”, Fluttershy deadpanned.

Pinkie recounted the story of Bluefaun and her family’s involvement in it all. “Maud and her teacher went there to try to figure out what happened. She said found some sort of strange creature but not much else.”

Before the girls could ask more questions, the bell rang, and Pinkie, who had been talking the most, had to jam the rest of her food into her mouth as they all got up to leave. Walking to class, the other students avoided Sunset like she had the plague, and by extension, the other girls.

“Looks like you lot are gonna be pariahs by proxy.”, Sunset said.

“Eh, we’ve all survived worse.”, Rainbow said. “Plus, you, although unintentionally, taught us all an important lesson.”

“Oh, and what was that?” Now, Sunset was genuinely curious.

“The importance of a good support system.”

“Yeah,” Pinkie chimed in, “after you broke us all apart, I slid back so far that I had to go back on my meds, and now, even just two weeks into being back with my friends, my doc is weaning me back off them.”

Ooh, crap. “It wasn’t my intention to… do that. I just wanted you to leave me alone.”

“We can add that to the list of your plans that had unintended consequences.”, Rarity said.

“My plans regularly have unintended consequences. They only started blowing in my face after I got to Earth.”

“We’re friends with an alien. Mark that down as a sentence Ah never thought Ah’d say in real life.”, Jacklyn commented.

The girls split up to go to their various classes, leaving Sunset in the same position as earlier. At least there were only a couple hours left in the day. The moment the last bell rang, she made a beeline for the exit, running into the girls along the way

“Hey, what’s the hurry?”, Pinkie asked.

“You wouldn’t wanna be here if you were in my position.”

//Sunset Shimmer to Principal Celestia’s office.//

Sunset stopped in her tracks, and the rest of the girls looked at Sunset with ‘what did you do?’ and ‘really?’ looks.

“I didn’t do anything.”, Sunset tried to defend as she hurried past the glares of the other students and to Celestia’s office. Not many kids were around her door, so Sunset had a chance to compose herself before stepping in. “You wanted to see me?”

“Yes, please, have a seat.”

Sunset sat across from her old mentor’s human counterpart. Despite the similarities, you could see just how different they were just from looking into their eyes. This Celestia wore her heart on her sleeve, making her much easier to read, but she also had a more intimidating presence. She still has the sweet, carrying aura, but Princess Celestia kept her power on a tight leash, letting her title tell others she’s powerful rather than projecting a powerful presence. This Celestia’s much more similar to Brigid, showing that they’re powerful while not making themselves seem threatening. She also seems more confident than the princess. She’s definitely an interesting one.

“How are you doing, Sunset?”

“Hm, been better.”

“Have you found a therapist yet?”

“You’re concerned I’m gonna turn into a demon again?”

“I would much prefer it if you didn’t.”

“Sigh, finding a therapist has been tricky given my… unique situation. Mom has been scouting some possible options out, but our biggest concern is them not believing me and me ending up labeled as schizophrenic or, worse, them believing me and telling the whole world. I’d rather not end up at Area 51.”

“I see. I do have a suggestion for the meantime, if you want to hear it.”

“Shoot”

“In the interim of you finding a proper therapist, you might want to meet with the school’s guidance counselor. Ms. Lance-Hart was one of the chaperones at the dance and has already been exposed to magic. I’ve talked with her, as well as the rest of the faculty present that night, and as freaked out as she is, she’s handling the whole thing well and should be able to help you. I believe she’s not currently occupied. If you have the time…”

“I suppose that’d be a good start.”

“Good, I’ll take you there.” Celestia got up and led Sunset out of her office and down the halls. She brought her to a door identical to her own, except it said ‘Guidance Counselor’ in place of ‘Principal’s Office’ and a hanging plaque with the exposed side saying ‘come in’. Celestia led Sunset in, and Sunset took a peak at the other side of the sign. It says ‘do not disturb’. “Hi, Ms. Lance-Hart. This is Sunset. She would like to talk with you.”

“Sure, come sit down.”, Ms. Lance-Hart said as she gestured to the seat in front of her. Sunset sat in the chair as Celestia left the room. She could hear her turn the sign around as she left. “I’m guessing you wanna talk about… eh, what happened at the Fall Formal.” Ms. Lance-Hart was a squat, older woman with short, brown hair done up into Pretty Soldier Moon buns and dark brown eyes. She reminded Sunset of a teddy bear. She was also pretty clearly nervous, but Sunset heeded it no mind. That just meant she was sane, unlike Twilight’s friends.

“More like what led up to that incident. You got a while?”

“I have as much time as you need.”

“And everything I say stays in this room?”

“Your parents or the principals can request access, but nobody else can access my notes.”

“So, you’re not covered under HIPAA?”

“No, but I am covered under a similar law that only has the two previously mentioned exceptions.”

“Sigh, I guess you’re better than nothing. Buckle your seatbelts. This is gonna take a while.” Sunset gave Ms. Lance-Hart an overview of the pertinent parts of her pre-Earth life, leaving out the doppelganger phenomena by using the relevant Ponish names and the exact location of the portal by just not mentioning it.

“I’m confused. You said you joined your country’s military at fifteen, but you’re fifteen now?”

“When I came through the portal, I was turned into a ten-year-old human. I was turned into a human because Earth has less than half the oxygen percentage of Equoes, and I’d guess that’s where the age error happened.”, Sunset said. She wasn’t lying. That is what she would guess if there weren’t doppelgangers. “I am, both physiologically and neurologically, fifteen, but I’ve been stomping around for thirty years. When I go back through the portal, I’m twenty-five again.”

“Well, that is an eventful life you’ve had. And I’m talking to an alien.”

“I haven’t even gotten to my time on Earth.”, Sunset said while taking off her jacket, exposing her bullet scar. “Have you ever heard of the serial killer, Platinum Wood a.k.a the Taxidermy Killer?”

“I had seen the news about him.”

“Well, the news didn’t cover everything.” She pointed to her bullet wound. “I was almost his second victim, and I witnessed him kill his first victim.”

Horror flashed across Ms. Lance-Hart’s face before she quickly suppressed it. “You were the girl he was rambling about.”

“Say again?”

“Sorry, I’m friends with the forensic psychologist that met with him after his capture, and he said he was rambling on about finding “that girl” and… um, I’m sorry, it’s… what he said was…”

“Yeah, don’t worry. I get it. The mind of someone that did that can’t be a pleasant place.”

“You are very lucky to have never been caught by him.”

“I have my parents to thank for that. So, onto that part of my life.” Sunset continued, telling Ms. Lance-Hart about all the shit she’s gone through over the last five years, leaving out her adoptive family’s magical heritage, their crimes, and the less than legal bits preceding the days leading up to the formal. “After getting some sense knocked back into me, I’ve realized that I was too far up my own ass… no wait, that’s not right. Maybe it’s right. Self-deluded? Whatever. Basically, my thick-skulled ass never stopped to consider that I could just ask for help, and that’s how we all ended up in this situation.”

Ms. Lance-Hart looked to be thinking deeply about everything Sunset told her before taking a breath. “This is way out of my pay grade, but I’ll do everything in my power to help you.”

“I like that you’re straightforward and honest. It’s refreshing.”

“Would you like to play a game?” She seemed to go back to how she was at the start.

“A game?”

“Yes, many students find it’s easier to talk when they’re doing something else, like playing a board game.”

“Sure, why not.”

Canterlot Hospital

Date: Sep 19th, time: 8:00 pm

*Torta’s perspective*

“Excuse me.”, Torta said to the intake nurse.

“Yes, how can I help you?”

“I’m looking for ze hot, Japanese doctor that treated my burn couple weeks ago.”

“Do you have a name?”

“Oh, I’m terrible with names, but he had graying green hair, silver eyes, and I think frog for symbol.”

“Oh, that’s Dr. Katon. I’ll call him.”

Torta stepped back to wait and looked towards the doors that led deeper into the hospital.

Dr. Katon soon came out and approached the front desk. “Can I help you, ma’am?”

“Yes, you told me to wait couple weeks. It’s been couple weeks, and I’m still interested in that date.”, Torta said in a flirtatious tone.

“Oh right, Ms. Alekhina, you really want to go on a date with me?”

“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t.”

“I guess you want my number then.”, he said as he pulled out his notepad and pen.

“Along with your name, not just your family name. Mine is Torta, in case you forgot.”

“No, I wouldn’t forget your name. Especially since Spanish names are rare all the way up here.” Dr. Katon handed Torta the paper with his number on it, which she stashed.

“It’s Russian, actually. Tort but made into girl’s name by adding ‘a’ at end. It does have ze same meaning though.”

“Oh, I stand corrected. My name is Jiraiya. I also work from eight pm to six or eight am, so actually scheduling the date might be tricky.”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get there. Do svidaniya”

“Do svidaniya”, Jiraiya said as Torta walked out into the night.

RaR ch2 The first steps

View Online

Ponyville

Date: 10th day of the 9th month of the 1120th year, time: 6th hour ASR

*Twilight’s perspective*

Twilight trotted through the streets of her beloved Ponyville. It had been half a moon since she’d gotten her wings, and her fellow citizens of Ponyville have mostly gotten used to her wings and no longer gawked at her. She had no particular destination in mind. She just needed a walk. In the town square, Twilight spotted Lyra Heartstrings reading a book. As she passed, Twilight glanced at the book’s title only to stop and read it fully. Hoomahn, the Truth. Is this what Pinkie mentioned?

“Can I help you, Twilight?”, Lyra asked.

“Sorry, I was just curious about your book. Would you mind if I ask you about it?”

“No, come take a seat.” Lyra patted the space next to her, and Twilight hopped up onto the bench. “Do you have any familiarity with hoomahn?”

“Some” The page the book was open to had an outline of a human that only showed the basic features, such as appendages, along with labels and what the author speculated each part was used for. She did get some things right, like humans being omnivores and walking on two legs, but she also got a lot of things wrong, like humans being solitary creatures. “What can you tell me about them?”

“Well, large corpses of these bipedal creatures have been occasionally found for hundreds of years. In most of the cases, nopony was able to figure out what killed them. Their biology is so alien that it’s hard to make heads or tails of it, let alone get anypony to take these reports seriously. That, along with finding one being so rare, is why you can’t find them in “reputable science journals”, but I assure you, they are real.”

“I believe you, Lyra. I want to learn more about them myself.”

“Really? Normally, it’s about now that ponies tell me hoomahn are a joke and to come back to reality.”

“Well, that changes today. Firstly, how do you know they’re called hoomahn, and why does the author think they’re solitary?”

“Oh, a live one was found once, and attempts were made to communicate with it. The report says it pointed to itself and said ‘hoomahn’. Since the author wasn’t sure if it was its personal name or the name of its species, she labeled the species ‘hoomahn’. And only one or two hoomahn have ever been found at a time, so they have to be solitary.”

Twilight was tempted to correct Lyra about that last part, but the princesses have labeled humans and anything regarding the portal as top secret. But how much knowledge of them is already out there. “That is really interesting. I’m interested in learning more. Do you know where I can?”

Lyra’s eyes sparkled as she closed the book and jumped up from her seat. “I have so many books on hoomahn at my place. I’ll show you. Come on.” Lyra bolted down the street, and Twilight followed closely behind. I need to tell the Princess about this.

Sunset’s room

Date: Sep 16th, time: 7:00 pm

*Sunset’s perspective*

Sunset grumbled to herself as she finished writing another stupid apology letter. She’d been forced to write down every way she’d wronged the person, something she knew painfully well, along with a bunch of sappy crap. She was sorry, she really was, but this sucked balls. Not only was she reliving all the crap while writing it all down, it was hard to think up the sappy crap. She was pretty sure that stuff would make her apology seem less sincere, but Anzhong wouldn’t hear any of it. She wished she could just say the facts, be blunt, and do the sappy stuff in person when she handed the letter to the person.

A knock came from the door, and Sunset was happy for the destruction. “Come in.”

Brigid came inside and looked over what Sunset was doing. “How’s it goin’?”

“Not great. Dad’s making me write a bunch of sappy stuff, and I don’t think the other students will take my apologies seriously with it.”

“Wha’ do ya mean?”

“Long winded, rambling apologies seem scripted. I’ve heard apologies given by the other students, and I’ve given a couple. We want to hear what you’re apologizing for then for you to get straight to the point and what kind of reparations or corrections will be made. This seems insincere.” Sunset handed Brigid the letter she was just working on.

“Hm, seems okay ta me, but Ah know dese sorts a’ thin’s change ove’ time. Write wha’ ya think is a sincere apology.” Brigid handed back the letter.

“And Dad?”

“Tell him Ah told ya to. Ya know yer generation bette’ dan us.” With that Brigid left.

“Yes”, Sunset said quietly. She spun back around and scrapped the letters she’d already completed and began writing again, skipping the rambling.

CHS cafeteria

Date: Sep 19th, time: 12:30 pm

*Sunset’s perspective*

“So, I weaved between them and shot. The puck sailed between the goalie's legs and into the net.” Rainbow regaled them with yesterday’s hockey play. Most of them were only half paying attention to her, with the sole exceptions being Fluttershy and Sunset for very different reasons. Fluttershy was making goo-goo eyes at her. Sunset, on the other hand…

“That was impressive, but that only had a forty-three percent chance of working. If I understand the situation correctly, the fighter-hawk maneuver would’ve been a better choice with a seventy-one percent chance of working.”

“Yeah, it would’ve, but it requires two people weighing over one-hundred-sixty pounds. We only had Tiny since you didn’t sign up. Speaking of which, why didn’t you?”

Sunset lowered her head. “Given recent events, I thought it best I take a break from all after school activities. Might as well save everyone the hassle of kicking me off the team.”

Rainbow stayed silent for a moment, looking like she was thinking, before nodding with a solemn expression. “Yeah, that was probably the right call. As long as I’m on this topic, Rarity, your ASL club teaches people how to sign, right?”

Rarity nodded. “Yes, it does, but why the sudden interest?”

“Because Sunset was the only hearing person that knew ASL on the team, and with her gone, we’ve been having to use a white board and charades or shout really loud to communicate with Meg.”

“Wait, Meg isn’t completely deaf?”, Sunset asked.

“No, she isn’t, but she can’t hear anything unless it’s, like, as loud as a jet engine or the game buzzer.”

“Well, we meet every Friday, so you can come today and start learning.”, Rarity said.

“Awesome”

“But you agreed to come help me at the animal shelter after school.”, Fluttershy said.

Rainbow’s eyes widened, and she smacked herself on the head. “Shit, I completely forgot. I’m sorry, Flutters.” She looked back over to Rarity. “Sorry, I’ll have ta take a rain check.”

“No, it’s okay. You’re doing this to help your friend. Go learn sign language.”

“Really, thank you.” Rainbow leaned over the table and kissed Fluttershy. “You’re the best.”

“I know.”

“If you need any help at the animal shelter, I’d be happy to help.” Sunset said. “I got nothing else going on.”

“Oh, thank you. That would be great. My mom can take us.”

“Cool, let me just let my mom n’ aunt know.” Sunset pulled out her phone and relayed the information to the needed parties.

Hey, I’m helping Fluttershy out at the animal

shelter after school.

Have fun. Be back before six.
Clean up as best you can before getting home,
please.

Will do

“Okay, I’m good.”

“Your mom really just lets you do whatever you want?”

“Well, I have to tell her what I’m doing, where I’m going, and be home by six, but yeah. So long as I’m not getting arrested or doing something that could seriously hurt me or someone else, she doesn’t care what I do.”

“Lucky. Meet me out front, after school.”

Lunch wrapped up, and Sunset didn’t see any of the girls again until after classes let out. She saw Rarity take Rainbow to the ASL club but didn’t interact with them. She spotted one of the students she had a letter for and hurried after them. “Hey, wait up.”

The student, Torch Song, turned around and fear colored her face but she tried to hide it with anger. “What do you want?”

Sunset reached into her bag and pulled out the letter. She handed it to her and bowed. “I wish to apologize for my actions against you. They were dishonorable. I truly regret the pain I’ve caused you.” Sunset straightened back up and examined her.

Torch looked uncomfortable, but Sunset couldn’t say what the exact cause was. “Um, thanks.” She turned on her heels and walked away quickly.

Was it the bow? Should I try a more traditionally American apology? Or was it the whole thing? As Sunset continued to ponder that, she headed out front. She found Fluttershy leaning against the statue and looking to the street. She approached her, extending her aura out as to not startle the shy girl.

Fluttershy turned to look at Sunset and smiled. “Hey”

“Hey, when is your mom going to get here?”

“Soon, she works at an office building in Canterlot proper, so getting here takes a bit.”

“Okay” Sunset leaned against the statue and waited next to Fluttershy.

“Where does your mom work?”

“She’s a professor at the college.”

“Oh, so, a smarty pants.”

“Yeah”

A car pulled up in front of where they stood, and Fluttershy stood up straight. “That’s my mom.”

“Okay” Sunset followed Fluttershy to the car and got into the back seat while Fluttershy got into the front.

“Oh, who’s your friend?”, Fluttershy’s mom asked. She was even quieter and even more meek sounding than Fluttershy, as impossible as that sounds.

“This is Sunset. Rainbow had to cancel last minute, and she offered to help in her stead.”, Fluttershy explained. It was bonkers watching her act somewhat normal, in comparison to her mom.

“Is Rainbow okay?”

“She is. She just double scheduled, and I said she could go to her other thing. She’s learning sign language to communicate with her deaf teammate.”

“Good on her, and that’s sweet of you, Sunset.”, Mrs. Forst said.

“That’s nice of you to say, Mrs. Forst, but I’m sorta the reason she has to learn it. I used to be the team’s interpreter, but I didn’t sign up this year, so they need a new one.” Sunset kept her voice as low as the Forsts had theirs. Maybe Mrs. Forst had extra sensitive hearing or something.

“You know my surname?”, Fluttershy asked.

Oops. “I must’ve picked it up somewhere over the years. I don’t remember where.”

“Okay”

Sunset remained quiet as Mrs. Forst drove them to the animal shelter. “I’ll pick you up a little after five.”, Mrs. Forst said once she pulled up to the curb of the animal shelter.

“Okay, see you then.”

The two of them got out and headed inside. It was the same place that they adopted Tomiju. Fluttershy walked over to the desk lady and began talking to her while Sunset stayed back. After a bit, Fluttershy motion for Sunset to follow. She led her to one of the rooms with the dog pens. The dogs all started barking, so Sunset pulled out her noise reducers and stuck them in.

“What are those?”, Fluttershy asked.

“Noise reducers, they’re like earplugs but with a small hole to let some noise through. I have sensitive hearing.”

“Oh, interesting. So, the water bowls need to be cleaned and refilled. Can you take care of that while I take care of the poop?”

Sunset looked around and saw a trough-like cleaning station that also had several hoses acting as faucets or leading from the same water source. “Yeah, I can do that.”

The two of them split to take care of their tasks. Sunset went into each of the dogs’ pens and took out their bowls. There’s a drain in the middle of the floor, so she emptied the water down it so she could just move onto the next pen without having water-filled bowls to carry around. Most of the dogs were friendly and willing to receive pets while others were more skittish. She left those dogs alone in case they were a bit more than skittish. Once all the bowls were collected, she brought them over to the trough and set them up to be cleaned. One of the faucet hoses had one of those attachments that allow water pressure to build. She turned it up to max and used it to blast off the nasty caked on drool and dissolved food mixture. It was stubborn, so she had to do a mixture of scrubbing with soap and blasting to get it all off. Once that nast was off, Sunset gave each bowl a thorough cleaning before filling them back up and returning them to the pens.

The floor in each of the pens was wet, but the poop was cleaned. Sunset had to step over a hose as she was taking another bowl to a pen and realized that Fluttershy was also using the blasting method to clean the poop residue and pee. It was then she also realized that she was walking in crap water. It wasn’t deep, just a thin layer covering the floor, but still. “Ah, gross! Couldn’t ya have warned me that ya were gonna be doin’ that?!” A bit of anger came out of Sunset’s voice, which she did not want. This isn’t unfixable. There’s no need ta be angry. We don’t want to scare Fluttershy. What would Nana say if I did that?

Fluttershy stuck her head out of the pen she was in and gave Sunset an apologetic, slightly fearful smile. “Sorry, I forgot. They have sanitary wipes at the front desk if you wanna wipe up after we’re done.”

“Yes, please.” Her voice was softer, but it still sounded like Anzhong’s ‘I tolerate your existence’ voice. Why is this so difficult? I didn’t have this kind of trouble in Equestria… when I was an adult pony and not a teenage human. Okay, I can still make myself feel an emotion even though I can’t stop myself from feeling a different one. Just feel happy. Oh, I hope this doesn’t come out creepy. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to snap.” Okay, not creepy sounding, but it didn’t sound right.

If Fluttershy had noticed the forced nature, she didn’t say anything. Either way, her fear did seem to subside. “I am truly sorry about not warning you.”

“Let’s just get this over with, so I can clean up sooner.”

Fluttershy blasted the remaining pens, and Sunset placed the bowls back in. Sunset made sure she turned the water off before leaving. I wonder if leaving it on would make it explode? I’m probably never going to be able to test that. Mom would get mad. “Was that everything?”, Sunset asked.

“No, we still got all the other dog rooms to take care of and then the cats.”

“How many dog rooms are there?”

“There’s one more medium, the two smalls, and the two large.”

“Sigh, okay, let’s go. I probably should’ve asked what I was signing up for.”

“Sorry”

They repeated the same process for the other medium room. One of the dogs apparently had nasty diarrhea, so it smelled way worse, and there was liquid poop on the dog’s little cot… and the dog… and the dog’s roommate. Poor little guys. Poor Fluttershy, that’s nasty. As bad as she felt for her, she wasn’t going to switch. Fluttershy ended up borrowing the soap to give each of the dogs a quick bath. Sunset cleaned the soap bottle too when she got it back. Once that was done, Sunset sniffed her hands to insure she’d gotten the poop off.

“At least it was only a medium’s crap.”, Sunset joked.

“Actually, mediums tend to have the biggest shats.”

“What?”

“Yeah, I once came in and someone in that room sprayed poop almost to the ceiling. It was a lot too. We call it the poopening of twenty-twelve.”

“The number suggests there’s been other ‘poopenings’.”

“Oh, yeah, twenty-o-nine, twenty-o-five, all of them were mediums.”

“Okay, that’s gross.”

Fluttershy chuckled to herself as they went into the first small room. It was way louder in there than in the medium rooms.

“Why are little dogs so much louder?!” Sunset had to shout to be heard over it all.

“Alarm dogs! Little yappy things bred to bark at intruders to alert guards!”

“Perfect”

They got to their jobs and worked quickly. There was a lot less drool caking the bowls, making Sunset’s job easier. They finished quickly and got back outside. Sunset took the moment of quiet to pull out her noise reducers. She hadn’t worn them much, so they’re still being broken in.

“Are you okay?”, Fluttershy asked.

“Yeah, my ears are just a bit sore from wearing these. They’re still sorta new.”

“Oh, okay. Are you good to continue?”

Sunset rubbed the inside of her ears. “Give me a minute.”

After a couple minutes, Sunset put her noise reducers back in, and they headed into the next small room. It was just as noisy as the other one, and so, they worked just as fast. They got out of there quickly. Sunset pulled her noise reducers out and rubbed her ears as they walked to the first large room. The dogs barked when they came in, but the lower pitch made it seem less loud. Sunset put her noise reducers back in, and they continued with their work.

As she collected the bowls, Sunset was greeted by an Irish wolfhound in one of the pens. It was apparently friendly as its tail immediately became a propeller, and it jumped up onto her shoulders. “Whoa, hi there, big guy.”

“Oh, that’s Julie. She’s an…”

“Irish wolfhound, I know. My grandfather had one.” She awkwardly tried to balance with a nearly two hundred pound dog on her shoulders. “Can you help?”

Fluttershy hurried over and helped Sunset get Julie off. “Your grandfather really had one of these. I hope he lived on a farm. That’s the only place someone would have enough room.”

“Actually, yes, he did, and I mean, what other breed of dog would a six foot ten Irish guy have? Pattycake actually looked normal sized next to him, at least in the one photo I’ve seen of them.”

“Six foot ten, your grandfather’s six foot ten?”, Fluttershy said in shock.

“He and his brother were, and my mom’s six eight.”

Fluttershy’s brain took a few seconds to process that before formulating a response. “How are you this short?”

“I’m adopted.”

“Oh” Fluttershy bonked the side of her head. “Duh, I forgot you’re a pony.”

“Yeah” Am I a pony? “I’m not so sure if I am still a pony.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, I’ve been human for so long that I’m not sure if I’m still pony.”

“Remember Jack Scully from Project 097, the guy that got his mind transferred into his avatar?”

“Yeah?”

“Well, I’d say you’re both in the same boat, sorta. Even though neither of you are in your original bodies, your old selves will always be a part of you. You can also think of it like this. We’re biracial. We are both white and Asian. Being one does not invalidate the other.”

“Each makes up our whole, and that whole is beautiful.” Sunset’s mind briefly wandered back to when she was a filly. She’d just been teased because of her fangs and felt ashamed of her thestral heritage. She had run home and cried to her father about her struggles.

“I take it you’ve had a similar conversation before?”

“Yeah, with my biological father. That’s what he told me.”

“I hope this helped?”

“Yeah, it did. Thank you.”

They returned to their work and got done with both of the large rooms fairly quickly. Fluttershy brought them to the front counter and grabbed the package of sanitary wipes. Sunset was hesitant to walk inside with poop residue on her shoes, but that’s exactly what Fluttershy was doing. Fluttershy pulled out a wipe and tried to hand it to Sunset but became confused when she saw her still outside. Oh well.

“I take it you guys don’t care about poop on your floors?”, Sunset said as she walked in and took the wipe from Fluttershy.

“I mean, a cleaning company comes in at night to clean the floors, and poop is kinda unavoidable here. I’ll give you some more wipes before we leave.”

“Appreciated”

Sunset cleaned her shoes off, and then Fluttershy led them to the cats. The cats were kept in little condos structures. Instead of bowls, they had food and water dispensers on the outside of the cages. The cats were quiet enough that Sunset could put away her noise reducers and give her ears a break.

“The food’s in that cabinet over there.” Fluttershy pointed to some cabinets with a little kitchenette area. She didn't specify which one, but that would be easy to figure out.

Sunset grabbed the first set of dispensers and brought them over to the kitchenette. Unlike the dogs’ bowls, the cats’ dispensers didn’t need cleaning beyond a simple wipe down. Shocker, right? This was one of the reasons Sunset was never going to own a dog. She loves dogs, but she loves other people’s dogs. After a quick search, she found the food, filled the dispensers, and then put them back. She repeated the process with the rest and, due to her job being not at all reliant on Fluttershy’s job being done, was done much sooner. She debated cutting in to help Fluttershy but also didn’t want to have to deal with poop. Maybe I could make conversation.

“So, when did you and Rainbow start dating?”

“Oh, um, she asked me out after the whole… Fall Formal incident.”

Sunset’s mind flashed back to that dark void. Her heart twisted at the memory of calling out to her mother to only get no response. She shook her head to bring it back to reality. It was only then she noticed her hairs were standing on end and that she felt like she was being watched. She looked around, but there was only Fluttershy, the cats, and herself.

“Sunset, are you okay?”

“Yeah… yeah, I’m fine.”

“Sunset, please be honest. The girls and I want to help you, but we can’t unless you tell us what’s wrong.”

“Look, it’s nothing. I just… I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Sigh, alright. You’re just as stubborn as AJ.” Fluttershy finished up and took the poop bag over to a trash can. “Okay, that’s everything.” She pulled out her phone and looked at the time. “My mom won’t be here for a while longer though.”

Sunset shrugged, and they left the cat room. Fluttershy grabbed several wipes, and they headed out front. Sunset took her share of the wipes and went to go sit on the grass. She began cleaning her shoes as Fluttershy sat down next to her.

“Question,” Sunset said, “what races are you?”

“Hawaiian and various east Asians mix on my mom’s side and German on my dad’s. There was an agricultural boom in Hawaii some decades back, and many different peoples from Asia went over there to work. That’s how my mom’s family happened. You?”

“Mostly Japanese and Irish with some Greek, Roman, and other British isles races mix in there. I got a DNA test done some time ago. That’s how I know.”

“Right, pony. I keep forgetting.”

“We just had an in depth conversation about it.”

“I know. I’m sorry.” Fluttershy sounded genuinely sorry, so Sunset decided to cut the teasing short.

“Ahh, I’m just teasin’ ya. I get it. I sometimes forget myself.” That got a snort from Fluttershy.

“What did you look like, as a pony?”

“Hm, well, I kinda look the same as I do now, just pony-shaped. Equoesian ponies are a lot smaller than Earth ponies at only about a foot tall at the shoulders, but their heads are actually slightly larger than human heads, adding about another six inches to their total height. Yes, a third of our body mass is taken up by our heads. Here, I figured this would be a question you guys would ask eventually.” Sunset pulled out a folded up drawing of her pony self and handed it to Fluttershy.

Fluttershy looked it over and made a face one would make when a puppy did something puppyish. “Man, if you hadn’t described what you look like, I would’ve thought you… took quite a few artistic liberties.”

“Hence why I did.”

Fluttershy handed the drawing back, and they waited in the warmth of the sun until Fluttershy’s mom pulled up. They got up, disposed of their wipes, and got in to go home.

Sunset’s room

Date: Sep 20th, time: 2:00 pm

*Sunset’s perspective*

“So, what will it mean when I have your bone marrow inside me?”, Emi asked. The two of them were playing video games, and Emi had a plate of grapes she was periodically snacking on. Her appetite still wasn’t great, but she was eating more than she was a month ago.

“Well, if you ever get cut while committing a crime, the DNA would lead back to me.”

“Sooo, I could commit a crime and frame you for it.”

“There will be records of you receiving my bone marrow, so the police will know you have the same blood as me. If we play our cards right, we could create enough reasonable doubt in order to not get convicted. I think a pair of twins did the same thing once.”

“Since I’ll have the same blood as you, will that make me your blood sister?”

“Yeah, I guess you would.”

“Sweet, I get awesome, expensive blood. Will I have to get my blood drawn and stored like you?”

“Probably”

“But I heard having cancer makes you ineligible for that sorta thing.”

“Huh, let’s go check.”

The two of them paused the game and went over to Sunset’s computer. Sunset opened up Boogle and typed in ‘can you give blood after receiving a bone marrow transplant’.

“Okay, looks like you can after three months.”

“Cool, I like the idea of being a blood hero.”

“I like the idea of having more backup blood.”

“Who says any of my blood’s going in your body?”

“Your blood? That will be my blood. I’ll just be lending it to ya. Plus, out of the two of us, which one do ya think is gonna end up bleeding more?”

“Once I have my energy back, me. Do you think we could sell our blood?”

“I don’t think so. Oh, and don’t go around bragging that we have expensive blood. You’re more likely to get weird looks than anything else.”

“Yeah, okay. Let’s go back to playing.”

Sunset closed her computer back up, and they went back to Sunset’s couch and resumed playing.

Ribbon Tailoring

Date: Sep 21st, time: 9:00 am

*Brigid’s perspective*

Brigid pulled up to the curb and went into the shop. She rang the desk bell, and Royal’s voice came from the back. “Be out in just a moment.” Brigid pulled out Sunset’s drawing and Emi’s beanie. Wait, how did da portal know ta give Sunset clothes? How does it know ‘bout modern fashion? It certainly didn’t read ‘er mind ta get da information. The beanie that once belonged to Sunset was well made. It was still in perfect condition after being worn by a homeless Sunset for about a month and then Emi everyday for three years. As bizarre as it was, the portal knew how to make good clothes.

Royal came out from the back with a warm smile on her face. “Doctor, how can I help you today?”

“Mo youngest found out wha’ ‘er symbol is, and wants it on ‘er beanie ‘ere.” She handed over the items.

“Oh, what a joyous occasion. When’s the party?” Royal took the drawing and looked it over. “Are the points supposed to be uneven?”

“Yes, Emi made it very clear dat’s exactly how it’s supposed ta look.”

“Alright, this is a simple one. I can have it done in fifteen minutes, but I have a time sensitive order that I need to finish up.”

“Ah c’n come pick it up before lunch. Ah have some errands to run.”

“That works.” Royal punched some stuff into her computer and turned the read out thing to Brigid. Brigid paid, and Royal nodded. “Okay, see you later.”

Brigid waved and left to take care of her stuff.

CHS

Date: Sep 22nd, time: 1:00 pm

*Sunset’s perspective*

Sunset closed up her locker, now holding the books she needed for her next class. The other students weren’t staring daggers at her anymore, but they still made their dislike of her evident, and Flash… Well, they haven’t exchanged anything more than an ‘excuse me’ when they bumped into each other in the halls. At least he doesn’t hate me. Why do I care so much about what he thinks of me? He broke up with me. Maybe I’m clinging onto whoever doesn’t want me in a ditch.

Sunset began the now familiar routine of avoiding the other students as much as possible as she made it to class. Maybe I can be homeschooled. But that would mean I couldn’t talk to Ms. Lance-Hart. I like talking to her.

As Sunset got close to her class, the annoyingly familiar voice of Lily grated her ears. “Oh, look how the queen has fallen.”

“Real original” Sunset tried to continue on but was stopped when Lily grabbed her arm. “Get off me!”

“You think you’re all that, but you’re not.”

“Lily, let go. Don’t you have another poor boy to assault.” She was real tempted to beat this bitch into a bloody pulp, but that would likely get turned around on her.

“You think you’re better than me. Well, now everyone isn’t too afraid to let you know just how worthless you are. And now, I’m queen of this school. I-” Whack

Sunset looked up and saw Flash. He’d just sent Lily to the ground with a solid hit upside the coconut, getting her to let go of her arm. “You okay.”, he asked.

“Yup” Sunset looked down at Lily, who was now clutching the side of her head and beginning to cry this high pitched baby cry. It was so painful to hear that the crowd that had been watching the whole scene cleared out within seconds and Sunset and Flash both covered their ears. The two of them looked at each other with ‘WTF looks on their faces as Daisy snuck in and literally dragged Lily away by her ankles.

“What the fuck was that?”, Flash asked.

“Uuuh, I think she needs psych help, a lot of help.”

The two of them looked at each other awkwardly before turning back to where they were originally heading and leaving it at that. The day went on like the new normal. At the end of the day, Sunset headed to Ms. Lance-Hart’s office. It had replaced her Monday student council meetings and Thursday hockey practice. When she’d get back into hockey was another question, and she had no intention of joining the high school’s student council. Inside Ms. Lance-Hart’s office, she had set up the chess board and was waiting for Sunset. Sunset turned the sign as she entered the room and took her usual seat, and they started playing.

“So, I heard about the incident in the halls earlier. Mind telling me what that was about?”

“What exactly did you hear?”

“That you got into an altercation with another student. I believe her name was Lily.”

“Lily Valley, and I wouldn’t call it an altercation. Neither of us threw a punch. Lily just grabbed my arm and we exchanged some words.”

“An altercation doesn’t have to involve physical violence. The word means ‘a noisy argument’. And I remember you mentioning Lily before.” She checked the notebook she had in her lap. “She kissed your boyfriend without his consent, tried to steal your phoenix whistle, and has been an overall bitch to you over the last couple of years. Do I have that right?”

“Yeah, I don’t know what her problem is. Her sister’s a decent human being. Though, after that crybaby fit, I think she might have some mental issues.”

“Maybe, I’ll see if I can get her to talk with me. So, what was your weekend like?”

“I spent it at home. My family’s the only people that want anything ta do with me.”

“What about those girls I’ve seen you with?”

“Twilight’s friends, they tolerate me purely because Twilight asked them to. They had a sleepover over the weekend and planned it all out last Thursday at lunch. They talked like I wasn’t even there. It’s not like I care. It’s stupid kid stuff.”

“It sounds like you care, and this sort of “stupid kid stuff” is important. Is your, um, birth species… Is that an okay term?”

“It is an accurate term, and I win.”

The two of them reset the board then continued playing.

“Okay. Is your birth species a social species?”

“I’d say we’re even more social than humans. We’re most similar to Earth’s ponies in both appearance and behavior, though much smaller and pastel colored. Instead of tight packs and tribes, we formed herds. These herds ranged in the hundreds to take advantage of our bright coloring to confuse our predators.”

“You were a prey species? Becoming a predator must’ve been a shock to the system.”

“Not as much of one as you might think. I was a mix of a regular pony and a subspecies that are the descendants of ponies that interbred with an omnivorous species, so I’ve always been a little bit omnivorous. It took longer to get used to how readily available meat is and how much more variety there is here. I grew up only eating fish and with a much smaller selection of spices. Don’t get me wrong, I love fish, but all the different options here are incredible. Not to mention, the vast array of cultures leading to dozens of different ways of cooking the same five ingredients and turning them into dozens of different foods with different tastes. There isn’t anything like that in Equestria.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Ponies aren’t the only sentient species on Equoes, so we’re pretty much confined to our one continent, thus, less diversity with our species. Change is slow in Equestria.”

“I see. As far as the sleepover, humans need some sort of companionship, and that goes beyond our families. You had that companionship with Flash and Meg, and now that they are gone, you’re craving new companions. Besides, no one likes to be ignored like that. You could try talking to them about how you feel.”

“I tried to kill them plus the years of torment I brought upon them. I caused Pinkie to backslide in her treatment. I have no right to their friendship. I’m lucky they haven’t shunned me too, and they haven’t only because they’re all crazy and have a misplaced loyalty to Princess Twilight.”

“You say their loyalty’s misplaced, why?”

“Didn’t you lot have an entire war to basically tell your king to screw off? The Equestrian royalty is based on lies. They tell us they’re the gods in mortal form, but that was a lie. They’re just long lived ponies with the ability to use all three tribes’ magics. There’s nothing about them that makes them inherently more fit to rule. Yet, they tell us the opposite.”

“How old is Twilight? She seemed younger than you.”

“That’s because she is. She’s actually about fifteen. At least, that’s my guess.”

“So, she wasn’t responsible for creating the system you grew up in?”

“No, I wouldn’t be surprised if Hilistau never told her. Her telling me is what caused me to run, so she probably hasn’t told Twilight. Let me guess, you’re gonna ask me to think of her not as a representation of theocracy but as her on her own merits. And you’re right, and I know it. I’ve just been too angry to think with a straight head.”

“Something like that. Now, I am afraid that we’re gonna have to wrap things up. I have another appointment.”

“Yeah, okay.”

Sunset checked Ms. Lance-Hart’s king, and then they cleaned up the board. Sunset turned the sign back around as she left. The nearly empty hallways were a blessing, even before the Fall Formal. Having to squeeze past dozens of stinky teens was never fun. Nearing the front doors, Sunset saw Meg walking down the hall. She waved to her, but Meg ignored her as she walked past. Sunset huffed when Meg couldn’t see and continued out.

I should think of this as a battle plan. Okay so, Twilight needs to be analyzed. She doesn’t seem to have the same facial and body language regulation skills that Celestia and I do, meaning she hasn’t been a princess for long. The nobles were never much ones for regulating themselves, and her accent is undoubtedly that of the nobility caste, likely lower nobility. Though, she smelled of fertile soil and plant life. I couldn’t get a strong enough smell of her to tell how deep it had seeped into her fur, but I’d bet she lives near farmland. Why would a princess live near farmland? Is she trying to rough it with the common folk to earn more favor with them? She has the element of magic. Who wields the other elements, and what role do they play in her life? Most likely the girls counterparts/ Stars know most nobles could never dream of being worthy of any of the elements. What I do know is that she’s more charismatic than first impressions would suggest and more altruistic than any other noble I’ve ever met. She might actually be worth getting to know, if I ever meet her again. She really could be a valuable ally.

Dr. Dusk’s office

Date: same day, time: 5:25 pm

*Anzhong’s perspective*

“Ah know ya don’t wanna be ‘ere, but y’re doin’ dis for Sunset.”

“I know, but I don’t have to be happy about it.”

Anzhong and Brigid exited the car, and she led him inside. He went to sit down while she took care of the paperwork. She then sat down next to him. Their wait wasn’t long as he was called in within a few minutes.

“Please, take a seat.”

“Am I to assume you’re Dr. Dusk?” Anzhong tapped his cane around to familiarize himself with the space.

“Yes, um, do you need help finding the seat?”

“If you can sit down in yours, Kiba can direct me to the open seat.”

“Okay”

Anzhong heard the doctor take her seat, and Kiba led Anzhong to the other. He sat down and leaned his cane against the chair. “I’ll be honest, I don’t want to be here. I’m only doing this to support my daughter.”

“That’s okay. Whatever your motivation is, I’m here to help you reach your health goals.”

“Alright, let’s get this over with. My wife says I’m holding onto a lot of guilt and projecting that guilt onto our daughter. I was a bully in high school, which is a time I do not look back on fondly, and we recently learned that our daughter has been bullying other students at her school.”

“That’s unfortunate. Mind telling me about what caused you to become a bully and what you did? This is so I can get a better idea of where your guilt comes from.”

“Very well, none of my victims died, but my actions were dishonorable. I was angry and lonely. My mother had died, and my father dragged me to this country, leaving my adult sister back in Japan. My father was also a recovering alcoholic, at the time, so I had no support system other than a friend that wasn’t the best influence on me. My teenage brain decided that the best way to deal with it all was to physically take it out on the other kids. I only stopped when my father found out and showed me what I was doing to the other kids.”

“Your father beat you?”

“It was the only time and well deserved. I did way worse to the other kids, but it scared me enough that I stopped, and I stopped hanging out with that friend not long after.”

“It sounds like you have a pretty good grasp on your situation. What do you do for a living?”

“I’m a lawyer, a prosecutor, to be specific.”

“Okay… You know how a person’s record is sealed after they become an adult?”

“A criminal record is different from a moral record.”

“We seal juvenile records because kids’ brains are still developing and they are bound to do stupid stuff. You were a kid, and I’m guessing you’ve learned and grown beyond it. And holding onto that kind of guilt is unhealthy and can harm both you and those around you, especially your daughter.”

“How do I fix this?”

“Forgive yourself. Though, that may be easier said than done. I would like to speak with both you and your father at some point.”

“I will talk with him. What time is it?”

“Five fifty”

“Is there any chance we can wrap things up early?”

“If that’s what makes you most comfortable.”

Anzhong gathered up his stuff and got up to leave. “Thank you and goodbye”, he said with a bow.

“I hope to see you again.”, Dr. Dusk said as she opened the door for Anzhong.

Anzhong exited the room and walked back over to Brigid.

“Y’re done early.”

“Yes, I am.”

“Ready ta go?”

“Yes”

Brigid got up, and they went out to the car. They got in, and Brigid began the drive home. “So, whatcha talk about?”

“To sum it up, I told her what I did, and she told me that I was young and that we all do stupid stuff when we’re young. She also wants to talk with my father and me together.”

“Do ya plan on returnin’?”

“Maybe, we’ll see.”

They got home and headed inside. Anzhong took Kiba’s harness off and hung it up with his cane and coat. He did a quick scan, and the girls were in their rooms, Anura was with Emi, and Minerva was in Brigid’s office. His girls undoubtedly could hear that they were here, but it was less certain that the Reads knew they were here. Tomiju came down the stairs, and Anzhong opened the door to let the dogs outside to play, then went to start dinner.

As the sound of Brigid’s steps went up the stairs, the sounds of much smaller feet came from the other side of the house. “Sunset”, Anzhong said.

“Hey, did you go to the therapist?”

“I did. I did not enjoy it.”

“Was it the therapist or the whole experience?”

“The therapist was good. I merely don’t like opening up like that.”

“You don’t have to go back if you don’t want to. I’m comfortable going to Ms. Lance-Hart.”

“Even though I don’t like it, I feel that it would be better for the family if I continued going. I don’t want to scare you again.”

Sunset didn’t say anything to that. Brigid’s footsteps came down the stairs, prompting Sunset to speak. “Hey, Mom.”

Brigid walked over to Sunset in silence. “Hey. Have ya talked with Nana dis year?”

Anzhong heard a smack that sounded like a hand hitting a bonier part of the body, like the forehead.

“No, Ah completely forgot.”

“Could Ah talk ta ‘er alone dis year? Ah have some questions Ah need ta ask ‘er.”

“I’ll go grab the ring.” Sunset ran back into her room and returned within a couple minutes. “Here” Anzhong could only guess she passed the ring off to her mother. He was still a bit weirded out by the whole situation, but he was the son of a centuries old fox spirit and, thus, was hardly one to speak.

“Thank ya”

Moonshine’s Bar

Date: Sep 25th, time: 5:15 pm

*Jiraiya’s perspective*

Jiraiya sat at the bar with a virgin tropic storm in front of him. The bar was filling up as normal people got off work. His date should be one of them soon.

“So, where’d ya meet this one?”, Jamal asked.

“She came into the hospital after a cooking accident. She seems interesting.”

“Hopefully, she can keep you interested.” Jamal went back to his other patterns while Jiraiya turned back to watching the door.

A short time later, Torta walked through the door. She was wearing a casual blue (It probably wasn’t blue. Ryoko probably would’ve called it sapphire or something, but as far as he was concerned, blue was blue.) dress that went down to just below her knees and black boots. She had blue eyes and fair skin. Her gray hair still had traces of its original purple. “Hello”, she said as she sat down. She placed her purse on the ground as Jamal came over.

“What can I get you?”, he asked.

“How are ze virgin drinks? I can’t drink alcohol on my meds.”

“They’re pretty good.”, Jiraiya said while picking up his own drink for emphasis.

“I’ll have what he’s having then.”

“Coming right up.” Jamal turned around to begin mixing the drink.

“So, were you born here, or were you born in Russia?”, Jiraiya asked.

“I was born in Russia but spent lot of time in Poland as kid as my father did a lot of business there. Unfortunately, we were there when the Nazis invaded and weren’t able to get back home. We did what we needed to survive, but that meant we couldn’t return to Russia so came here.”

“What do you mean?”

“Ah, my parents worked for those bastards ta get extra food ta feed us.”

“So, the Soviet government abandoned their own citizens because they did what they needed to do to survive. What bastards. They don’t deserve you.”

“That’s sweet.” Jamal gave Torta her drink, and she tasted it. “Hm, that’s good. So, Jiraiya, what is your story?”

“Oh, my story. Well, my family wasn’t so lucky. My father and brother, along with many of my cousins and my uncles, were all conscripted and died. My clan still hasn’t fully recovered. It was all that death that made me hate war and want to be a healer.”

“Aye, that is a lot.”

“Yeah, but we shouldn’t completely unload on each other on the first date.”, Jiraiya said, trying to brighten the mood. “You know what I do for a living. What do you do?”

“I owned couple restaurants down in Baltimore, but I sold them and moved up here ta be with and help my daughter with her kids after my husband died. I’ve been a stay at home grandma since then.”

“I remember them. What are your granddaughters’ names?”

“Raritiva’s ze older one, and Sweetie Belle’s ze younger one.”

“Raritiva and Sweetie Belle, cute names. I have three, correction, four grandchildren. I recently got a fourth. Still getting used to the change in numbers. Sunset, Anura, Emi, and Hikari, from oldest to youngest.”

“I hope I get to meet them one day.”

“I hope so too. Hikari and my daughter, Ryoko, still live in Japan, so meeting him might be a while into the future.”

“Hopefully not too far. I’m not getting any younger.”

The two continued chatting for a while, sharing stories and talking about their families. He couldn’t put a finger as to why, but there was something he really liked about Torta. Maybe it was her sexy, Russian/Baltimore mix accent, maybe it was their shared WW2 trauma, but there was something about her that made him think this could be long term.

Anzhong & Brigid’s bedroom

Date: Sep 26th, time: 10:00 pm

*Brigid’s perspective*

Brigid grabbed her family’s ring out from her nightstand drawer and put it on one of her fingers. If someone had told her she’d be communing with her long dead mother via her ring three years ago, she’d’ve written them off as some weirdo or recommended a hospital trip if they were particularly insistent, but this has become her new normal. Demons, spirits, alien unicorns, these things were just facts of life now. If some came up to her today and told her the president was part squid monster, she’d at least give it some thought before telling them they were crazy.

Her mother used to tell her tales of fantastical creatures native to Ireland. There were your well known ones, like the banshee, leprechauns, and fey, and then there was the lesser known bodach, fomorians, and faoladh. She’d always particularly liked the story of the faoladh, the Irish werewolf. Unlike their bloodthirsty English and mainland Europe counterparts, the faoladh were kind, benevolent protectors and have always been both male and female. Only in recent years have female common werewolves been a thing, hence the ‘were’ (meaning man as in male). The faoladh had always reminded her of her Nana and Mum. That was probably why she liked them so much.

She had once thought tales were all they are, but recent events have caused her to question that belief and look into the history of those tales. Like the story of King Aurther, it was hard to tell what could possibly be real and what was fake in those old stories. They have been retold so many times over the centuries that it was hard to tell where the original tale ended and the “creative liberties” begin. That, along with her own oddities, was her intended topic of conversation this night.

Brigid laid next to Anzhong, with Ailbhe on her chest, and let sleep take her. She opened her eyes and was greeted by the familiar sight of her childhood home and her mother. Many wonderful and painful memories threatened to make her cry, but she held them back. She was on a time limit.

“Brigid, it’s good ta see ya. Ah’m glad Emi’s doin’ bette’.”

“Let’s skip da pleasantries. We don’t have da time, n’ Ah have some questions.”

“Ask away.”

“Does our family have any history with magic?”

Mum looked surprised for a moment before looking annoyed. “Of course Pristine didn’t tell ya.”

“Tell me wha’?”

“Ya remember da stores Ah told ya ‘bout da faoladh?”

“Of course, dey were mo favorites. Why?”

“Ya remember da yer nan’s maiden name means ‘strong as a wolf’?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Eve’ wonde’ why ‘er family was called dat?”

“Because dey were great warriors?” The dots began to connect in Brigid’s head. “Y’re tellin’ me dat Nana was a faoladh?”

“Her n’ ‘er children.”

“Dat’s not possible. Ah got a DNA test done, n’ Ah’m one hundred percent human.”

“Faoladh magic allows us ta mimic wolves. We aren’t actually wolves… at least Ah don’t think. Ya were supposed ta be told all dis on yer eighteenth birthday, but ya weren’t. Yer nan’s generation was da last generation able ta use deir magic, but by da time she died, she could barely pop out a claw. Until magic returns, ya n’ Emi will just be abnormal humans.”

Brigid wanted to ask a million more questions, but the house started to fade.

“Times up. Ah love ya, Brigid.”

Brigid awoke, feeling like she’d been up the whole night. She’d just go back to bed and worry about her sleep schedule on Sunday, but she needed to eat first. No, Ah gotta take Sunset ta Great Apple Orchards. She sat up and rubbed her face to wake herself up enough to function. Ah’ll sleep afte’ dat.

“Did you have a good talk with your mom?”, Anzhong asked.

“Yeah, Ah learned a lot.” She needs to tell them. If that magic Sunset used reawakens the faoladh magic within Emi, they might have some issues on their hands. Hell, the same goes for her kitsune magic. Magic kiddoes, as if they aren’t already handfuls. I’ll tell them over dinner.

Sunset’s room

Date: Sep 27th, time: 6:00 am

*Sunset’s perspective*

Sunset’s alarm went off, and it took a couple smacks to turn it off. Six am, why did I… Oh, right. She rolled out of bed and sluggishly went about her morning routine. I promised Jacklyn I’d help her. She finished getting ready and went out to the kitchen to get some much needed caffeine. Neither Anzhong nor Brigid were out there, so Sunset started up coffee and breakfast for them all. The dogs rushed down the stairs and waited by the backdoor to be let out.

“I thought you were allergic ta mornings.”, Emi quipped. She was being carried down the stairs by Brigid followed by Anzhong.

“I am. I just want to make one of my classmates like me more.” She poured Brigid, Anzhong, and herself some coffee as she continued cooking.

“Thank ya, sweetie.”, Brigid said as she sat Emi down.

Anzhong let the dogs outside, and Sunset brought the plates and food over to the table. Everyone sat down and began to eat.

“So, what are you doing today, Sunset?”, Emi asked.

“The O’Apples are in the middle of apple picking season, so they need help with the normal farm choosers. So, while the adults are doing the apple picking, the girls and I are going to help the Apple kids around the rest of the farm.”

“So, that’s why you’re wearing your work clothes.”

Everyone finished eating quickly, Anzhong began making the animals’ food, and Brigid grabbed a thermos of coffee before they left. The drive to Great Apple Orchards was long, over thirty minutes.

“So, ya talked with Nana?”

“Ah did.”

“What about?”

“Ah’ll tell ya tonight. Ah’m too tired now.”

As they got close to the place, the road turned into an undivided two lane road. As in, there were no painted lines whatsoever but it was still big enough for two cars, barely. The roads branching off the road were dirt and gravel car-sized paths. The scenery was beautiful with expanses of farmland and the mountains in the background. Brigid pulled off the road onto one of the branching dirt roads. It wasn’t hard to figure out which led to Great Apple Orchards with all the apple trees. She pulled into the driveway of the farmhouse, and Sunset hopped out with her hat and bag.

“Have a good day n’ be careful.”

“I know. Bye, Mom.”

Brigid pulled out, and Sunset caught a whiff of Jacklyn’s scent so followed that to her location. She was sitting on the back porch, talking with an older boy that was only answering in ‘eyup’s and ‘nope’s. There was also a little girl and the lunch lady from school. Sunset didn’t remember if she heard their names or not.

“Mornin’”

“Mornin’, Sunset.”, Jacklyn said. She gave Sunset a smile, but she could tell it was forced. She wasn’t unhappy she was there but wasn’t excited either.

“I take it, I'm the first one here.”

“Yeah, ya are.”

Sunset nodded. “So, should we get started or?”

“Ah mean, if ya want.” Jacklyn got up from her seat and hopped off the deck. “So, what can ya do?”

“Well, I have experience with brick laying, crop care, horses, and livestock care.”

“And how do ya know those things?” She clearly didn’t believe her, which she couldn’t blame. For all Jacklyn knows, Sunset’s an ex-bully, city-kid that’s never been within touching distance of a barn.

“My mom grew up on a farm, and she’s been teaching me how to not get killed by farm animals. Neither of us want that on my tombstone.”

Jacklyn still didn’t look convinced but nodded. “Alright, follow me.” Jacklyn led Sunset to the barn. Inside were several stables but only one horse. The rest were filled with equipment.

“I take it, you want me to shovel out the stable?”

“No, actually, there’s a retainin’ wall that needs fixin’. The mortar n’ tools are just in here.” Jacklyn went into one of the stables and came back out with a wheelbarrow filled with bags, a couple shovels, and a five gallon bucket filled with tools inside. “Okay, let’s go.”

Sunset followed Jacklyn outside. Jacklyn brought her over to the retaining wall that sat at the edge of one of the fields and looked like it had been crashed into by either a truck, moose, or buffalo. Whatever happened to it, it’d been cleaned up and new bricks laid in wait nearby. There was also a mound of dirt that most likely previously resided behind the wall and a small excavator that was probably used to clean up the mess and that will likely be used to put the dirt back sitting off to the side.

“I’m guessing we won’t get to use that.”

Jacklyn turned to look at what Sunset was pointing at, and a sorrowful happiness filled her heart. “Yeah, Ah wish we could. Those things are fun. Ma pa used ta let me sit on his lap whenever he used one.”

“That does sound like fun. Is yer dad in da fields today?”

Jacklyn stiffened up at that, and a deep sadness emanated from her. Oh, shit.

“He’s dead, isn’t he?”

“Sigh, yeah, he and my ma died in a car crash some years back.”

Tears began to well up in Sunset’s eyes, and she quickly blinked them away before they could fall. What is going on with me? “Ah’m sorry for bringin’ ‘im up.”

“No, you didn’t. I brought him up, and I’m fine.” She shook her head and turned back to Sunset. “Let’s get to work. We first need water.”

“Okay,” Sunset looked around but saw nothing like a hose, other than the irrigation system, “where do we get da wate’.”

“Follow me.” Jacklyn emptied out the bucket onto the ground and began walking away. Sunset followed and was led to a nearby spigot. ‘Nearby’ was a relative term as it was a several minute walk away from their work site, and Sunset didn’t have to be a genius to know what Jacklyn was planning. As expected, she filled up the bucket with water. “Can ya help me with this?”

Sunset walked over, and she and Jacklyn worked together to carry the bucket back to their work site. They placed the bucket next to the wheelbarrow, and then Jacklyn took the shovels out.

“Okay, we just need to mix tha mortar. Probably should’ve asked this earlier, but do ya need gloves?”

“Ah’m good.” Sunset grabbed her gloves and got them on and put her backpack in a safe place.

“Great”

Jacklyn instructed Sunset on what to do, rip open the bags, dump their contents into the wheelbarrow, pour in the water, and use the shovels to stir. Once that was done, they began laying the mortar and bricks. That same strength she got when she helped rebuild the school entrance returned and seemed to be greater now, or that could just be because she was no longer injured. It took a while, but they were able to rebuild the wall.

“Dang, that was easy.”, Jacklyn said.

“Easy?”, Sunset said with a raised eyebrow.

“Well, relatively. It’s weird. Ah seem ta be stronger lately. Ah’ve also been eatin’ a lot more. But Ah haven’t changed anything.”

“We probably have some residual magic from… that night. Ah’ve also been experiencin’ an increase in strength.”

“So, magic can make ya stronger?”

“Among othe’ thin’s.”

“And you’ve been gettin’ stronger too?”

“It’ll probably be temporary, or maybe it will last da rest a’ yer life. That depends on how much ya use it and how much ya have. At da end a’ da day, yer body has no way a’ replenishing it, so ya got wha’ ya got n’ nothin’ more.”

“Ah see.” Jacklyn dumped out the remaining water, and they began packing up. “Sunset, are ya mockin’ ma accent?”

“Wha’?” It took a second for what she asked to register in Sunset’s head, but once it did, she rolled her eyes. “No, ya twat. My mom’s Irish, and she’s da one that taught me English. Yer accent jus’ brings out da one Ah got from ‘er.”

“Right, sorry. Ah didn’t mean ta offend ya.”

Then maybe you should not ask such offensive questions or think through what you’re about to say. Sunset took some deep breaths. You’re trying to get her to like you more and repair your image. You can’t sully the name of the Mac Carthaigh clan. “Let’s jus’ get goin’.”

They took the stuff back to the barn then returned to the house. The three people that were there before were gone, but there was a faint scent of the rest of the girls.

“Are ya thirsty?”, Jacklyn asked.

“I’m good.” Sunset waited outside while Jacklyn went inside. About a minute later, Jacklyn came back outside with a water bottle in hand. “What’s next?”

“The house and garage needs ta be cleaned.”

“Ugh, if Ah wanted ta do domestic work, Ah’d’ve stayed home.”

“Heheh, at least it’s only da outsides. Are ya afraid of heights?”

“No, why?”

Sunset and Jacklyn spent the rest of the morning cleaning and doing repairs to the outside of the house and garage. Given that Jacklyn’s afraid of heights, Sunset got to take care of the roofs. As it approached lunch, everyone began coming back to the house. There were a lot of them, dozens of adults and almost as many kids. Among them were Meg and her family. Sunset and Jacklyn finished up and joined the rest of them inside.

The lunch lady, along with several other women and older girls, were putting large bowls and plates of food on the dining tables. Extra tables and chairs were set up to accommodate all the people. People began lining up to wash up in the various bathrooms and the kitchen sink. As Sunset and Jacklyn lined up, they ended up behind Meg, who was talking with Rarity and Rainbow. Rainbow’s signing was looking good, for a newbie.

“Hey, there you two are.”, Rainbow said.

Meg looked behind her and flinched when she saw Sunset. Jacklyn was between them, but Meg still didn’t seem happy at how close they were. Sunset tried to give her an apologetic smile and waved. Meg merely turned back around.

“I thought you bailed on us.”, Rainbow continued.

“I’m assuming that was directed at me.”, Sunset said with glare.

Rainbow seemed to realize what she said and gave Sunset an apologetic smile of her own.

The line continued, and everyone eventually took seats at the table with clean hands. There were adult tables and kid tables. Sunset and the other girls sat at one kid table, and Meg sat at another. Sunset watched her as the food was passed around. Nobody around her even attempted to sign to her; they likely had no idea how to. She chose to sit away from the only people she could talk to because she didn’t want to sit near me. I get that I did something bad, but what the hell? It’s not like I did anything particularly bad to her. I didn’t do anything to her over those two years because she was the closest thing I had to a friend. It was just that demon that did something to her. She flippin’ kissed me, and I’m sitting next to five of the girls I nearly killed. Why is she being like this?

The food started coming around to her, and Sunset scooped herself heaping servings of everything, except for the broccoli. Emi called broccoli “doom trees”, and Sunset understood why. The texture, raw or cooked, was… unappetizing. Maybe I can bring some with me next time I go to Equestria. If I ever get to go back. That set many more questions rushing through her mind. She was likely wanted for high treason. For most, the punishment was banishment. For most ponies, being separated from the rest of pony-kind for the rest of their lives was the worst possible punishment. But Sunset wasn’t most ponies. Her rank and position made her too dangerous to be banished. The law demanded that she be imprisoned, one way or another. To her humanized brain, banishment was preferable. Ponies would sacrifice their freedom for a community. Humans do too, but they wouldn’t completely sacrifice their freedom. That’s likely because humans can form suitable bonds with non-humans while ponies can’t. Ponies need other ponies while humans can do without other humans. All these differences between the two species were fascinating.

Katon dining room

Date: same day, time: 7:00 pm

*Brigid’s perspective*

The four members of the Katon family sat around the dinner table as they did most nights. Brigid still contemplated on how exactly she was going to break the news to her family, like she had been doing since she woke up the second time that day. Just saying ‘hey, guess what, I’m a werewolf’ would likely not get the desired reaction. When Anzhong first told Brigid about his heritage, he said it as if it was something completely normal. They were at a cultural festival and perusing the Japanese section. One of the booths sold fox masks. She’d asked him if he wanted one, and he simply stated that he didn’t need one because his mother was a kitsune, making him already a fox. She’d humored him by asking more about it but didn’t believe him. She’d written it off as a joke as he was of sound mind otherwise and they were pretty deep into their relationship. Well, she’d been proven wrong.

“Is everything okay, Mom?”, Emi asked.

“Yeah, jus’ thinkin’.” Might as well start by telling her about the faoladh. “Have Ah eve’ told eithe’ a’ ya ‘bout da faoladh?”

“No”, both girls answered.

“It’s an interestin’ tale. Da faoladh are Irish werewolves. Unlike da werewolves ya see in popular media, dey aren’t weak ta silver nor have deir transformations dictated by da lunar cycle. Dey c’n transform at will, day or night, n’ are in complete control ove’ demselves in deir transformed state. Dey have all da classic powers, superhuman strength, speed, healin’, n’ senses. Dey’re seen as protectors.”

“They sound really cool. Anura would love that story. She loves wolves.”, Emi said.

“She n’ Minerva both. Stories a’ dese creatures have been passed down through mo family for generations, n’ Ah was reminded a’ ‘em when Ah was talkin’ with Nana. Ah also learned somethin’ new ‘bout mo family, somethin’ Ah was supposed ta be told on mo eighteenth birthday.”

“What was that?”, Anzhong asked.

Brigid downed the rest of her glass of wine to get rid of the nerves, earning odd looks from the girls. Why was this so terrifying? It’s not like it would be the strangest thing they’ve heard. Maybe saying it out loud made it real. She’d always thought herself only a slightly abnormal human. Three years ago, she didn’t even think she could be anything else. The fact she knew herself, knew what she was, served as her rock through all the craziness. For the first time in quite some time, she was questioning her very being. I have to say it. “As it turns out, Ah’m a faoladh.”

“You’re a werewolf?”, Sunset said in a somewhat disbelieving tone.

“N’ so was mo nan n’ mo mum n’ mo siblings n’ mo biological aunts n’ uncles n’ mo cousins n’ so is Emi. N’ like Anzhong, we lost our ability ta fully use our magic.”

“But the DNA test.”

“Our magic allows us ta mimic wolves, but we aren’t actually wolves, so no weird DNA. Ah’m still trying ta process dis meself.”

“That does explain a lot.”, Anzhong said.

“What does that make me, a were-kitsune-wolf?”, Emi asked.

“Ah guess. Sunset, da magic ya used ta help Emi, is it still in ‘er?”

“Eyuh”

“Could it possibly reawaken ‘er magics?”

Sunset scrunched up her nose as she thought, a weird little thing she does. “Possibly”, Sunset said slowly. She looked back to Brigid, and she could see the gears turning. “It’s too early to tell, and I don’t know enough about Earth’s magic. I’m trying to build a house only knowing how to put together a coffee table.”

“Ah guess we jus’ have ta wait n’ see if she starts goin’ wolfy.”

“There’s something else. When I was transferring the magic to Emi, some of her magic spilled over into me.”

“Are ya sayin’ ya have our magics in ya too?”

“At the very least, I contain some of your magics, like Grandpa contains some of Grandma’s, but there is the possibility I have your magics.”

“Ah don’t track. Wha’s da difference?”

“The difference is that simply containing magic means you can’t produce it on your own. Once Grandpa’s out of Grandma’s magic, he’s out, no refills, unless Grandma can somehow come back to life and refill it for him. Actually having magic means that you can recharge it by simply getting some rest and something to eat. Your body produces it.”

“So, ya could go wolfy too.”

“Possibly”

“Augh, okay, dis is gettin’ complicated.”, Brigid said as she rubbed her head.

“My take away from this is that Sunset and I are were-kitsune-wolf sisters.”, Emi said excitedly. She stuck out her fist, expecting Sunset to fist bump her. Sunset had the same ‘where has this world gone?’ look on her face as Brigid and just stared at Emi’s fist. “Come on, bring it in.”

“That’s not how that phrase is used.”, Sunset said as she reluctantly fist bumped Emi.

“Anzhong?”, Brigid asked. Being the dark, contemplative, silent type was sorta his thing, but Brigid really needed him to say something.

“Sorry, I was just trying to take it all in. I thought lycanthropy was just how the pre-modern world explained the rabid behaviors of people infected with rabies.”

“So did Ah.”

“That’s probably where the more violent and rabid ideas of werewolves come from.”, Sunset said. “Can you spread your… would it be called lycanthropy? You have nothing ta do with King Lycaon.”

“No, Ah c’n’t infect othe’s, at least not like dat, n’ yes, mo kind c’n turn inta wolves, so lycanthropy.”

“Are you scared?”, Anzhong asked.

“Ah’ve been usin’ da fact dat Ah know who n’ wha’ Ah am ta deal with all da crazy. Ah barely know dat anymore. Ah’m terrified.”

“Well, let’s go over what we do know.” Anzhong got up and walked over to Brigid’s side of the table, putting his hand on her shoulder. “You’re Brigid Aoife Katon, daughter of Riona and Nickolas O’Floinn, mother of Sunset and Emi, and my wife. You’re brilliant, kind, and beautiful.”

“Anzhong, ya have no idea wha’ Ah look like.”

“That doesn’t stop me from knowing you're beautiful. I can hear it in your voice. I can feel it when I touch you. And there’s one other way I know.” Anzhong bent down, hugged Brigid, and gave her a passionate kiss.

“Ew!”, Emi said.

“Should we stay over at Minerva’s?”, Sunset asked.

“That might be a good idea.”, Brigid said, pulling away from the kiss.

CHS cafeteria

Date: Sep 29th, time: 1:15 pm

*Sunset’s perspective*

The day had been the same as the rest of the school days since the formal. The only reprieve Sunset got was in class and at lunch. The other students tended to keep their glares to themselves when they had food to focus on. As a way of further protecting herself, Sunset sat as close to the middle of the group as possible. None of the other girls knew what she was doing. Today, she was able to sit one seat to the inside with Rarity acting as the only barrier between her and the students at the other table.

The girls talked amongst themselves for the most part, the missing Rainbow Dash being a topic they returned to about every five minutes. Sure, she was getting more comfortable with them, but nothing was going on in her life that they needed to know about. She was still trying to process last weekend's revelation and what it would mean going forward. First a vampire, then an alien, then a witch, and then a kitsune-werewolf, ugh, I sound like a wish fulfillment YA love interest or an eight-year-old’s attempt at a fursona. Imagine me trying to explain what I am to someone, hell, trying to explain this to my future mate. That would require some precision, patience on both sides, and evidence. But hey, whoever said being mixed race was easy? I just take it up a notch.

“What’s so funny, sugarcube?”

“Wha’?”, Sunset asked.

“Ya were smilin’. Whatever ya were thinkin’ about musta been pretty funny.”

Huh, I must be feeling more comfortable than I thought to let that happen. “My mom learned something interesting ‘bout ‘er heritage over the weekend.”

“Oh, what?”

“It ain’t for me ta say.”

“Wouldn’t it be yer heritage too... Wait, aren't ya from Equestria, like Twilight? How do ya have a family over here?”

“Ah’m adopted, you twat. Do ya really think a ten-year-old could survive on their own here?”

“Sorry”, Jacklyn said while putting her hands up in a defensive posture.

“That was unnecessarily rude.”, Rarity chided Sunset.

Sunset’s first instinct was to quip back at her, but she stopped. We’re trying to be better Shimmer. What would Nana think if she heard me speak like that? She put her utensils down and rubbed her temples to give herself a chance to think more clearly. “I’m sorry, Jacklyn. That was uncalled for. I’m trying to be better.”

Jacklyn gave Sunset a smile and nod. “Hey, that’s a start. You can also call me Applejack. You and Granny are literally the only people that still call me Jacklyn.”

“As you wish, Applejack.”

“Hey! Guys! Look at this!”, Rainbow said as she ran up to the table, holding something in her hand.

“About time you showed up, Rainbow. You’re going to have to eat quickly.”, Pinkie said.

“Forget eating, look.” Rainbow unrolled the thing in her hand, revealing it to be a poster.

“Canterlot High Musical Showcase, show your musical skills to your friends, family, and classmates, this October.”, Fluttershy read out.

“Do you even play an instrument?”, Sunset asked.

“Yeah, I play guitar. I just need to put together a band, and we’re gonna rock everyone with our awesomeness! Heh, get it ‘rock’?”

“Leave the humor to Pinkie, darling. It’s not your forte.”

“What was that about being unnecessarily rude?”, Sunset asked.

“I never said I was perfect.”, Rarity said with a shrug.

“Rainbow, get something to eat, and we’ll talk about your band more after school.”, Fluttershy said.

“Fine”, Rainbow said reluctantly. She rolled the poster back up and placed it in her backpack then placed her bag on one of the empty seats and went to grab some food. Given that there was no line, Rainbow returned quickly.

Before they could get back to their conversations, Sunset felt an unfortunately familiar presence approach, and she let her disgust, annoyance, and frustration show on her face.

“Is everything alright, darling?”

Before Sunset could answer Rarity’s question, it was answered for her by the arrival of Lily, and Rarity made the same face Sunset did.

“Y’know, you guys shouldn’t be hanging out with her. People that align themselves with demons are destined for Hell.”, Lily mocked.

Rarity turned in her seat to face Lily, clearly holding as much disdain for her as Sunset. “Sunset is trying to be a better person. You, however, haven’t changed one bit in four years, and that’s not a complement.”

Lily leaned over, putting her face right next to Rarity’s. “And you think you’re all that just because you fake a British accent.”, she said while poking Rarity in the chest.

No. Sunset sprang up, startling everybody, and leaned over Rarity to growl right in Lily’s face. However, it sounded different. Her old growl was something a human could make, if a bit more grumbly, but this one was deeper, more guttural, menacing. She also felt something bubble up and swirl inside of her, something dark and primal. Lily slowly backed away, looking like she was face to face with a lion, before turning to run only to trip over a chair. She scrambled to her feet and made a b-line to anywhere that wasn’t near Sunset.

Sunset sat back down only to see everyone looking at her with similar levels of fear and Fluttershy cowering behind the table. “Um, sorry about that.”

“What was that?”, Rainbow asked.

“I’m not sure.”

“Are you okay?”, Fluttershy asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” That was definitely a wolf’s growl. Must be the faoladh magic. Was that other thing kitsune magic? I should ask Dad.

“Is that a, er, left over from your demon transformation?”, Rarity asked.

“Definitely not.”

“Are you sure?”, Pinkie asked.

“Are you the magic expert or am I?”

“Sorry”

The six of them got back to eating, Rainbow having to rush to finish hers before the bell. The rest of the day continued as normal. When Sunset talked with Ms. Lance-Hart, she still left out her family’s magic, which now included Brigid’s, and she was now walking back home at the expected time. She tried to bring the power back up to the surface, but all she got was some gurgling. It felt entirely different from unicorn magic. She had no idea how it flowed or how to move it. “Well, I know one way.”

Sunset came up to Pinkie’s house. The only way she knew it was her house was because she’d seen Pinkie coming out of it on her way to school. If she hadn’t seen that or met the rest of her family, she would’ve never guessed it was hers. It looked nice from the outside with a brick red roof, forest green walls, and a large yard. It just didn’t have that Pinkieness to it. One would be forgiven for thinking the all pink house next door was hers.

Sunset walked over and rang the bell. Cloudy Quartz answered the door. She wore a plain, gray dress and looked like one of those overly strict middle school English teachers you see in movies and on TV but less mean. “Hi, Mrs. Pie, is Pinkie home?”

“Pinkamena is in. Please, come inside. I shall fetch her.”

“Okidoki”, Sunset said unassuredly. Mrs. Pie’s old-timeyness was off putting. Sunset wasn’t sure how she should act but went inside and waited in the entryway while Mrs. Pie disappeared up the stairs.

Pinkie soon came down the stairs with a confused look on her face. “Hey, Sunset, what are you doing here?”

“I need your help ta do a little experiment. Wouldja be willin’?”

“Depends on the experiment. We can talk more about this in my room.” Pinkie was still cautious, which was comparable to anyone else’s normal.

Sunset nodded and followed Pinkie to her room. While the rest of the house was fairly normal looking, albeit with more grays and washed out colors than typical, Pinkie’s room was bright, bright-bright. The lights themselves weren’t brighter, but every color was a bright pastel. One could be looking at a herd of Equestrians, and this room would still be brighter. The glitter that was absolutely everywhere didn’t help. There was also an overwhelming smell of sugar. “Man, Pinkie, you need to open a window.”, Sunset said while covering her nose and mouth.

“Eh, sure.” Pinkie walked over to her window and opened it up.

“How in the world can you breathe in here? I’m pretty sure the only place with more sugar in the air would be a sugar factory.”

“I still have no idea what you’re talking about. I don’t smell any sugar.”

Sunset waved her hand, trying to get some air flow and the smell of sugar out. “You’ve likely gone nose blind to it.”

“Maybe. So, what’s this experiment?”

“Remember that fear aura thing I did earlier? I wanna see if we can replicate it. I need you to piss me off.”

“You promise not to hurt me?”

“Call it penance for the crap I’ve put you through.”

A somewhat menacing looking smile crept its way onto Pinkie’s face. It wasn’t at all intimidating to Sunset as she’d seen far worse in her time, but it was odd to see such a thing on her. “Oh, that sounds like a plan.”, she said, clearly enjoying the idea. Pinkie sprinted to her closet and, after rummaging around and causing various noises that should not be coming from a girl’s closet, pulled out… a cannon, a pink cannon on wheels.

“Pinkie”, Sunset said worriedly.

“Oh, don’t worry. It doesn’t shoot cannon balls.”, she said as she held up a pull string.

“Then… what does it shoot?”

“This!”

Sunset barely had enough time to shield her face before getting sprayed with its contents. Only once everything calmed down did she dare to peek out from behind her hands. She was now standing in a pile of confetti, and the question she didn’t realize needed asking of ‘why is there glitter everywhere?’ was answered. “Pinkie”, Sunset growled.

“You told me to piss you off.”, Pinkie defended. Sunset glowered and growled at her. It took everything in her not to jump her. Pinkie backed away with a similar look of fear to earlier. “And it looks like it worked.”

“When I said piss me off, I didn’t mean cover me with glitter.”, Sunset said through gritted teeth.

“It’s biodegradable. Just wash your hair with oil, use oil on a cotton pad to wipe down your skin, and use a pet hair roller to get it off your clothes.”

Sunset took some deep breaths to clear her head and reign in her fear aura then shook herself off as best she could and stepped out of the confetti pile. “Okay, at least we got that taken care of. Given that the aura doesn’t project my anger and where I suspect it originates from, it is most likely a defense mechanism.” Sunset began pacing around the room as she pondered. “If it is a defense mechanism, it should also activate in response to fear. Pinkie…” Sunset looked back to said pink woman only to see her looking completely lost. “Did you catch any of that?”

“Nope”

“I need you to try and scare me.”

“Why?”

“To see if fear also activates the fear aura. Now, I’m not easily scared, so you’re going to have to try hard.”

“Yeah yeah, just go stand over there and turn around.” Pinkie pointed to the far corner of her bedroom.

Sunset shrugged and did as instructed. As she waited, she tried to focus solely on herself to give Pinkie the element of surprise. She waited a while before a hand was put on her back and a very fake knife was put to her throat. Sunset turned to look back at Pinkie, who was wearing a black and white striped shirt and a ski mask.

“You scared?”

“I find this more comical than scary, and I’m not amused.”, Sunset deadpanned.

“Drat” Pinkie ran back to her closet, and Sunset turned back to the wall.

“Aha”, Pinkie said, as if to startle Sunset. Sunset looked over to her side to see Pinkie holding up a handheld cutout of a clown. “Isn’t it scary?”

“No”

“What? You can’t possibly tell me that you don’t find clowns even a little bit scary.”, Pinkie said indignantly.

“I mean, yeah, they’re creepy, but I don’t find them scary. Don’t tell me the class clown is afraid of clowns.”

“And you can’t tell me that whoever thought these things would be good children’s entertainers didn’t have a few screws loose or even a whole panel missing. The white face paint, the oversized lips, it’s all so unnerving, and the existence of John Wayne Gacy certainly doesn’t help.”

“I can agree with you there.”

Pinkie disappeared again, and Sunset was left waiting again, and waiting, and waiting. Pinkie was talking so long that Sunset started counting the grains of glitter on her arm. She felt something sliding up her back and onto her shoulder. She looked over to see what it was only to be greeted by the face of a snake. If there was one similarity between the human and pony parts of her brain, it was that snakes were absolute NOPES, and a snake being anywhere near her was an even bigger nope. A snake being on her body and so close to her face was the nopiest nope that ever noped.

“Aaaaghh!” Sunset spun around as she swung herself every way she could to get the snake off her. Her entire body went into panic mode as her heart sped up to what was probably a borderline unhealthy rate and everything else in her body began moving quicker as a result. She dislodged the snake and oriented herself to examine the room and the situation. She was ready to grab Pinkie and get them the heck out of there, but what she saw was Pinkie on her butt and an unmoving snake on the ground, not unmoving as in dead, unmoving as in inanimate plastic. It was a toy. “Okay, you scared me.”, she said as she calmed down.

“I knew that would work. I don’t care how brave you are. A fear of snakes it built into our monkey brains. Oh, and yes, your fear aura activated.”

Sunset stepped over and helped Pinkie up. Even though she now knew it was fake, she stayed clear of the realistic toy snake. “Thank you, Pinkie. You were of great help. Do you need help cleaning up?” Please say no.

“Nah, I got it.” Pinkie bounced over to her closet and pulled out a plastic tote half filled with confetti and glitter and a handheld dustpan and broom. “I got the process down pact.”

“Good, see yeah.” Sunset got out of there quickly in case Pinkie changed her mind on wanting help.

She was soon back out on the street and continuing her walk home. She brought the memories of the second test to the front of her mind. There was definitely magic inside her, but it moved and felt completely different from her unicorn magic. She probably wouldn’t have even registered it as magic if she didn’t know better. She would have to completely rethink how she approached magic, but now, she had an idea of what to do.

Walking inside and heading to her room, Sunset passed Emi and Anura doing their school work together. Now that the latter was home schooled, the two of them always did their work together, and it reportedly was having immediate positive effects. They each have completely different ways of going at a problem, and they were teaching each other their methods. Brigid and Anzhong weren’t due home for another two hours, so Sunset was going to use that time to learn more about her new magic, after she’d cleaned herself.

After setting her clothes aside for later, wiping herself down as best she could, and changing into new clothes, she sat on the floor and began meditating. A pony’s wellspring is a physical organ that’s located in the chest cavity. The exact location differed by tribe with the unicorn wellspring being located close to the heart, the earth ponies’ being closer to their core, pegasi’s begging in the middle and further back, close to their wings, and alicorns have all three. It was the location of their wellsprings that denoted crystal ponies and thestrals as subtribes instead of distinct tribes. Needless to say, no such organ existed in the human body.

She searched her body for a large concentration of her new magic. She found seven of them. Just one of them was the same size as her old wellspring. Granted, they would be considered small for a creature of her size back on Equoes, but that didn’t change the fact she had seven times as much magic. She couldn’t tell if they were the standard size for humans or if all her training to enhance hers carried over. Evidence to the latter is that the magic contained was just as dense, which she had to train to achieve. Humans have seven times as much magic as ponies. Wait, the burning sensation, pony bodies can’t handle this much magic, unless they’re an alicorn. Trying to use Earth magic on Equoes must’ve caused an overload. That makes a lot more sense, but how to test it. Worry about that later. Back to focusing.

Sunset refocused and went about finding the exact locations. The first wellspring was located at the base of her spine, the second was located in her “sensitive region”, the third was located in her stomach, the forth in her heart, fifth in her throat, six in her forehead, and seventh further back in her brain and slightly higher up.

“Oh, you gotta be shitting me.”, she said with a mixture of mirth and irritation as she realized the correlation. The Hindus got the right idea, but they weren’t located perfectly along her spine. They were located inside the actual organs. Three out of seven ain’t bad.

Sunset looked at the time on her phone and realized it had already been an hour. She wasn’t ready to bring her latest revelation up to her parents. She’d wait until she got a better idea of the whole thing. She highly doubted these human wellsprings actually had all that was attributed to them.

Sunset went back to meditating. Ponies have a dedicated network of artery-like tubes to transport magic from the wellspring to whatever part of their body it’s supposed to go to. Humans most certainly don’t have that. That begs the question, how does magic travel through the human body? If she could just get her magic flowing, but it was stubbornly not moving. Whether that was because she wasn’t doing the right thing or because it was her magic was hard to say. She tried every way she knew to control magic, but none of them worked. She could feel it but couldn’t willingly move it.

She was brought back to reality by the sound of the back door opening. Sunset jumped up and ran out to the living room. Brigid was busy with a bouncy Emi, and Anzhong was putting up Kiba’s harness and his cane. “Dad, something interesting happened to me at school today.”

“Oh, and what’s that something?”

“I growled like a wolf and emitted some sorta fear aura.” That got the attention of all present. “Was the fear aura kitsune magic?”

“Yes, it’s a defense mechanism that is activated when we are scared or angry.”

“Yeah, I figured that.”

“It’s also why the people of Amigata look at me the way they do. I had difficulty controlling it when I was younger. Ryoko has always been more naturally talented with her fox magic than me, so that’s why she doesn’t experience the same.”

“Oh”

“What’s this about growling like a wolf?”, Anura asked.

“Anura, could ya go get yer mum?”, Brigid asked. “Dere’s some stuff we need ta update ya on.”

Anura got up and headed upstairs.

Sunset looked to Brigid, who was still holding Emi. “Have you ever growled like that?”

“Ah’ve always been growly, but mo growls have sounded mostly human, like how yers do… or rathe’ did.”

“If this is happening to me, it will happen ta Emi.”

“Yes! Cool wolf powers!”, said rejuvenated ball of energy cheered.

“What’s this about ‘cool wolf powers’?”, Minerva asked as she and Anura came back down the stairs.

“Ah learned somethin’ ‘bout mo maternal grandmothe’ recently, n’ it turns out Ah’m less human den we thought.”

“What?”, Minerva said in that tone that communicated that what was said was heard but not fully processed.

“Come sit down. We’ll explain everythin’.”

Everyone took seats in the living room, Anura and Emi sharing the latter’s beanbag. Brigid regaled the Reads with the story of “The Nana in the Ring”, the contents of her last conversation with her mother, what a faoladh is, what Sunset did to save Emi, and what that meant for the two of them.

“You’re a werewolf?”, Minerva said.

“Technically, but Ah don’t have mo full powers, like Anzhong.”

“Well, that explains why you put peanut butter on your Creamios.”

“It’s chocolate n’ peanut butter. Dere’s a whole brand dedicated ta dat combo.”

“Then why don’t you just eat that?”, Minerva teased.

“Because deir peanut butter sucks balls.”

“Ah-huh, werewolf peanut butter connoisseur.”

Brigid glared at the witch, which only made her grin.

“In all seriousness, that is really cool.”

“Y’re jus’ saying dat because wolves are yer second favorite animal.”

“And because werewolves are cool, especially the heroic ones.”

Brigid smiled at her surrogate sister.

“I do have something else I wanna ask.”, Sunset said.

“Shoot”, Brigid said.

“You said faoladhs are inherently good and protective. Could that be affecting me?”

“Wha’ do ya mean?”

“A couple of times today, I acted unusually protective over two people I don’t really know that well.”

“Who were dese people?”

“The first was with Rarity. Lily Valley touched her, and that’s when I growled and created a fear aura. The second time was when I thought a snake had gotten into Pinkie’s room. I’d stopped by on my way home from school. I was ready to grab her and rush her out.”

“N’ who are dese girls ta ya?”

“They’re two girls that Princess Twilight, the owner of the Element of Magic, asked to help me. She asked them and their friends to help me learn the “magic of friendship”. If ya ask me, she just wanted them to keep an eye on me and make sure I didn’t go back to my old ways. Either way, they’re the only other students that aren’t afraid or actively hate me. Well, maybe except for Flash, but he’s complicated.”

“So, dey’re your friends?”

“No, they just don’t hate me.”

“Close enough. Now, ya say ya acted “unusually protective” ove’ ‘em. Wha’ makes ya say dat?”

“I barely know them, and that’s not how I used to act towards them.”

“Ya may barely know ‘em, but dey are da closet thin’s ya have ta friends. Besides, Ah’d bet ya barely knew da majority a’ da people, er, ponies a’ Equestria when ya were in da military.”

“What are you getting at?”, Sunset asked with suspicion.

“Ya’ve always been a very carin’ n’ protective person by nature, long before we even met. Ya’ve jus’ been too wrapped up in yer anger n’ resentment f’r does traits ta fully express themselves. Dis isn’t a side effect a’ da faoladh magic. It’s a sign dat y’re healing.”

Sunset looked down at her feet. She still felt angry and still had a lot of resentment towards the nobles and Celestia. “I don’t think that’s true. I still feel those things.”

“But who are dey pointed at? Are dey pointed at da school n’ yer classmates?”

“No, it’s pointed at the nobles and Princess Celestia.”

“N’ why do ya resent ‘em?”

“I resent the nobles for being corrupt and Celestia for letting it happen.”, Sunset angrily spat.

“N’ dey deserve yer resentment f’r does thin’s. Da difference between ‘em n’ yer classmates is dat yer classmates were on da receivin’ end a’ emotions dat weren’t caused by ‘em. Yer emotions are valid. Ya jus’ gotta stick dat spear in da correct target.”

Sunset mulled over her words. She was probably right, but she just couldn’t internalize them. “I’m going to go back to my room.” Without waiting for an answer, she retreated to her room and into her bathroom. She looked at herself in the mirror. She still felt like a monster. What would Mom and Dad think? Could they even accept me as this monster? Hang on. Sunset snorted to herself as she thought how people would view Brigid as a monster, even though her bio-(magilogical?) even though her basic nature makes her a better person than most humans. Maybe being a monster isn’t a bad thing. As if a switch had been flipped, pieces began falling into place inside her head. Things became clearer. “I may be a monster, but I’m not evil.”

Dr. Dusk’s office

Date: Sep 30th, time: 5:30 pm

*Anzhong’s perspective*

“Anzhong”, Dad said.

“Hello”, Anzhong said.

The two of them entered the doctor’s office and sat on the couch.

“Hello, gentleman. I take it you’re Mr. Anzhong’s father.”, Dr. Dusk said.

“Yes, my name is Jiraiya.”

“It’s good to meet you. I’d like to start by talking about your relationship. How would you describe it?”

“My son and I were never close when he was growing up, and it became even more strained after I started drinking, but I’d say we’ve done a reasonably good job at repairing it over the last few years.”

“I’d agree.”, Anzhong said.

“That’s good to hear. What about the time you found out your son was bullying other kids? What went through your mind then?”, Dr. Dusk asked.

“I was angry. If that happened now, I wouldn’t do what I did. I’m not sure what I would do, but I am truly sorry for what I did, Anzhong.”, Dad said.

“Your actions that day were correct. There wasn’t any other punishment you could’ve given me that would’ve gotten through.”

“They may have been correct, but that doesn’t make them morally right.”

“Your father is correct. Parents should never lay hands on their children.”, Dr. Dusk said.

Has she not been listening? “I too do not generally support corporal punishment and would not use it with my own children, but I do find that there are rare, exceedingly rare, cases where it is called for, and mine was one of them.”

“But parents shouldn’t hit their children. Your father shouldn’t have done that to you.”

She’s not listening. She’s just seeing this as black and white.

“I think we should wrap this up.”, Dad interjected as he stood up. “Thank you for meeting with us.”

“But we’re not even… ten minutes in.”

“I think we should wrap this up.”, Dad said more firmly.

“I agree.”, Anzhong said as he stood up. The two of them left and went to stand out on the loggia. The air out there didn’t smell good being inside the city, but it was refreshing. “Thank you for getting us out of there.”

“I could tell you were getting angry.”

“She wasn’t listening.”

“I hear you… You really don’t hate me for what I did?”

“Sometimes, the correct choice is the morally wrong choice. Besides, all I got were some bruises. I know you were fully capable of doing much worse. What you did was scare me straight.”

“‘Were’? Try ‘are’.”

“You’re only human, Dad. I’m younger and more than human.”

“Don’t get big for your britches. I may be old, but those are years more of experience I have on you… Anzhong, I don’t think therapy is a good fit for you, at least not this one and not now.”

“I’ve been thinking about that. Sunset says she’s okay with her councilor and that I don’t have to come back here, but I also don’t want to scare her again.”

“That might be something you’ll have to work out with her. Therapy isn’t for everyone.”

“Hm, do you think you can help me convince Brigid of that?”

“Of course. Is she in the car?”

“She should be.”

“Okay then, let’s go.”

Brigid’s office

Date: Oct 1st, time: 1:00 am

*Brigid’s perspective*

Brigid stared at her open computer with her DNA test results up on the screen. She should be in bed with her husband, but her uncertainty with recent revelations were keeping her up. She and Ailbhe, who sat next to her on her desk, were the only ones awake. She didn’t know if her cat could sense her distress or even cared but was happy for her company either way.

Her DNA was mostly normal. She was no geneticist but had learned enough since Striker’s betrayal to read what she was seeing. She was missing the genes that coded for some of the common antigens. She compared her code with the standard human code and Anzhong’s code and noticed that, for what she was missing, she had something extra. There was something in her DNA that was also present in Anzhong’s but not the standard human’s. It could easily be written off as junk DNA, along with the bits of viral DNA that had been incorporated into the human code over the centuries, but deductive reasoning along with her gut was telling her this wasn’t junk.

She started to wish she’d gotten Emi tested when she could. A bit of extra data would be useful right around now. She wished she had her clan to help her understand. She wished her clan still had their magic. If they had their powers, they wouldn’t be dead.

Rage like she hadn’t felt in a long time bobbled inside her. What was rightfully theirs was taken from them, and they died without it, and the more she thought about it, Aoi probably would’ve been able to heal herself if she was still at full strength. None of ‘em should be dead!

Brigid slammed her fists on her desk and let out a demonic growl, scaring Ailbhe into the corner of the room. Something deep within her swirled, attempting to get out. It was too weak to do so, but her rage was strong and kept it swirling. If only they still had their magic. It was rightfully theirs! She had enough of others taking what belonged to her people! Whoever took it from them needed to pay! If she had her magic… she wouldn’t be where she was. Yes, she’d still have her clan, and Anzhong would have his mother, but they wouldn’t have each other. They’d both still be in their homelands. They’d never have met each other. They wouldn’t have what they have now. They wouldn’t have their life, their children. The people they are today wouldn’t exist. Emi wouldn’t exist. Sunset would’ve ended up with other people or no one at all. It was tragic, unfair, and shouldn’t have happened, but it did, and everything she has now exists because of those events.

Brigid calmed down, and tears made it to the edge of her eyes as she stood u. She found her frightened kitty and comforted her, swaddling and stroking her like she did for Emi not that long ago. “It’s okay. Ah’m sorry.” Not once did Ailbhe hiss at her. She was a sweet kitty. Brigid stepped out into the hallway and looked around at everything she had. Things were tough, but they were happy. She will always mourn what she lost, but what she had now couldn’t exist without that loss. It was a complicated set of emotions, but she was happy, her husband was happy, and their kids were happy. That’s all that mattered.

RaR ch3 Rainbow Rocks

View Online

Ms. Lance-Hart’s office

Date: Oct 3th, time: 3:00 pm

*Sunset’s perspective*

“Good afternoon, Sunset.”, Ms. Lance-Hart said as Sunset entered and sat down.

“Hi”

Ms. Lance-Hart had the board set up, and they started playing.

“I’ve gotten a pretty good idea of your life in general over the last few weeks, but I was hoping we could go over specific periods in your life to see how the events of those times affected who you’ve become.”

“I take it you’d like to go over my early foalhood then.”

“Yes”

“Okay, so, my biological parents’ names are Stormy Flare and Shadow Walker. Now, something I’ve yet to elaborate on is that there are three different tribes of ponies and several different species that are able to interbreed with ponies. I am rather mixed with relatives from all three tribes and beyond, and like with humans, this resulted in me not really fitting in anywhere.”

“Would I be correct in assuming your more omnivorous components didn’t help much in that matter?”

“Very, even as a human, I have elongated canines that can be described as fangs. Ponies have evolved different teeth to humans, including absolutely no canines or premolars. My fangs really stood out, and they used to stick out of my lips before I grew into them. I was called a monster a lot back then, even ‘demon’ wasn’t uncommon by the more devout yet less informed. I inherited my thestral blood, the omnivorous blood, from my father, and my sister’s biological dad, we’re half sisters, was also omnivorous, so they were the only ones that understood me.”

“That does explain the difficulties you seem to have with connecting with people.”

“It could also be because I’m too busy analyzing them to connect with others. My father works for our version of the CIA and has many training books on how to read members of basically every species and can do it so well that he can basically read their minds. I found those books and read every single one of them. It became a game to me and eventually something I can do passively. Very helpful as a politician and soldier, not so helpful with personal relationships. By the time I learned how to not freak others out with that skill, I was not in a good headspace.”

Ms. Lance-Hart let out a short snort of a laugh. “That sounds familiar. When people I don’t know learn I have a psychology degree, seventy-five percent of the time, their first question is some variation on “are you analyzing me?”. Of course, my answer is always “no, you’re too boring.”. Oh, that makes them mad.”

Sunset smiled at that. “Oh, is that why you became a counselor?”, she joked.

“Yes, not to help kids, but to make people mad.”, Ms. Lance-Hart joked back. They chuckled at that, and Sunset checkmated her king. “Again? How are you this good?”

“Chess exists on Equoes too, and I’ve spent the last twenty years playing it, fifteen of those against somepony that’s been playing it since it was introduced to Equestria. I think I’ll find my mate when someone beats me.”

“Have you thought about dating again?”

Sunset paused at that, memories of what she almost did to Flash rearing their ugly head. “No, and I’m not sure I’ll ever try again.”

“Why?”

“This is jumping forwards a bit, but part of my job as an officer in the Equestrian army was investigating the crimes soldiers under my command commit. In my ten years of being an officer, the most common crime was domestic assault. I now know those soldiers were suffering from untreated PTSD, but I thought they were absolute scum for the longest time. I still find their actions immoral, but I now have sympathy for their pain.”

“Where are you going with this?”

Sunset cringed as the vile taste of the words she was about to speak hit her tongue. “I nearly hit Flash when he broke up with me.”

“‘Nearly hit’ as in you missed or as in you stopped yourself?”

“I stopped myself, but I still wanted to hurt him. And I was hurting him. Our relationship may have started out as actual love, but by the end, I was treating him as more of a tool. I knew he’d likely become popular here, just as he did in middle school, and then I’d come in as the popular boy’s girl, jump starting my conquest of the high school.”

“Oh… that is bad.”

“Yeah”

Ms. Lance-Hart stayed quiet for a few seconds before speaking again. “Well, that’s why you’re seeing me, and you recognize what you did as wrong. I think that you will be able to have a healthy relationship in the future.”

Sunset looked up at Ms. Lance-Hart, examining her expressions and body language intently. Like always, she was being sincere and honest. “I hope so.” Sunset checked Ms. Lance-Hart’s king, and they reset the board. “Ms. Lance-Hart, do you think I have PTSD?”

“Well, I’m not qualified to make diagnoses. I’m just a counselor. But it would not surprise me if you did. You’ve been through several highly traumatic events and have presented several symptoms that suggest PTSD. Once you get an actual therapist, you should ask them that.”

“At this rate, that’s never going to happen.”, Sunset said dejectedly.

“Hm… have you ever heard the story of Pandora’s box?”

“Some girl opened a box that contained all the world’s evils and let them loose.”

“That’s the summary, but there’s a bit more to it than that, and there are a few different versions. Let me tell you my favorite.”

Sunset looked up from the board and leaned back into her chair.

“In ancient times, the gods created the first mortal woman, Pandora. Each of the gods gave her a gift. Hephaestus created her from clay, shaping her perfectly, Aphrodite gave her femininity and Athena taught her crafts. Hermes taught her to be deceitful, stubborn and curious.

She was told to guard a box. She was not told what it contained, only to guard it. As time passed, Pandora grew more curious of what the box contained. One day, she decided to peek inside. “What could be the harm?” she thought, but when she lifted the lid, it bursted open, releasing the illnesses and hardships that gods had hidden inside the box. She struggled to close it. All the while, more and more evils escaped. By the time she managed to close it, all the evils escaped, all but one, hopelessness.

For all the disease, wars, and death that now permeate the world, we still have hope, and with that hope, we push ourselves forward to a brighter tomorrow. We must never let hopelessness out, or all the evils will truly be unleashed.”

Sunset took a moment to fully process the story. A story about not losing hope in such a hellish world. Of course they would have that. How else could they keep going? Keep going, that’s all we really can do. “I like that story.”

Rarity’s room

Date: Oct 4th, time: 2:00 pm

*Rarity’s perspective*

Rarity sat at her desk with her sewing supplies set out for use. There was a knock at her door, and she got up to answer. On the other side stood Rainbow and Fluttershy, each carrying a duffle bag. Both were wearing their gym shirts as every other shirt and dress they owned, along with their light jackets, were in the bags. “Come in, girls.”

“How long will this take?”, Rainbow asked as she and Fluttershy walked in.

“That depends on a few factors, mostly how much undisturbed time I can get. Go ahead and put those on my bed.” Both of them did, and Rarity began looking at the contents.

“So, what are ya gonna do to them?”, Fluttershy asked.

Rarity found the shirts they ripped when they transformed at the music shop and animal shelter and examined them. “Well, that depends on the garment. Most of these, I should be able to just cut slits for your wings to slip through, but some of the tank tops and garments with lower backs are going to be more challenging. You might just need to stop wearing certain styles if you don’t want wires bugging you.”

“That sounds like it’s going to be more of a ‘you’ problem, Flutters. Though, what about my jackets? Slits in the back would kinda defeat the purpose.”

“I can use velcro to close the slits.”

“Can you do that to the one I already ripped and let me try it first. I’m worried the velcro will bug me too much.”

“That is something I can definitely do. Come back tomorrow, and we’ll go over that stuff, and I’ll give you what I already completed.”

“Sounds good. Thanks, Rares. Bye.”, Rainbow said as she and Fluttershy left.

“See you tomorrow.”, Rarity said without looking up from her work. She laid the shirts each girl ripped out to act as a template as to where to cut. “Who would’ve ever guessed I’d be altering human clothing with real wings in mind?”

Portland, Maine

Date: Oct 7th, time: 5:00 pm

*Kehinde’s perspective*

Kehinde watched from the deck, bag in hand, as the ship pulled into port. She couldn’t wait to get off. She much preferred scavenging her own meals, and the smell of popobawa had gotten really old. The boat was secured, and she was the first one off. More of Anansi’s implanted information popped up in her head as needed. She knew where to go, who to talk to, and so on. After talking to way too many people and having to do stupid bureaucratic crap, she was finally free to roam around the city.

Unfortunately, all she knew about the magic was that it came from this state, and that’s a lot of land and islands to search. She couldn’t just ask the locals about it. They’d know what she’s up to and possibly try to hide the magic. I need money. They have to have graveyards here. I’ll focus on that for now. Hopefully, another wave will come.

Kehinde began walking with no particular destination in mind. She looked around at all the people, and the first thing about them that jumped out at her was their pink skin. Sure, some of them looked like the humans she was familiar with, but the majority were that peach color. Those weren’t even the only colors as some humans had colors that fell just about everywhere in between. I wonder if having different skin colors affect their taste. Their clothes were also strange, but clothing is clothing. What was familiar was the jewelry. That was so basic that it'd be the same no matter where one goes. People wear pretty rocks to show how wealthy they are.

The sun was setting quickly, so Kehinde had to find a safe place to transform. She continued walking until she found what she was looking for, as indicated by the sign at the gate. A graveyard, finally. The only problem was that it was right in the middle of the city and surrounded by roads and buildings, but she had no other choice. She scaled the surrounding wall and jumped down before anyone had a chance to notice her. She took off her clothes and put them in her postal bag. The day turned to night, and her transformation began.

Claws grew from her nails, her teeth grew sharper and her jaw elongated, fur grew from her skin, her ears pointed and moved to the top of her head, and her legs became digitigrade. She shook her body, letting her spotted fur fall where it may. She was once again in her true, beautiful form. She picked her bag up and slipped it on. This would normally be the point where she’d start digging, but the surrounding buildings could hold humans that might notice her. Was the risk worth it? I’ll just run if need be. I’m faster than their cars.

Kehinde examined the graves, checking the dates. They were nothing new, rocks used to label a patch of dirt. She managed to find one that was buried within the last week. Score. She took a second to admire the green grass that covered the place then started digging.

CHS bathroom

Date: Oct 9th, time: 4:05 pm

*Sunset’s perspective*

Sunset stared at herself in the bathroom mirror, watching for any physical changes as she tried to use her adoptive parents’ magics. There hasn’t been any further development since September. She could activate her fear aura on command by forcing herself to feel angry, but that was it. She was unlikely to experience any enhancement to her senses given her thestral senses are already on par with those of a kitsune. She hasn’t experienced any of the abnormal physical abilities that Brigid shows. Faoladhs are supposed to also have regenerative abilities, and her wounds did healed quickly and well, but Sunset’s aversion to her own blood kept her from really testing that.

The sounds of inharmonious music slammed into her ears, causing her to wince with a wolfish whine. Although the Rainbooms, as they call themselves, can play their instruments well on their own, they’re still working on harmonizing with each other, much to the detriment of those around them. Rainbow initially wanted the group to be called the “Rainbow Kabooms”, but Sunset, thanks to Spitfire’s constant boasting about how she would one day create one, accidentally called them the “Rainbooms”. Needless to say, the latter name stuck.

Sunset put in her noise reducers and headed to the band room. She was there to see the pony transformations they’d been reporting. They’d play their music then take on the same forms they did during the Fall Formal. Their playing had stopped by the time Sunset entered the band room, and the girls were talking, almost looking like arguing, amongst themselves. They were so wrapped up in their heated discussion that none of them noticed her entrance. “Ahem”

“Oh, hey, Sunset.”, Rainbow said, turning to look at the redhead. “Where’ve ya been?”

“Sorry, I was in the bathroom. That sounded bad.”, Sunset said bluntly.

“Yeah, it was. These guys just won’t sync up with me.”, Rainbow said cockily, earning glares from the others.

“Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t the drummer supposed ta set the tempo?”

“It’s my song we’re playing. I know how it should be played better than anyone.”

Sunset gave no response as she moved to the side. She never played with anyone else before, so really had nothing to stand on. Besides, she was there to observe, not critique their playing. She pulled out her camera and began to film the girls.

The girls continued playing, and Sunset wished she had normal human hearing. Imagine every pot and pan you own, cast iron included, being dropped from three stories up, and you’d get an idea of what they sounded like. Sunset covered her ears and stood as far away from the speakers as possible. Every couple of minutes, they’d stop to have another heated discussion, and Sunset would get a reprieve from the noise. She’d seen no evidence of magic during the whole fiasco, and it was getting late. She had to get home before dark.

“Hey, guys, could one of you just play your one instrument for me? I have a twenty minute walk home, and my mom doesn’t want me walking in the dark.”

“Huh, oh yeah, sure.” Rainbow stepped forward and began to play a solo, which actually sounded good. There was a definite change in the atmosphere, and her pony traits began to appear as she floated up into and slowly spun in the air until she reached the top of her ascension where she stopped spinning. She only came down as her solo came to a close.

“Wow, that was certainly something.” Sunset closed up her camera and put it back in her bag.

“Ya got that right. Hey, could ya send that to me?”

“Yeah, I’ll do that.”

“Thanks. Oh, you need my email.”

“I have it, unless you changed it recently.”

“Huh?”

“I hacked you, remember? I have all your contact details.”

The best way to describe Rainbow’s face would be ‘oh, crap’.

“Yeah, you should all change your passwords and set up two factor identification. The longer the password, the better. Something like a phrase is easy to remember.”

“Got it.”, the Rainbooms said.

Sunset gave them an apologetic smile as she turned to leave. She hurried home and straight to her room. She opened up her computer and started the process of transferring the video to it and editing out the useless ruckus. Once that was done and it was just a video of Rainbow’s transformation, Sunset attached it to an email and shot it off to said video’s subject. With that taken care of, she set to examining what she had caught. Unfortunately, all that it showed was ‘ayuh, dat dere’s some magic’.

Sunset sat back in her chair and crossed her arms. If she had the equipment and spells she had in Equestria, she could get her answers quicker. That is assuming they’d even register Earth magic as magic given how different it is from Equestrian magic. She could try building her own magic scanners. Those machines were old and expensive to replace, so she’d basically completely rebuilt them by the time she’d left, and her skill with machines had improved thanks to her old side hustle. Though, finding the components and needed space could prove tricky. The high school does have some labs in the basement. She could ask Principal Celestia about using one. Equestrian runes do work on Earth, so they can be used to create suitable substitutes for the expensive materials, like she did back on Equoes, and the short life span of the substitutes wouldn’t be an issue.

“How did I do that? If only I still had my…” Sunset looked up at her bookshelf and noticed her old journal. She’d bragged, in great detail, to Princess Celestia about how she “revolutionized the study of magic”. Granted, she sorta did, but only if you had way more time than money on your hooves or didn’t need them to last long, the latter of which applied to her. Those conversations are basically as good as notes.

She grabbed it and began flipping through the pages, looking for those entries. It was before she graduated, so they’d be relatively early on. Reading through those old entries caused something in her chest to twist. She was so young, so innocent. Sure, she went through loads of crap no foal or child should, but she was still so hopeful. Reading Celestia’s words, she realized just how complicated her emotions towards her are. “You say she’s not a god, but you seem to still think of her as such, a perfect being, or at least a being that should be perfect.” That is what Ms. Lance-Hart told her in their last session. She’s not a god. She’s just an ultra powerful pony. She’s mortal, flawed. Remembering to think of her like that helped sort out her emotions. Celestia had been ruling over a large country alone for a thousand years. She had to delegate much of her responsibilities. She trusted the noble families to take care of her ponies, and they betrayed her trust. She still let them run unchecked, but the whole problem’s much more complicated than ‘she alone let it happen’.

Sunset found the pages she was looking for and placed bookmark sticky notes to find them easier. She placed the journal in her backpack to take it to school. There was a solid, thunking knock on her door, and Sunset went over to answer it. As expected, Brigid stood on the other side.

“Hey, whatcha want for dinner?”

“I’ll eat anything.”

“Could you three be somewhat picky for once?!”, Anzhong called out from the kitchen.

“You’re the one who decided to reproduce with a werewolf!”, Sunset remarked. “It ain’t our fault we’re livin’ garbage disposals!”

“Aye. Are you okay? Ya seem distressed.”

“Yeah, jus’ rememberin’ happier times.”

“Happier times?”

“Back when I was a filly and my emotions towards Celestia were less complicated.”

“Wha’ do ya mean?”

“Back when I saw her as the coolest being in all existence and infallible. I’m not as mad at her as I have been for these past years. I recognize the nobles betrayed her as much as they did the people. I can now look back and see that she was trying to correct things, but she wasn’t doing all that she could or needed to. She had the ability to strip the responsibilities from the noble houses and give them to others, but she never did.”

“Dat seems like a much healthier mindset.” Brigid rubbed Sunset’s head then headed back out to the living room. Sunset followed her out and sat next to her on the couch. Minerva was sitting with the girls and helping them with their homework. Sunset placed her head on Brigid’s lap as she joined in on the homework, and Brigid started stroking her hair again.

She must’ve caught a nostalgia bug as Sunset was reminded of a simpler time, back when she was a younger human.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*Flashback*

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Katon family living room

Date: Oct 29th, 2013, time: 9:00 pm

*Sunset’s perspective*

“C’n ya read dis?”, Brigid asked.

“Sunny ran down the hill. Sunny said ‘hi’ to jill.”, Sunset read from her book. She sounded like a three year old, but she was learning quickly.

“Very good.” Brigid had one of her arms around Sunset and held Emi in the other. Despite eating only a couple hours ago, Emi was hungrily nursing from Brigid. The kid had a voracious appetite.

“Keep this up, and you won’t need ESL classes.”, Anzhong said.

“What E-S-L classes?”, Sunset asked.

“English as a second language classes, dey’re ta help immigrant kids dat don’t know English well. Anzhong took ‘em when he first got ‘ere.”

“And I did not like them. I didn’t like having to do extra work.”

Ki stuck his nose up under Sunset’s book and began sniffing her, and Sunset petted him in return. “Good doggy.”

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*Present Day*

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunset looked over to Ki’s chair that has since been claimed by Kiba and Tomiju. I miss Ki. He was such a good boy.

On board the Friendship Express

Date: 12th day of the 10th month of the 1120th year, time: 5th hour ASR

*Stormy’s perspective*

“Okay, so, we’ll be hopping off at Sire’s Hollow station, and then we’ll need to walk to the White Tail Woods. Will you be good?”, Happy Berrymix, Stormy’s partner, asked. Neither of them were wearing their exorcist robes, and Stormy’s crossbow and bolts were stored in a specially designed suitcase, so they looked like any other passengers.

“Yeah, I can make that journey.” Stormy stared intently out the window as the once familiar mountains surrounding her old home came into view. This would be the first time she’d even been close to home since she’d left Sunset and Spitfire with Stellar so she could join that battle. She hadn’t even seen her sister since she’d kicked her out of her hospital room for being a busybody and trying to push her “plans” on her. She’d always been a meticulous planner, but Stormy’s injury seemed to have pushed it up a notch. The age difference and wildly different personalities never made them close growing up, and they sorta just stopped speaking after that. Sunset doesn’t even remember her as her reaction to learning about her and that she was hoping on getting her son into CSGU was “You have a sister?”.

“Hey, you okay?”, Happy asked.

“Yeah, why?”

“Because you’ve been staring out the window for three straight hours.”, she said in her usual, confidently playful tone. Ever since Sunset started studying the Elements of Harmony, Stormy’s been seeing them in everypony and grouping them together by their element or lack thereof, and the same can be said for Spitfire and Shadow. The phrase “If I can’t assign an element to them, I don’t trust them” became commonly used in their household. Happy has the Elements of Laughter and Kindness.

“I was just thinking.”

“What about?”

Stormy looked at the pony next to her as she contemplated. They’d been partners for over a year at that point, and a partner in battle should be the only pony one trusts more than their partner in love. “I guess I should tell you.”

“Oooh, juicy secret.”, she quietly said as she clapped her hooves together.

“It’s not so much a secret as something I don’t like to talk about. I’m actually from Sire’s Hollow, but my relationship with my family there is strained.”

“And you’re not ready to try and fix it.”, she said in that ‘oh, I get you now’ tone.

“Correct”

“Oh well, I was hoping to explore the town after our mission, but I guess I can skip it this time.”

“You can still explore. I just won’t be exploring with you.”

“Then where will you be?”

“I thought I’d take this opportunity to visit a couple of ponies that I don’t have a strained relationship with.”

“Being married to a thestral has clearly left you with an enhanced ability to be dark and mysterious.”

Stormy rolled her eyes at Happy’s joke as the train pulled into the station. They got up, grabbed their bags, and hurried off. They got to a place where nopony would see them before starting to unpack and gear up.

“Okay, so, there’s a timberwolf in the nearby White Tail Woods.” Happy stopped her recap and looked to the wall that surrounded the town. “Is that a common issue?”

“Yeah, it’s not as bad as in the Everfree, but the White Tail Woods do provide monsters with protection from the Monster Hunter Corps. Plus, we border the undiscovered west.” Stormy wiggled into her, now crimson, robes and attached her crossbow and quiver. Her robes didn’t have the grayish blue of the soul tamers as she once thought it would. Something about that kind of magic just made her feel icky whenever she tried using it.

“Okay, so, there’s only been one confirmed sighting, but there might be more. We should be prepared for a whole pack.” Happy’s robes now sported blue along with the crimson, indicating she knew holy water spells. That was a good thing, especially since both of them used sacred fire and could be quite reckless.

“Roger that.” Stormy got the last bits of her gear on before activating the runes in her robes.

They tightened the straps on their saddlebags, hid their suitcases, and headed off to the woods. Stormy couldn’t walk that far, so she took flight right away. For a pureblooded unicorn, Happy was surprisingly fast, but Stormy still had to fly slower than normal. The tree line came into sight, and before long, they were under the canopy. The trees blocked out most of the sun, leaving only small beams of light to guide them and forcing them to slow down.

“Yeesh, I can barely see.”

“Stay close to me.”, Stormy said as she pulled her dark vision goggles down. They were a gift from Sunset and one of her first inventions. They allowed her to see in the dark like the other members of her family. These were certainly better than blinding them whenever she entered a room they were in.

“Where can I get a pair of those?”

“My daughter made them.”

“Your unicorn daughter, Sunset?”

“Yes”

“Do you have any idea what happened to her? I mean, it’s pretty strange that some pony so politically powerful just went missing like that.”

“I know what you’re implying, and I also know she’s alive. She’s the most powerful non-alicorn in all of Equestria, and I received a letter from her a couple years ago saying she was fine.”

“It still seems fishy to me.”

“Can we drop it? I don’t like thinking that.”

“Yeah, okay.”

Several minutes of searching and Happy shooting off detections spells passed before either of them spoke again.

“Anything?”

“No… Hey, I’ll be fine down here for a few minutes. You fly up and do an overhead search.”

“Alright, but don’t be afraid to burn down this forest. We can regrow some trees, but we can’t regrow you.”, Stormy said as she lifted up her goggles. Happy smiled and lit a fire spell. Stormy flew up above the canopy and surveyed to treetops.

The forest stretched from the Smokey Mountains to the North all the way to the Applewood Mountains in the South. Luckily, they only have to search half the forest as it’s been bisected by the very train tracks that brought them there. Timberwolves are stupid but are smart enough to be scared of trains and know that train tracks mean trains yet, again, too dumb to realize train tracks aren’t, in of themselves, dangerous. This has led them to avoid and rarely cross them. But that still leaves them with furlongs to cover.

She flew around, searching for any partings of the trees. Timberwolves are large enough that moving through the trees for them is like moving through tall grass for ponies. She noticed a patch of trees swaying out of sync with the nonexistent wind, and the swaying was moving towards where Stormy left Happy. She bolted back at a speed her eldest would be proud of and dropped down next to the unicorn, startling her.

“Gah! Stormy! I take it you found something.”

“More like something found you.”

Before Happy could ask what that meant, the wretched smell of timberwolf breath answered her question. “Oh”

Stormy readied her crossbow, loading a sacred fire enchanted bolt, and Happy hit her horn. Their quarry burst through the trees towards them, and they both launched themselves back while firing off their attacks. Both found their marks, causing the beast to howl in pain. The two of them recovered, and Happy rushed behind it with another spell while Stormy reloaded. Stormy kept the thing distracted with bolt after bolt while Happy attacked from behind. The sap from the healthy wood the spirit possessed kept it from going up like a match, but the fire was all too eager to eat up the dead wood.

The creature attempted to put the fire by shaking it off, but that only succeeded in spreading it to the nearby brush. Either way, Happy had to break off her attack to put it out lest they be cooked by their own flames. The creature attempted to bite at Happy, but a bolt to the side of the face turned its attention back to Stormy. It tried to jump at her, but she launched herself further up into the air.

“Ey, watch those stinky teeth! Ya might jus’ lose ‘em!”, Stormy mocked as she loaded another bolt, this one with an explosive kick. She missed having her one-sided banters with creatures that could actually get offended, but this would suffice. Plus, the roars these things make in response almost seem like they’re insulting her back, just like the one this one made. “Perfect” She fired her shot straight into its mouth, and it unwittingly swallowed it. “It’s gonna blow!”

Happy ducked behind a tree while Stormy stayed in place to watch. The look in its glowing eyes might’ve been realization that it just fucked up, or it could’ve been it feeling the onset of the explosion that shredded it to splinters from the inside out shortly after. Either way, they’ll never know now. Bits of the wolf flew up towards Stormy, but her shields didn’t let them touch her body. Happy poked her head out from behind the tree as soon as pebbles and wood stopped flying in every direction. All that was left of the thing was a bunch of burnt wood and the green, misty spirit that’s the true form of the timberwolf rising up from the ashes.

Happy jumped out from her hiding spot and began casting the cleansing ritual. The green mist was trapped by several rings of fire with runes made of lighter fire shaped out of them that formed a sphere. “With this spell, I extinguish you from Equoes. May Grogar’s evil plague us no longer. Burn away and never return!”, Happy chanted. The rings began to spin and grow brighter along with Happy’s eyes. As the rings grew brighter and spun faster, they began to shrink around the spirit until it was all an indistinguishable, sun-like ball of light, and then it disappeared from existence with a pop of an explosion.

Stormy landed next to the panting Happy, and sat down next to her as she plopped down to her stomach. “Nice job, kid.”

“That *gasp* was *gasp* exosting.”

Stormy stroked Happy’s mane as she caught her breath. It was something she’d used to do for Sunset when she’d end up the same after training. She still didn’t understand all the jargon, but it was something about forcing her wellspring to its limit and forcing it a little past that. Happy was about that age too, being in her early twenties.

She eventually was able to sit up and looked around at the destruction in amazement. “That was awesome. I can’t believe we just took down a timberwolf. A timberwolf! That exploding bolt was a brilliant idea.”

“It would’ve meant nothing if you weren’t able to exorcise it.”

“Thanks. Though, I wish I had your mana reserves.”

“Are you feeling up to heading back?”

“Give me a few more minutes.”

“Okay, I’m going to make sure we’re not going to be responsible for a forest fire.” Stormy got up and began checking the battlefield and the area around it for any stray embers. Every one she found, she stomped it out thoroughly. Happy eventually got up and began dousing everything with water. Once they made sure they wouldn’t get stuck with another clean-up bill, they headed back to where they left their suitcases. They walked and flew at a slower pace as Happy was still recovering. “Maybe you can create some charms to store some of your magic externally. My daughter described some of her soldiers doing that. She called them external mana banks. They’d refill them during their down time for emergency use.”

“That sounds like that could get expensive, but I could possibly submit them for reimbursement. I’ll consider it and have some talks with Head Priest Burning Heart.”

They found their bags and began taking off their gear.

Happy stored away her robes and fixed her mane. “Hey, I'm going to get something to eat. Do you want anything?”

“Something small would be good. I’m not that hungry.” Storm closed up her weapon cases and gathered everything up.

“Aren’t you going to take off your robes?”

“Not yet. I’d rather have the extra layer of anonymity. Besides, it wouldn’t be unusual to see a priest where I’m going.”

Happy made an ‘oh’ face as she finally figured it out and nodded. “Okay, see ya back at the station.” She scampered away, and Stormy began her walk around the town wall.

The town’s shrine house stood proud above the rest of the buildings. It’s the only building built partially outside the wall. The reason for that was so ponies wouldn’t have to do what Stormy was doing now to get to the graveyard, which is outside of the wall. The town was pretty old, and even with its small population, the cemetery was quite sizable. The Flares came as hired protection for the settler ponies, which proved to be a wise choice. The place was infested with Gorgar’s monsters. They ended up staying so long that they grew a fondness for this place and decided to stay and settle down.

She found the pair of graves she was looking for, the graves of Nova Flare and Warm Winds. They despised the fact she had a fascination for monsters and a love of the exotic. While Stormy studied monsters, they viewed it as a waste of time to study things that they were going to kill. They viewed anything that wasn’t a pony a monster with only species like donkeys, cows and pigs or unintelligent species escaping that branding. They didn’t even consider thestrals or other pony hybrids to be ponies. As such they died without ever hearing their youngest granddaughter speak. “I wonder if you would’ve joined the Equestria First Legion?”

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*Flashback*

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On board the Friendship Express

Date: 30 years ago, time: 5th hour ASR

*Stormy’s perspective*

Stormy sat in a desolate cabin that only held herself, Spitfire, and the mere months old foal she cradled in her forelegs. Very few ponies had any reason to go this far west. Spitfire’s face was pressed up against the window as she watched the world go by. This was the first time she’d ever been outside of Canterlot, at least that she remembered. She was previously watched by a friend that was out of town, taking care of her own family. That left Stormy with only one other choice, but that choice had the risk of two ponies she didn’t want to see making themselves known.

Sunset stirred in her bundle. Stormy looked down to see two, big cyan eyes looking back at her. They looked just like her father’s, just not slitted. A feature she got straight from her father were her itty-bitty fangs that stuck out from her top lip. The light caused the baby thestral to squint and let out the most adorable, tiny hiss. Spitfire heard the hiss and turned around to check on her baby sister. Stormy wrapped her up so the light wouldn’t bother her and held her close.

“Is she always going to have trouble with light?”, Spitfire asked.

“Probably, thestrals were designed to live in caves.”

“Was I like her?”

“No, your eyes are better at seeing in the dark, but they aren’t designed specifically for that.”

“What species is my dad?”

“I’ll tell you when you’re older.”, she said as she turned her attention back to her younger foal.

Spitfire huffed and crossed her legs together. “If you don’t tell me, I’ll hold my breath until I die.”

“Uh-huh”

“I’ll do it.”

“Go ahead.” Stormy didn’t even look up as she heard Spitfire take a big inhale. She enjoyed the silence for a while, until she heard something soft hit the deck. She looked to her left to see that Spitfire had passed out and was sprawled out on the deck. She barely managed to hold back a chuckle. “You’re going to be quite the stubborn one.”

It only took a few seconds for Spitfire to wake up. “I’m not dead?”, she said confusedly.

“Of course not. You’ll pass out and start breathing again long before you suffocate yourself.”

Spitfire climbed back onto her seat and resumed her pouting. The ride was blissfully quiet for a while longer, but the silence was broken when Sunset started to get fussy.

“Is she okay?”, Spitfire asked.

“Yeah, she’s just hungry.” Stormy unwrapped Sunset and laid down on her side to let her nurse.

“Mom, I’m hungry too.”

“Okay” Stormy looked to the ends of the carriage to see if anypony was coming. “Go ahead and grab a snack.”, she said once she determined the coast was clear.

Spitfire flew up to their overhead luggage and pulled out a piece of dried meat. Stormy had learned about how griffons dry out and spice their meat for long term storage and prepared what would hopefully be at least a few moons worth of cured meat for Spitfire. Spitfire retook her seat and quickly ate her meat. Once Sunset was done, Stormy wrapped her back up and cradled her legs again. As much as she wanted to close her eyes and get some rest, doing so without anyone else to watch the girls was a bad idea.

“Mom”

“Yes, dear?”, she said, trying to keep her tired irritation from showing.

“Is Sunset’s dad going to stick around?”

“He does want to be involved in your lives, but remember what I said about destiny?”

“Only Faust knows what the future might hold, and it’s only written in stone once it is written. Does that mean he might not stick around?”

“It means he might not make it back. Once we do get back, we’ll take desk jobs so we can be there for you both.”

“Okay”

The rest of the ride was blissfully quiet. Once the train pulled into the station, Stormy pulled the baby carrier on and placed Sunset in. The carrier sat at the front of her chest, leaving her back and sides open.

“Do ya need any help, ma’am?”, the train conductor asked. She must’ve been more tired than she thought. She didn’t even notice him enter.

“Yes, please.”

The conductor, an earth pony stallion, hoisted as many bags as he could onto his own back. That left only a few smaller things for Stormy and Spitfire to carry. He helped them carry their bags out to the platform, where Stellar stood. The two of them greeted each other with warm, but small, smiles. Despite already being 15, Stellar wasn’t going to be heading to any recruitment centers for a little while longer. She said she wanted to wait until the conflict with the griffons was over, and Stormy couldn’t blame her. Joining during peace is a much more pleasant experience than during wartime. Either way, she’d likely end up at a desk job with her particular skills.

“Hello, sister.”, Stellar said.

“Hello, sister.”

Spitfire zipped past Stormy and straight into Stellar’s face. “Are you Stellar? Can I see you do magic?”, she asked.

“You must be Spitfire. Well, Spitfire, I have a list of all sorts of fun things I have planned for us to do together.”

“Of course you have a list and a plan.”, Stormy groaned.

Stellar stuck her tongue out at Stormy then looked towards the kind stallion helping them. “We can talk more once we let this fine gentlecolt get back to work.”

“That’s okay, ma’am. Customer service is part of tha job.”, he said proudly.

“It’s okay. We got this.” Stellar lit her horn, taking their luggage off the stallion and dividing it between the two of them. She placed the luggage she allocated to Stormy on her back and kept the majority she kept for herself aloft. “You good?”

“Yes” Stormy turned to the stallion. “Thank you.”

The stallion bowed and went back inside the train. The two of them began their walk to Stellar’s house. Spitfire was zipping around the town, looking at all the buildings.

“She’s quite a strong flier for a filly her age. I don’t suppose that her father might have something to do with that?”, Stellar asked.

“I have an eye for strong wings, no matter the form they take.”, Stormy said smugly. Sure, Spitfire wasn’t planned, or even thought possible, but she could still take pride in creating her.

“Are you sure it isn’t that you just have a thing for leather wings?”, she asked in a teasing tone.

“Actually, Shadow has feathers. His dam is a pegasus, and apparently feathers are a dominant trait.”

Stellar looked down at the bundle strapped to her chest. “What does she look like?”, she asked a bit worriedly. Stormy knew that didn’t come from a place of not wanting Sunset to look like a thestral but a place of knowing she’ll have an easier life if she didn’t.

“Mostly like me, but she also does look a bit like you.” Stormy pulled the cover back, revealing Sunset’s horn and red main, the same red as the lighter shade of red in Stellar’s mane.

“Aw”, Stellar cooed.

Sunset looked up at her aunt, having to squint because of the light.

“She also has her fathers eyes.” Stormy covered her back up to let her continue sleeping.

“And fangs.”, Stellar stated, a bit of worry slipping in.

“Yeah, we’ll navigate that when the time comes.” Stormy looked back up to where she expected Spitfire to be… only to see her talking to two ponies she’d hoped to avoid this trip. They had never met her before, only knowing of her existence from when Stormy told them she was pregnant and had no idea how to get in contact with the father. It was then she had to tell them the father was a migrating dragon that had likely gone back to the Dragon Lands by then. Their rage only grew when she’d finally convinced them that it was consensual. They were angrier that their daughter chose to have relations with a dragon than when they thought she’d been raped. She lost a lot of love for her parents that day and even began to doubt her sister as she said nothing during the whole ordeal.

Whatever remaining love she had for her parents died a couple months later when they tried to convince her to kill Spitfire. They traveled all the way across the country to Baltimare to try to convince her to kill her three day old daughter. Spells were flung that day, and Stellar had to be placed in a separate cell as she still tried to kill them, even with a magic surprising ring on her horn. At least her faith in her sister was restored.

They didn’t do anything now, but they didn’t look at her with any love in their eyes. Spitfire’s fangs were hard to hide, and they’d likely seen them. The little filly didn’t seem to notice as she flew in circles in the air as she talked. Stellar noticed it too, and she was huffing like a bull to keep herself in check. The last thing Stormy wanted to do was scare her, so she tried to keep her feelings from showing through. “Spitfire, come here, sweetie.”, she said as calmly as she possibly could.

“Coming, Mom.” She waved goodbye to the two ponies she had no idea were her grandmothers and flew back over to her aunt and mother. “Hey, those two ponies look just like us.”, she chirped happily. “Are we related to them?”

“We can talk about that later. Stellar”

Stellar gave one final glare to her mothers before escorting them to her house. It was a small place she got as far away from their parents’ house after the fiasco at the hospital. As evident from earlier, neither of them could even look at their parents without at least feeling disgusted. Stellar took the bags from Stormy and looked to Spitfire. “I’ll show you to your room, and we can get you set up.” She looked back to Stormy. “You should rest for now.” Stormy nodded as Stellar and Spitfire headed down the hall.

Stormy closed the blinds, took the bundle out of the carrier, and uncovered the foal. Sunset happily looked up and let out a sweet laugh. “How could anypony think that you’re a monster?” A knock came from the door, and Stormy covered Sunset back up to look through the curtains. If ponies could hiss, she’d be hissing up a storm as she saw her mothers were on the other side.

“Who is it?”, Stellar asked.

“I’ll give you a guess.”, Stormy said while looking back at her sister. The look and her tone told Stellar all she needed to know.

Spitfire ran past Stellar and, before either of them could stop her, opened the door. “Hi! Hey, you’re those ponies from earlier.”

Stellar moved quickly to put herself in between Spitfire and their parents. “Can we help you?”

“We need to talk.”, Mom said seriously. Mom was the unicorn and mostly looked like Stellar but without the white patches on her legs.

“Now’s not the best time.” Stellar tried to close the door, but Mama put her hoof in the way.

“No, now.”, Mama said in a tone that got Stellar to back up, almost as if out of instinct, allowing them in. Mama, was the pegasus and looked mostly like Stormy but with the white markings on her legs. They looked down at Spitfire with faces that the filly recognized all too well. Stormy put herself in front of her daughter, and Spitfire awkwardly tried to hide behind her and protect Sunset at the same time. They closed the door behind them, and no longer attempted to hide the disgust on their faces. “Stormy, why did you bring that [bad word that translates to ‘disgusting’] thing here? It’s an embarrassment to the family.”

“You shouldn’t speak that way around foals.”, Stella chided. Sunset began to stir in her bundle, but none of the other adults noticed. “Spitfire, let’s go to your room.”, she said, switching to a softer voice.

“Uh, okay.” Spitfire was hesitant to let go of Sunset until Stellar took her in her magic. The movement caused Sunset to uncover herself. She let out a yawn, fully exposing her fangs. Mom and Mama were surprised then even more disgusted. Stellar quickly got the girls into Spitfire’s room, and the green aura that flashed across the door indicated she’d put up a privacy spell.

“You brought another one of those freaks into this world!?”, Mama screamed.

“Sunset’s not a freak.”, Stormy said firmly.

“‘Sunset’ is a unicorn name.”, Mom said with venom. “What is she, another dragon half-breed?”

“She’s a thestral. Her father is a respected member of the Air Guard.”

“They’re letting those half-breed demon spawns into the military now? Disgusting.”, Mama said. “Who in their right mind would allow the servants of Nightmare Moon to roam freely in the kingdom of the sun princess, let alone the military?”

“I’m not entertaining your bigotry. Get out! Don’t you dare come anywhere near my children! If you so much as aim at one of them, all of Equestria will know you tried to kill your own grandfoals! You called Spitfire an embarrassment to the family. How would familicide look on the family? I know ponies that could spread the news to the princess herself. Something like that should earn her ire.”

The two of them looked towards the glowing door then Mama shook her head. “Where did we go so wrong in raising you?”

“You did just fine in raising me. It was when you became grandmothers that you utterly and completely failed. Now, get out. I don’t want either of you to have any part in my foals’ lives.”, she said in a cold, steely tone.

The look they gave Stormy was cold and lacked any love. “You are no daughter of ours.”, Mom said, and with that, they left.

“Good” It most likely wasn’t needed, but Stormy shoved a chair under the door handle before heading to Spitfire’s room.

“Mom!”, Spitfire cheered, and Sunset reached for her. Stellar and Spitfire sat on the bed, and the former was cradling Sunset.

“What happened?”, Stellar asked.

Stormy sat down next to them and took Sunset back. Spitfire crawled over, and Stormy scooped her up too. “Who were those ponies?”, the little filly asked.

“They’re the town crazies. Don’t believe a word they say, but also stay away from them. They’re gone now, but they can be dangerous. Better to be safe than sorry with ponies like them.”

“Okay”

“Let’s get you unpacked.”, Stellar said. She and Spitfire began unpacking her things. Spitfire and Sunset would be there for a couple moons.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*Present Day*

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Stormy looked down at the graves with a blank look on her face. They died in a monster attack a couple years after that. Ponies called them heroes, but neither Stormy nor Stellar felt like correcting them. That would’ve just made the two sisters look bad. Even if everypony remembered them as heroes, they still lost. Stormy’s face morphed into a cocky, smug grin. “I bet you two are rolling down there. You said they’re embarrassments to the family. Well, my dragon “half-breed” daughter is the captain of the Wonderbolts, and my little “demon spawn” is one of the most powerful unicorns to ever live. Wherever she is, and you’re dead. I’m glad neither of you ever got a chance to hurt them.” Before she left, Stormy spat on both of their headstones.

She headed back the way she came and back to the platform, where Happy was waiting for her. “Got this for you.”, Happy said while passing her a fruit smoothie.

“Huh, I didn’t know we had a smoothie place.” Stormy placed it on the ground while she got her robes off and stored.

“Yeah, it’s better than the bread.” Happy held a familiar piece of pony grain bread in the air. “This thing makes a better weapon than food.”

“My sister and I used to throw those at each other. We broke some walls.” Stormy tried the smoothie and made a sour face. “I think this would make a better weapon too.”

The two nodded to each other and discarded their “food” in the bushes as the train rolled up.

Halls of CHS

Date: Oct 14th, time: 12:00 pm

*AJ’s perspective*

It was first lunch period, meaning it was lunch time for the newly coined Rainbooms. The girls all slowly met up as they made their way to the cafeteria. AJ stood next to Rarity in the line. To be completely honest with herself, she liked her more than as a friend. She’s always liked her, her sharp wit, her beautiful body, her creativity, but she’s only thought about her that way recently. AJ was a bit of a late bloomer, and by the time she did, their friendship had already disintegrated. Now that they were close again, all she wanted to do was be as close to her as possible and look at her. There was just the problem that their group was only recently re-established. Something like this might rock the boat too much, especially if Rarity didn’t feel the same in return. For now, she’d just keep those feelings a secret.

“AJ”, Rarity said.

“Huh, everythin’ okay?”

“Yes, you were just staring.”

“Oh, um, sorry. Ah was just admirin’ your outfit. Did ya make it yourself?” That wasn’t a total lie, which is what made it such a good lie. Being a human lie detector meant that she was very familiar with the methods of catching liars and, thus, knows how to avoid making those same mistakes. She by no means likes lying and would much rather be able to be completely honest 24/7, but that isn’t the world they live in. Instead, she kept her lying to a minimum to give people the false impression that she never lies.

“Oh, no, not this outfit. It’s just some things I grabbed off the shelves.”

“It still looks good on ya.”

“Oh, thank you.”

The five of them finished getting their food and got to their table, followed shortly by Sunset. “Hey, demon girl.”, Rainbow said. It was subtle, but Sunset’s chest tightened when Rainbow called her that.

“Sunset, are ya okay?”, AJ asked.

“I’m fine.” That was a lie.

“Are ya sure? We’d get it if that’s a sensitive subject.”

“I’m used ta it.” That wasn’t a lie, but it also wasn’t what she asked. That response also seemed far too well practiced, not the kind of practice one gets from a little under a couple months. This isn’t anythin’ new ta her.

As much as she wanted to press the subject, she knew from past experience that Sunset wasn’t one to give up her secrets. Ah guess livin’ da life she does must make lyin’ second nature. The girls turned their talks to more mundane topics, the upcoming showcase, and family stuff.

“So, did the video finally convince your parents?”, Sunset asked RD.

“It wasn’t so much the video as it was my conviction. Though, it did help. I know they’re still trying to make sense of it all. Speaking of which, does the fact we can grow pony features make us some sorta pony/human hybrid?”

“Um, I don’t know. When creatures go through the portal, they’re changed on a genetic level, though not perfectly. I still have some of my original genes that are able to present themselves.”

“Is that why your arms are so long and you’re so hairy?”, Pinkie asked.

“Probably”

“How do you know this?”, Rarity asked.

Again, Sunset’s chest tightened. “My mom is a college professor. She took my DNA to some people she knew that could test it, and that’s what the results said.”

“So, we could do that then.”, RD said.

“I…I’ll talk with my mom about it.”

Somethin’ bad definitely happened. “Sunset, is there somethin’ you’re not tellin’ us. Y’know ya can tell us anythin’. We’re all a part of this semi-secret magic club now.”

Sunset twiddled with her utensils for a bit before speaking. “Yeah, okay. You should know this.” She now had all of their full attention. “My mom had the DNA sent in anonymously, not at all uncommon, but the guy she asked to do the testing realized it was alien DNA and went full tinfoil hat conspiracy nut. He was able to figure out my ethnicity, approximate age, and gender and used that information to file down who I was. Once he realized Brigid’s my mother, he quickly deduced that I’m the alien. He threatened to take everything he had to the authorities, so my mother destroyed all his evidence, and without that, everyone thought he was crazy, and he’s now in some loony bin. That happening again is what I’m worried about.”

There was silence at the table as everyone took in the information for a solid few seconds. The silence was eventually broken by Fluttershy, of all people. “Oh”

“Ah get tha feelin’ you’re leavin’ somethin’ out.”, AJ said.

“Yes, but it’s for my mothers safety. How do you think she destroyed his evidence?”

The five of them looked at each other and silently came to a mutual understanding. Idiot got too close to a mama bear’s cub and got the expected result.

“Okay, maybe we shouldn’t do that then.”, RD said.

“I’d feel much better that way.” Sunset pulled her phone out. “I’m gonna head to the bathroom. I’ll see ya later.” Sunset got up, taking her empty food tray with her.

AJ watched Sunset leave and exit the cafeteria. “Hey, girls, Ah don’t think we should call her a demon anymore.”

“Why?”, RD asked.

“It seemed ta make her uncomfortable.”

“She said it didn’t bother her.”

“No, she said, “Ah’m used ta it”. That was a purposeful misdirection of the question.”

“Yeah, I’m with AJ on this.”, Pinkie said. “My eye drooped when you called her a demon and when we started talking about DNA testing.”

“Ah also suspect bein’ called a demon is nothin’ new ta her.”

“What makes you think that?”, Fluttershy asked.

“Ah think Ah’ve also developed psychic abilities, and they’re tellin’ me that word is connected ta her hurt.”

Pinkie jumped from her seat and stuck her face in AJ’s. “Oooh, oooh, what can you do?”, she asked excitedly.

“Uh, mainly lie detectin’ stuff, some emotions, and some stuff ta do with nature n’ plants.” AJ pushed Pinkie back out of her personal space. Her breath stank of cafeteria meat.

“Okay, does anyone else have any newly acquired powers they’d like to tell the group about?”, RD asked.

“I can focus in on someone and read their movements and emotions, even the smallest twitch of the eye. Unfortunately, doing that a lot causes me to get a headache.”, Rarity said.

“Um, I can sorta speak to animals. It’s not like we can have conversations, but it’s easier for me to understand animals and get them to understand me than the other volunteers. I also seem to have a calming effect on others. That might just be my personality though.”, Fluttershy answered.

“Okay, so we all have powers, and we all had since before the Fall Formal?”, RD asked. All of them nodded. “Okay, that’s cool.” Rainbow crossed her arms in a way that meant she was thinking about something. “I wonder.”

Lunch ended, and the girls headed to class. The day went on as normal. AJ’s last class of the day was gym, which she shared with Rarity and Sunset. Their class filed in, and everyone chose a locker and began changing. AJ and Sunset ended up with neighboring lockers while Rarity was further down in the same row.

As they all undressed, AJ noticed Sunset peeking at the other girls out of the corner of her eye. “You’re shameless.”, she said quietly.

“Don’t act all high and mighty with me. I’ve seen you peeking at Rarity.”

AJ’s face turned red, and she whipped her head around to glare at Sunset… a completely naked Sunset. Her eyes lingered on her, out of her control. She was well filled out, actually filled out, not big assets and tiny body “filled” out. Her skin had a natural golden tan to it, and she had respectable muscles. Her entire chest and arms were also covered in scars, so many scars. She’d known about the few small ones and that massive one on her face, but she never looked at Sunset’s body, especially not close enough to see them all. “H-how did you get so many?”

“That is a story for another time.”

AJ turned away from Sunset but found herself stealing glances at her scars. Sunset began to put her shorts on and got up to slip them on, turning away from AJ as she did so. That allowed AJ to see two, large scars in the center of her upper back, and these scars looked fresh. AJ looked away and kept her eyes on the floor for the rest of the time they were changing.

As they went about gym class, AJ noticed the scars on her legs. They weren’t nearly as numerous or big, but they were still there. It was almost like every inch of her body had scarring. What happened ta her? Who did that ta her?

Gym class wrapped up, they showered and changed back into their street clothes, and AJ, Rarity, and Sunset headed to the band room. Given how close the gym is to the band room, they were the first to arrive. AJ and Rarity began setting up their instruments as Sunset took her position off to the side. The rest of the Rainbooms filed in shortly after and also began to set up, all except for Rainbow.

“Hey, Shimmer, do you have any psychic powers?”, RD asked, as blunt as ever.

“Why do you ask?”

“Because you're the only one of our little club not confirmed to have one.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, you know I see spirits, Fluttershy’s is animal related, AJ can sense when people are lying, Rarity can read people like a book or something like that, and Pinkie’s got her “Pinkie sense”. Can you do anything like that?”

“Well, yes, I can. It seems to be aura related. I can sense people’s nature and emotions through their aura along with hiding my own from most people, and I can kinda sense spirits but can’t see them. Spirits are basically auras without bodies.”

“What?! No fair. You get the same powers as me but the more practical version. Your powers sound awesome.”

“They are, but I had to train them with my father to get them where they are now.”

“You can train them to get stronger?”

“Aye”

“Could you train me?”

Sunset shrugged. “Maybe”

“Great, but it will have to be after the showcase. I need to focus on this. Now, is everyone ready?” Rainbow walked over and began setting up herself.

“Not quite.”, AJ said. “Sunset, Ah still wanna know who gave ya all those scars.”

Sunset looked confused for a moment before looking like she realized something. “No one person gave me all my scars. They come from being in the military for ten years and being a stupid kid for five years. I’m not nor have I ever been abused.”

“Military?”, RD asked. “Sunset, how old are you?”

“That is a more complicated question than you may think. I was twenty-five when I came to Earth, but I was turned into a ten-year-old human. My human brain and body are fifteen, but I’ve been around for thirty years and have memories from when I was twenty-five.”

“Did you ever go to war?”, Pinkie asked cautiously.

“Yes, we had our own war on terror not long ago. It’s not “officially” considered a war, but it was a war.”

“Yeesh, no wonder you were so crabby. Having those kinds of memories as a ten-year-old couldn’t have been good for your coconut.”

“That’s what Ms. Lance-Hart said yesterday.”

The other four girls looked at each other with worried looks as the implications of the situation really hit them.

“Have you… killed before?”, Fluttershy asked.

“Oh yeah, I had to kill more than a few terrorists, or they would’ve gone on to kill more civilians or warn their co-conspirators that we were coming. It’s not a pleasant feeling, but you quickly learn to ignore and forget about it. And before then, I was a monster hunter, so killing was in the job description… Why are you all looking at me like that?”

The rest of them were looking at Sunset with shock and horror on their faces.

“Do you not realize what you just said!?”, Pinkie said, bordering on outrage. “You may not have been a child when you went through all that, but you’re a child now. If any child got those memories zapped into their head, they’d be traumatized for life. You’re a child soldier with extra steps.”

“It’s not that bad. Like you said, I was an adult when that stuff happened.”

“Fish don’t know they’re in water, dearie.”, Rarity said.

Sunset looked confused for a moment then like she wanted to protest but then slowly looked more solemn and then angry or determined.

“Sunset?”, Fluttershy asked.

“Just start playing.”, she said darkly.

They gave each other worried looks before refocusing. They started playing, and it was getting better, but they still weren’t fully harmonized. Their ears were no longer victimized by their playing, but they still weren’t transforming. They practiced for almost an hour and actually started to sound kinda good by the end. RD’s alarm for 3:55 went off, and they had to stop. The next group would be coming for their practice time at 4:00, and they had to be out of there. They started to pack up and filter out. RD and Fluttershy were talking with each other while Pinkie and Rarity said their goodbyes and left.

AJ walked over to Sunset who had her head down and wasn’t paying attention to the world around her. “You okay, sugarcube?”

“You already know the answer to that.”

“Right, speaking of which, when we formed this group tha first time around, we agreed that, if we want ta help each other, we have ta be completely honest with each other about our traumas.”

“Where is this coming from?”

“Ya dodged ma question earlier when Ah asked ya if bein’ called ‘demon girl’ bothered ya.”

Sunset looked up at AJ with a serious look on her face. It looked like she was debating with herself on who to kill, it was that serious looking. “I can’t lie to you, can I?”

“Nope”

“Sigh, it doesn’t exactly bother me when you guys say it as you put no malice behind it, but it does bring up a lot of bad memories of people and ponies that meant that word maliciously.”

“Ponies? So, before coming to Earth?”

“Correct, ‘hinnot’ is a derogatory term for my subspecies that roughly translates to ‘demon servant’.”

“Oh… Ah’ll let da others know not ta call you that.”

“‘Demon’ isn’t in of itself a bad word. It just triggers some bad memories. Don’t get bent out of shape trying to avoid it.”

AJ nodded to Sunset then headed out. She had a lot of information to process.

Streets of Black Forest Neighborhood

Date: same day, time: 4:05 pm

*Sunset’s perspective*

Fish don’t know they’re in water, a problem can be so encompassing that it doesn’t seem like a problem. Sunset walked home at a slower pace as she mulled that over in her head. She knew Rarity said that in reference to her military history related issues, but her problems go deeper than that. Her issues start with the nobility, not only the corruption but, despite her being Celestia’s personal student, never being treated with her due respect. Celestia would bring her into meetings with the nobles in order to learn about politics and prompt her to participate, but the nobility would never take anything she said seriously. It wasn’t an age issue. The nobles would bring their own heirs with them for the same reason, and they would be listened to and have their points entertained, even if most of them were quickly thrown out. The nobles never respected her because she wasn’t a part of the noble caste, and that was evident, even to ten-year-old her.

Casteist pricks, they think they’re better than everyone else just because of who they were born too. Sunset stopped in her tracks as she compared the US's lack of a caste system to Equestria’s present caste system. When she was still in Equestria, she didn’t question it. Certain families were nobles because Faust chose them to play that role in her story, and the reason the vast majority of them were unicorns was because the heightened intelligence of unicorns made them especially qualified for the role, but Faust isn’t a god. There is no “Great Writer”. No one chose them to be in their position, and most of them haven’t proved themselves worthy of the power they were given. The US also has its share of social problems, but the lack of a caste isn’t one of them. It’s at least theoretically possible for people to move up in the world and means that anyone can at least put their name in to obtain a role in the government.

Brigid, born a farmer, but she’s now an academic. That would never happen in Equestria. Why is there even a caste system? If somepony is capable of doing a job, they should be allowed to do it. Why would there be a system in place that stops that? I’m proof that a pony can be born in one caste but have a good career in another. It makes no sense.

A port city in Beikoku

Date: Oct 16th, time: 6:00 pm

*Lee’s perspective*

Lee Smith, the name he finally chose, did his best to pretend to be this Chuck Smith human. Doing his job was easy, but having to pretend to be him around the other humans was taxing. Blue friend was much better at this human business. He never understood why she wanted to reproduce with these things so badly as to risk her own life. I wonder where she is now? Lee grabbed the bag containing clothes and some other items he’d pilfered from Chuck and headed off the ship as soon as it docked.

“Hey! Chuck! Where are you going?!”, one of the other humans called out.

Lee gave no reply as he no longer had to keep up appearances. He just headed away from the ships. He had to do this “customs” thing before leaving, but Chuck knew how to do it. He headed into the city, walking until he found a strange building near the edge, and by then, the sun had set. What it was didn’t matter. It was isolated, and it had a bathroom that he could access without anyone noticing.

Lee went into the bathroom, making sure to lock the door, and then jumped out of his host. His host fell to his hands and knees as he coughed as if trying to get up a hairball. He managed to look up to see Lee with all seven of his majestic tails flowing. He froze with a look of fear and awe on his face.

“You are lucky, human. Behold the greatness of my true form as it will be the last thing you see.”, Lee said with a fox smile. His words registered in the simple creature’s mind as he tried to get away from him but only succeeded in further exposing his neck. Lee jumped at the human and clamped down on his neck, driving his teeth as deep as he could. Blood sputtered out from the neck, out onto the floor and into his mouth. The saltiness of human blood hit his tongue, making the experience enjoyable. Lee thrashed and ripped to widen the wounds, only aided by Chuck’s attempts to remove him, causing more blood to spill out. It was only when he stopped moving did Lee let go and let the human fall to the floor.

Lee shapeshifted into his human form and began to clean himself. His human form was that of a thirty something human male with hair that reached his mid-back. It had the same pattern as his fur. Once all the blood was off, he grabbed his clothes from the now bloody bag and got dressed. He retrieved his pilfered goods, which included a folded leather thing that held what seemed to be currency; some strange, hard cards; and a pocket sized, yet extraordinarily good, painting of a female human around Chuck’s age. She looked similar to blue friend’s human form but with lighter blue hair and pink eyes. Probably his mate. “My apologies for taking you from your mate, but I couldn’t have you spreading news of my arrival to this place.”, he said in Chuck’s language. Pronouncing many of the vowels was tricky, resulting in him sounding like he was drunk, but he was getting better.

He discarded the strange cards and painting then placed the folded leather and other goods in the pockets of his clothes. He exited the bathroom, making sure no human was coming his way. He began marching away from the town center. He didn’t know where the source of the magic was. He just knew it still wasn’t close.

CHS band room

Date: Oct 23rd, time: 3:30 pm

*Fluttershy’s perspective*

The Rainboom, watched by Sunset, played “Awesome as I Wanna Be”, another one of Rainbow’s songs. It was always Rainbow’s songs they played. Fluttershy loved her, but that girl’s head was big and hard as a rock. She had some songs of her own that she at least wanted to try, but Rainbow always said that they needed to practice the songs they were going to be performing. She wasn’t happy about that or the way she was being talked to but didn’t make a big stink about it. If this band continued after the showcase, she would push harder to play her songs. But as it currently was, they still had to practice. They’d been practicing for two weeks now and were sounding pretty good. Sunset was even tapping her foot along to the song.

A familiar feeling came over her, and she felt her magic flowing. Her ears moved to the top of her head along with the other girls’, and her wings unfolded from her back, easily slipping through the slits Rarity made. The sensation was like having your arms folded for hours and finally being able to spread them out. She gave them a couple flaps to get the stiffness out. They finished the song, and many of them put their instruments down to check themselves out.

“Yes! Yes! Yes!”, Rainbow cheered as she jumped and spun around.

“Rainbow, be-” Before Fluttershy could warn her to be careful of the cords on the ground, Rainbow got her foot stuck in said cords and began to fall backwards. Before any of the Rainbooms could even take a step forwards, Rainbow was caught by Sunset.

“Whoa, thanks.”, Rainbow said.

Sunset said nothing as she lifted Rainbow back upright. Applejack rushed over to berate Rainbow for not being careful while Rarity went over to look at her back, probably to check her work for herself. Fluttershy looked to where Sunset was and where she stood now. That had to be a distance of like ten feet or something in less time than it took the rest of them to even process that Rainbow was falling. How?

Fluttershy walked over to Sunset, who was also looking at the distance she covered. “How did you do that?”

“That… is… complicated.”

“Was it your leftover pony DNA?”

“Sure, let’s go with that.”

“Really?”, Fluttershy said with a scowl.

“Hey, I just don’t feel like giving a history lesson today. I’ll tell you guys everything in due time. Due time is coming sooner than expected.” Sunset said that last part so quietly that the only reason Fluttershy heard it was because of the enhancement her pony ears gave her hearing.

“Dang girl, I’m impressed.”, Rainbow said, looking to where Sunset was standing. “I guess getting turned into a demon has its benefits.”

“Ah told ya not ta say that word.”, Applejack chided.

“Right, sorry. I meant no offense.”

“None taken, and no, getting turned into a demon isn’t how I did that. That was different.”

“Then what was it?”, Rarity asked.

“I’ll tell you guys once I figure it out myself.”, she said with growing irritation.

“You have been doing a lot of weird stuff lately.”, Pinkie said while popping out behind Sunset and Fluttershy, startling them both. “I mean, remember that fear aura thing?”

“Yes, I do, and seriously, Pinkie, you reek of sugar.”, Sunset said while covering her nose.

“Yeah, that too. I still don’t smell anything.”

Fluttershy leaned in and sniffed Pinkie. “I definitely smell something sweet.”

“What? Hang on.” Pinkie popped around the room, getting everyone to sniff her.

“Are you wearing some sort of perfume, darling?”

“That’s the thing, I’m not.”

“Maybe that’s how you’ve somehow managed to avoid getting diabetes, you’re sweating the sugar out.”, Rainbow said.

“Eeew”, Applejack said. “That’s gross.”

“And a biological impossibility.”, Fluttershy said.

“You say that as if reason and logic applies to her.”, Sunset countered. “It’s Pinkie Pie. I stopped trying to logic her a long time ago.”

“‘Logic’ isn’t a verb.”, Fluttershy said as the transformation died down. Her ears turned back into their normal state, and her wings retracted back into her back. Despite what one might think from just looking at it, her wings don’t just disappear. She could still feel them in her back, and someone could feel them if they pressed the right spot. Both her and Rainbow had been feeling something strange in their backs after the Fall Formal, but they didn’t know what it could be until after her transformation at the mall.

“This is English. Any noun can be a verb if you don’t care enough. Besides, I got my point across, and that’s the whole point of language.”

Fluttershy rolled her eyes. “Alright, I’ll concede to your second point.”

“You guys are the only ones that mentioned the smell. Not even my sisters have said anything.”, Pinkie said.

“Your sisters aren’t weird pony/human hybrids. We are, and a pony’s sense of smell is much stronger than a human’s.”, Sunset said. “That goes double for mine because of my subspecies.”

“You’ve mentioned you’re a subspecies before. What does that mean?”, AJ asked.

“The short answer is that I’m part thestral. We’re the only omnivorous ponies and nocturnal. You’ll see a lot of my thestral traits the more time we hang around together.”

“Thestral? As in…?”, Rainbow asked.

“No, not as in that TERF’s book series. Thestral as in the name of my subspecies.”

“Oh”

“Is that what that ‘hinnot’ business is about?”, AJ asked.

“Ayuh”

“Back to my apparent sugar scent. What does this mean?”

“You should eat less sugar.”, Rarity deadpanned.

“Never”

“Hey, guys, it’s getting close to four, and the showcase is in a few days. We gotta keep practicing.”, Rainbow said. The rest of them nodded and retook their positions. “Okay, let’s do “Awesome as I Wanna Be” again. One, two, three.”

Of course.

Katon family dining room

Date: same day, time: 6:30 pm

*Sunset’s perspective*

My magic’s getting stronger. Sunset poked at her food as she went over the day’s events. She’d managed to use her faoladh magic to catch Rainbow, and it alerted her to just how much of it she had. I didn’t get that magic from Emi. She barely even had enough magic to do what I did. That means I must be producing it, and that means… “Mom”

“Hm, wha’s up?”

“Are you like part faoladh and part human, or is being a faoladh something you either are or aren't, no halfies?”

Brigid leaned back in her chair as she thought. “Ah think it’s da latte’. We are genetically identical ta humans, aside from some DNA sequences dat might code f’r magic. Our magic’s all dat separates us from humans. So, Ah guess we are still technically human but a different class a’ human. Why do ya ask?”

“Y’know how Grandpa holds kitsune magic but isn’t able ta create more of it himself, so he doesn’t actually have it?”

“Yes”

“Well, that’s what I initially thought was going on with me, but I’ve noticed that I'm producing faoladh magic and am probably producing kitsune magic too.”

“Ah’m sensin’ dere’s more.”

“Yeah, the girls I’m… I’ve been hanging out with have the ability to transform into human/pony hybrid forms. The process to turn me back caused them to absorb some magic from the crown, the same energy I used to save Emi. I also got magic from that night, and I’ve noticed it growing inside of me.”

“Have you undergone this transformation?”, Anzhong asked.

“No, not yet.” I haven’t played in months. “But, I likely can, and that means…”

“Cool pony powers for Emi!”, the little cub cheered. “Okay, how do I transform?”

“All dese girls have permanently gained magic?”, Brigid asked.

“Seems like it.”

“Have dey told their parents?”

“They’ve tried, but so far, only Applejack’s, Pinkie’s, and sorta Rainbow’s families believe them. They can’t transform at will and just show their parents, so it’s been kinda tricky.”

“We should all get together sometime to discuss this whole magic business.”, Anzhong said. “Their parents need to understand what this all means for their children. They’re going to be facing a lot of new challenges that few other parents do.”

“I still need to get the girls to understand all this. They’re still in the ‘holy crap, magic’s real and you’re an alien’ honeymoon phase.”

“Very well, but this needs to happen soon.”

“I’ll go as fast as I can, but I’m still figuring this out myself and trying to keep all our heads from exploding.”

“I’m sure you’ll do your best.”

Pinkie’s room

Date: Oct 25th, time: 6:00 am

*Sunset’s perspective*

“Up and at ‘em Shimmer. We need ta get ta Sweet Apple Acres for practice.”

“Hm, five more minutes, Mom.”, Sunset groaned, pulling her pillow over her head to block out the light.

“Sunset Shimmer!”

Sunset bolted up in surprise, smacking her head on something on her way up.

“Agh, ma nose.”, AJ winced.

Sunset rubbed the top of her head as she registered the world around her and that what she’d hit her head on was AJ’s nose. “Sorry” Her eyes were squinted about as far as they could be without her fully closing her eyes. Pinkie’s room was painfully bright.

“Ugh, you’re stronger than ya look.”, she said as she continued to rub her nose. “Pinkie and her mom are loading her stuff up into their van. Some of us need ta pick up our stuff on our way ta Sweet Apple Acres, so start gettin’ ready.”

“Okay”, Sunset groggily said.

AJ, already fully dressed and groomed, headed around the group of freshly woken up teenagers, urging them to get a move on. Aside from AJ and Pinkie, Twilight was the only one of them that wasn’t doing the “teenager wake up” dance.

“Come on, girls. The sun’s been up for a while now. Why aren’t you already up?”, Twilight asked.

“We aren’t sociopaths.”, Fluttershy tiredly deadpanned, only confusing Twilight more.

“Sunset, what about you? You were a student of Princess Celestia too?”

“Yeah, but I’m also a thestral. I am not nor ever will be a morning anything.”, she said as she let her eyes adjust to the light.

“I thought thestrals only returned with Princess Luna.”

“A small group of us remained but went into hiding due to our ostracization. I’m a descendant of that group.”

“Oh”

The four slugs forced themselves awake and into their morning routines. Sunset went to her overnight bag and pulled out her change of clothes for the day, but her bracelet wasn’t where she expected it to be. “Hey, has anyone seen my bracelet? It’s red and black.”

“Worry about that later. We’re on a time limit.”, Rainbow said.

“No, it’s a medical alert bracelet. I need it for if I get injured, say in a car wreck.”

“Sigh, fine. Okay everyone! We’re looking for a red and black med bracelet!”

The six of them looked around the room, lifting up pillows, sleeping bags, and whatever else it could be hiding under.

“Found it!”, Rarity called out. “Ew, it’s kinda gross.”

Sunset hurried over to Rarity. “I’ve worn it everyday for almost three years. It’s gonna be kinda gross.”

“Fair, but what is Rh null blood? I couldn’t help but read it.”, Rarity said as she handed it back to Sunset.

Sunset took it back and began putting it on. “It’s my blood type, a blood type most hospitals don’t tend to just have on hand. It’s rare, and I have to donate blood to myself every month.”

“Oh”

“Yeah, speaking of which.” Sunset turned to Twilight, who was now holding Spike. “Hey, now that you can come here whenever you want, I would like to run some experiments with you.”

“I would too, but Princess Celestia said that we have to be careful with the balance of the worlds. I’m worried that hopping over too much might cause problems.”

“I think she was talking about metaphorical balance, not literal balance.”

“Chop chop, people, get a move on.”, Rainbow alerted.

“We’ll talk more later.”

They returned to getting reading, grabbed something quick to eat, and were hurrying out the door within a few minutes. They all piled into Pinkie’s family’s large van with her mom in the driver seat and the pink sugar ball in shotgun. The van comfortably held all eight of them and had room in the back for their instruments. I guess four kids necessitates a big car.

“Twilight, sit next to me. You’ll need some help.” Sunset sat her and Twilight where she’d be able to easily help her with her seatbelt and anything else that might come up in her first car ride. “This is called a seatbelt. If something goes wrong, it will help keep you safe.”

“How frequently do things go wrong?”

“Often enough that you need to put this on.”

Twilight let Sunset show her how to properly buckle up. “So, how does this thing work?”, she asked as Mrs. Pie started up the car. The first stop on the map was Fluttershy’s house, down the road.

“Well, a vehicle like this uses a type of refined fuel called petroleum. When Mrs. Pie turned that key, a small bit of it was aerosolized and a spark was generated. This caused a controlled explosion that pushed down some number of cylinders that make the engine work. The energy created from that is then used to spin the wheels and charge the battery.”, Sunset explained. “Through petals controlled by her feet, she can add more fuel, making it go faster.”

“Fascinating”

“I can teach you to read English, and you can read as much as you want on it.”

“Really? I would like that very much.”, Twilight said excitedly. During their conversation, Fluttershy had retrieved her tambourine, and they were on their way to Rarity’s house. When Mrs. Pie got them onto a main road and sped up, Twilight clutched her armrest and a slight look of panic crossed her face. “Um, how fast can these things go?”

“Tha speed limit on this road is thirty-five miles per hour.”, AJ said.

“That means absolutely nothing to me.”

Sunset thought for a moment. Trying to do conversions in her head when she knew the rates was hard enough, but she was trying to figure out the conversion. A trot is the average distance a pony can travel per trot. That’s something like a few inches. Let’s say five inches. “That’s about 443,520 trots an hour.”

Twilight promptly looked like she was going to have a heart attack and clutched her armrest tighter. “Why would anything need to go that fast?”

Sunset got an evil smile on her face. “Oh, that’s not even the top legal speed. There are roads where we can go even faster, like highways. We can go 950,400 trots on those. And cars can go even faster than that, just not legally. Most cars’ top speed is 1,520,640 trots, and that’s just road cars. Racing cars can go triple that speed easily.”

Twilight’s previously brown skin was now ghostly white, and even the other girls found the look of unbridled horror on her face amusing. She tried to form words, but all that came out were indecipherable noises.

“For reference, humans can run 88,704 trots per hour.”, Sunset said, hoping that would get Twilight working again.

“How long is a ‘trot’?”, Pinkie asked.

“My estimate is about five inches.”

“And how fast are ponies?”, Rainbow asked.

“An average of 60,000 to 90,000 trots, depending on tribe, athleticism, and heritage. Pegasi can fly a bit faster than that, 70,000 to 100,000 trots, but the real speed can be seen with the Wonderbolts.” Sunset placed her hand to her chest and got a proud look on her face. “My big sister can fly at 300,000 trots an hour and is faster than a steam locomotive.”

“That’s a lot slower than the fastest bird, if I got the conversion right.”, Fluttershy said.

“Hey, we’re talking about a one foot tall horse. I don’t see you flying that fast.”, she said indignantly.

“W-w-why?”, Twilight asked.

“Hm, say again?”

“W-why do humans need to go that fast?”

Sunset schooled her voice to sound as comforting as possible. “Well, we have a lot of distance to cover.” She stopped talking for a moment while Rarity hopped out of the car and ran into her house. “The US, the country we’re in, has a land area of 48,115,584,000 trots, and we need to cover that distance somehow. Many people travel this country for their work or to see family.”

“Oh, I guess that makes sense.” Her color was starting to return, but she still held onto her armrest for dear life. “What about the race cars? Why would anything need to go so fast?”

Rarity loaded her keytar into the back and jumped back in. They were now off to Rainbow’s.

“Just because.”

“Just because isn’t an answer, Sunset.”, Twilight said sternly.

“It is for humans. A lot of human innovation stems from people wanting to see what they can do, how fast they can go, and how far they can go, just for the sake of it. Of course, necessity has also led to great innovation, but those stories aren’t always as fun as ‘just because’ and ‘spite’ stories.”

“Spite?”

“Yeah, spite is an excellent motivator for us.”

They stopped outside Rainbow’s apartment complex, and she ran inside.

“‘Us’, you say that as if you’re human.”

“I am. I am both pony and human, just as I am both unicorn and thestral. I am many things.” That sounds good. A potential mate would understand that, right?

Rainbow rushed back out with her guitar, and they were finally on their way to Sweet Apple Acres.

CHS

Date: same day, time: 12:00 pm

*Sunset’s perspective*

“So, is your mom goin’ ta be taking us to the amphitheater?”, AJ asked Pinkie in a washout tone.

“Yeah, but let’s wait until the gym clears out to get our stuff.”

“That was… unpleasant.”, Twilight said.

The seven girls and Spike retreated to the library stacks to regroup in peace. “There are some desks and chairs over this way.”, Twilight said. She guided them over to two desks with four chairs each. They each took a seat and just sat in silence for a while.

“I’m sorry, Sunset. I shouldn’t have snapped at you like that.”, Rarity said.

“I’m sorry too. I wish I had come up with one of the plans you mentioned.”

“Ugh, I’m just glad my parents weren’t there. That would be way too embarrassing.”, Rainbow said.

“What do you mean?”, Pinkie asked.

“My parents have always been super supportive of me, to an embarrassing degree even. I don’t want them to see me fail. I want to show them how awesome I am.”

Oh crap, our parents! “Are your parents still coming to the finals?”, Sunset asked in a panic.

“Of course they’re coming. They always come.”

“Tell them not to. Text them right now and tell them not to come.”

“Sunset, what’s wrong?”, Fluttershy asked.

“The Dazzlings are what’s wrong.”

Realization dawned in each of the girls’ eyes, and they all pulled out their phones. Sunset followed suit and texted the family chat.

Don’t come to the musical showcase.

Why?
Sunset, what’s wrong.

Evil magic shit’s going down. I’ll explain more

when I get home tonight. Just don’t come.

Are you safe?

I’m fine. My magic is protecting me. I just don’t

know if yours will be enough to protect you.

Okay, we won’t come. But please contact us
as soon as whatever it is is defeated.

Will do

“Slight problem, my parents want to know why they shouldn’t come.”, Rarity said.

“Tell them it was canceled.”, Rainbow said.

“My sister is also in the show. They’ll know I’m lying.”

“Tell them… eh, tell them… Ahh, I got nothing.”, Pinkie said.

“Too bad tellin’ ‘em tha truth won’t work for ya.”

“I got my parents to not come.”, Rainbow said.

“How’d ya do that?”

“Told them that my psychic friend had a premonition that they’d be in danger if they came, so kinda the truth. Will it work on your folks?”

“I’m not sure. I haven’t really probed them on their belief in that sorta thing.”

“It might work for my parents.”, Fluttershy said. “They’re really superstitious.”

“What about your parents, Sunset?”, Twilight asked.

“Oh, magic’s old news to them. I just told them the truth and they said to call them after we defeat the BBEGs.”

“BBEGs?”

“Big bad evil guys”, Rainbow clarified.

The seven of them hurried down out of the stacks, but a crowd of angry students blocked the halls. The moment Rainbow opened the doors, the boos and jeers started and they even started throwing shit, and she had to close them.

“Drat, my parents didn’t buy it. They’re still coming.”, Rarity said.

“Then the only thing we can do to keep them safe is beat the Dazzlings!”, Pinkie cheered.

“Yeah, but how do we even get to the gym for our instruments?”, Rainbow asked.

Sunset looked around for any answers and spotted something promising in the glass dome. Maybe we can pull a classic. “Hey, I may have an idea. Follow me.” Sunset led them back up into the stacks and around the perimeter of the glass dome.

“What exactly is your plan? I don’t see a door up here.”, AJ said.

Sunset ignored her until she found the roof access panel. It was the only panel of the dome that could be opened to gain roof access. “You may not see a door, but I do.” She moved some books off the shelves to carve out a ladder and climbed it to get access to the glass. She pulled out her Swiss army knife and used the screwdriver to unscrew the bolts keeping the window closed.

“Ya know we’re not supposed ta have those.”

“Do you really think I, of all people, would care. I’m a reformed bully. Not a reformed rebel.” She finished with the bolts, placing her knife back in her pocket, and opened the panel. She hopped out and motioned for everyone to follow. One by one, the girls climbed up, and Sunset helped them onto the roof.

“Is there a step two to your plan?”, RD asked.

“I didn’t become a war general with half baked plans.” Sunset led them to the side of the building, the side with the doors to the gym. She pulled her shuko out and slipped them on.

“What are those?”

“Shuko, they’re climbing gear.”

“Why do you have climbing gear with you?”

“Because if you’re ever in a fight you can’t win, climb up a tree. Now, I can only carry one of you at a time. So, who wants to go first?”

The rest of the girls looked over the edge and back to Sunset. None of them looked too eager to volunteer.

“Do you want to save the school or not?”

With a mighty breath, Rarity stepped forward. “I’ll go. I’m not letting some glorified fish hurt my family.”

Sunset turned around and patted her shoulder. “Then hopped on.” Rarity did, and Sunset began climbing down the wall. She could feel her magic flow into her arms with the beat of her heart, making the climb almost effortless, even with the added wait. Oh, I like being a werewolf. She dropped Rarity off on the ground then climbed back up.

“Okay, what are you, some sorta ninja?”, Rainbow asked as Sunset climbed back onto the roof.

“Not “some sorta”, I am a ninja. My dad taught me.”

“No way.”

“Yes way. Now, who’s next?” One by one, Sunset got each of the girls down to the ground. RD, apparently excited by knowing a ninja, grinned the whole way down. AJ was a little baby the whole way down and nearly squeezed the air out of Sunset. Even Pinkie, who’s the heaviest of them, was easier to get down, and Fluttershy was less scared than AJ. Actually, she flat out wasn’t scared. “Are you not scared of heights?”

“No, I actually kinda like being high up. I find it comforting.”, Fluttershy answered. She also gave off some sort of energy, but Sunset was concentrating too much on climbing to analyze it.

“You’re going to need to run that by me more later.” The last one down was Twilight, and although nervous, didn’t hold onto Sunset like a vise-grip. “Everyone good?”

“Yeah, we’re good. Why didn’t you ever tell us you’re a ninja?”, RD asked.

“It never exactly came up in conversation, and it is supposed to stay a secret.”

“Talk ninja business later.”, AJ said. “Let’s get our instruments and get ta tha amphitheater.”

The seven of them rushed inside, ready to save the day.

Pinkie’s house

Date: same day, time: 8:00 pm

*Sunset’s perspective*

“How long ago did dese thin’s come ta Earth?”, Brigid asked over the phone.

“I’ll ask.” Sunset covered the receiver and turned to Twilight. “Hey, how and when did the sirens get to Earth?”

“Oh, a thousand years ago, Star Swirl the bearded sent them here thinking that there wasn’t any magic and that they couldn’t do any harm.”

“Well, that clearly wasn’t true.” Sunset turned back to her phone and relayed the information to Brigid. The seven girls followed Pinkie up to her room, and the rest of the girls got their PJs on while Sunset regaled her mother with the day’s events.

“Wha’ did ya do with da gem pieces?”

“The sirens gathered most a’ ‘em up when they scrammed, but they did leave some of da smaller pieces behind. I swept ‘em up n’ got ‘em in a baggie.”

“Do ya think dey could be responsible f’r da magic loss?”

“That is a possibility, or it could just be correlation not causation. More research will be needed.”

“I’ll head ta da college library tamarrah. Ah know sirens used ta be depicted as bird-like creatures with human faces but are now thought a’ as mermaid-like creatures, like da sirens ya fought. Ah’ll see wha’ da mythology department has on ‘em.”

“I’d like ta come with ya when ya do.”

“Alright, Ah’ll pick ya up tamarrah. Love ya.”

“Love ya too.” Sunset hung up the phone and joined her friends on the floor.

“What was that all about?”, Rainbow asked.

“My mom’s been researching instances where Equoesain creatures might’ve crossed over to Earth and other such supernatural events since we found a mummified cockatrice.”

“You found a cockatrice?”, Twilight asked.

“What’s a cockatrice?”, Fluttershy asked.

“A very dangerous creature native to Equestria.”, Sunset answered.

“I’ve also found reports of humans ending up in Equestria.”, Twilight said.

“Well, it sounds like this is going to be a joint research project.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, you guys can do that later. This is a sleepover.”, Rainbow interjected.

“She is right.”, Twilight said.

“Of course, I’m right. Sunset, get your PJs on, and let’s start sleepovering.”

Sunset nodded and grabbed her PJs and left for the bathroom to change into them as Fluttershy mumbled about how ‘sleepovering isn’t a word’. As she pulled her pajama top over her head, her right arm began to feel itchy and like it was near a flame. Once she got her shirt on, Sunset pulled her sleeve back to examine the irritated area. It was the spot where her doll rash once was, the rash she got from reaching into that evil aura created by that Anni Bell doll all those years ago. It was back, same shape, same size, same everything. “Weird” She turned on the sink and ran the irritated area under the water. Faint, golden wisps of light danced over the area, and the rash faded from existence once again, taking the irritating sensations with it. Sunset’s eyes widened at the sight. “Was that faoladh magic?”

“Something’s coming.”

Sunset spun around and frantically looked around the bathroom. “Who’s there?” The hairs on her body stood on end. She felt like she was being watched, but there was no one else there, but her gut was telling her there was, and there’s that voice. Okay, if there was someone else here, there are eleven other people in the house that can hear me scream.

Sunset turned back around and turned off the water. She dried off and took a moment to compose herself before grabbing her clothes and heading back to Pinkie’s room.

“I don’t get why it’s such an issue. There’s nothing wrong with your bodies.”, Twilight was saying as Sunset walked back in.

“What’s going on?”, Sunset asked as she sat down. She noticed Pinkie giving her an odd look. Can she sense something’s wrong, is my act slipping, or is she just being Pinkie?

“We’re trying to explain to Twilight why we wear clothes, but she’s not getting it.”, Rarity explained.

“I get why you wear clothes. I just don’t get why it’s socially unacceptable to not wear clothes.”

“Let me put it like this, one a’ us walkin’ around without any clothes on would be like somepony walking around without their fur.”

Twilight’s face twisted into one of disgust. “That would be obscene.”

“Ayuh”

“Onto other topics,” Pinkie interjected, “I’ve been dying to know, why did you steal the crown?”

“I think she made her intentions pretty clear that night.”, Twilight said confusedly.

“No, not really. I’d imagine that this will be hard for you to understand as this is a very human thing, but I’ll try my best. We have these things called intrusive thoughts and dark fantasies. Humans have a natural fascination with the darker side of the universe. What if I did this? What if this happened? Mine was, “What if I conquered Equestria?”. Intrusive thoughts are a bit more complicated, but the basics are that they’re our dark sides showing themselves. That’s what the school counselor and I believe happened that night. Fueled by the magic, my mental turmoil fed off my dark fantasies and intrusive thoughts in order to turn them into reality. None of that was what I really wanted.”

“Okay, I’m not entirely sure I understand.”

“My shrink says our dark sides exist to act as our weapons against people or things that wish to hurt us,” Rainbow said, “but if we lose control over these weapons, it can cause us and those around us great harm.”

“I still don’t entirely get it, but I think I understand enough. Demon you wasn’t actually you but a human ability you lost control over.”

“Close enough”, Sunset said.

“You also mentioned something about “what happens when an Element of Harmony is brought into another world”. What was that about?”

“You really don’t know about the time Grandal the griffin stole the Element of Kindness?”, Sunset asked with a raised eyebrow.

“I do not.”

“Okay, well, long story short, Grandal tried to steal the Elements of Harmony but only got the Element of Kindness and took it through a portal to an unknown world and used it to fight against Celestia when she went after him to get it back. Bringing any magical item through such a portal messes with its attunement, opening it up to being used by another, and specifically with the Elements of Harmony, their attunement prerequisites are directly tied to Equestrian society. Bringing them so far away from Equestria weakens their connection to it enough so that anyone could use them. That’s why he was able to use it, but it wasn’t enough to beat Celestia… To put it in Earth terms, I unplugged the security system.”

“So, why did you steal the crown?”, Pinkie asked impatiently.

Well, I had to tell them eventually. The mere thought of the topic threatened to make Sunset cry. She closed her eyes and began to take deep breaths to calm herself. It was only when she felt calm enough did she open her eyes to answer. “I stole the crown to save my little sister.” All the girls gave Sunset worried looks, so she continued. “Three years ago, my sister was diagnosed with leukemia,” realizing Twilight might not know what that is, she clarified, “a deadly disease. Two and a half years ago, I stole a relic called the Goldhoof Stone in an attempt to cure her. It didn’t work. I’m not entirely sure why it didn’t work, but I theorized that the raw magic of the Element of Magic wouldn’t be rejected, or whatever happened, and that did turn out to be correct. That’s why I stole it.”

“Sunset, you could’ve just told us what was going on. Celestia and I would’ve done everything in our power to help.”, Twilight said.

“I realize that now, but back then, I was too sick to even think of that. I kick myself everyday for it. My own failings put my own sister’s life in danger.” Sunset had considered telling her the whole truth but decided against it. She didn’t deserve to have her world destroyed like hers was. She might learn the truth one day, but it wouldn’t be from Sunset.

“Mental illness isn’t a failin’, Sunset.”, AJ said.

“Yeah, that’s something else the counselor and I are working on. I have a long road ahead of me.”

“How’s your sister now?”, Fluttershy asked.

“Better, she has the energy she needs to continue fighting. The doctors are hoping that we can do a bone marrow transplant later this year or early next year.”

“Do you have a doner?”

Sunset pointed up to herself.

“Aw, that’s sweet.”

“Earth has organ transplants too?”, Twilight asked.

“Equestria developed organ transplants? That’s impressive.”, Sunset said.

“How does Earth do it without magic?”

“Well…” Sunset explained the whole transplant process. She probably did it in too much detail as, by the time she was done, Twilight looked sick. “Too much detail?”

Twilight weakly nodded. “You thestrals really are blood fiends.”

“Yes, yes we are.”, Sunset said with a fox-like smile that showed off her fangs.

“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”

“You make it too easy.”

Twilight rolled her eyes and turned back to the other girls. Sunset laid on her side and watched the rest of the girls interact. Fluttershy and Rainbow were leaning against each other, giving each other lovey-dovey eyes, and the other four were equally talking amongst themselves.

“So…”, Fluttershy said.

“‘So’ what?”, Rainbow asked.

“You let us play one of my songs tonight, but that doesn’t fully make up for your behavior this last month.”

“Oh, right. I’m sorry. I was being an egotistical idiot.”

“Yeah, you were.” Fluttershy snuggled up to Rainbow.

This is nice.

“Hey, Sunset.”, Rainbow said.

“Hm, what?”

“Can you teach me ta be a ninja?”

Okay, here we go. “Learning ta be a ninja ain’t easy, and it takes a lot of dedication.”

“Hey, I’m the captain of most of the sports teams at CHS. I got the dedication.”

That is true, and she does likely already have a couple principles down. “Okay, but all ninja knowledge, and even the knowledge we are ninjas, needs ta stay between those in this room. Being a ninja gets a lot harder when people know about you.”

“Got it.”, RD said with a salute.

Let’s just hope nobody believes her.

RaR ch4 post-Rainbow Rocks

View Online

Twilight’s lab, CPA

Date: Oct 25th time: 7:00 pm

*Twilight’s perspective*

The repaired electro-spectrograph sat in its usual spot as it collected its usual readings, but that wasn’t what Twilight was interested in. The other electro-spectrograph was still set to its altered settings. With the information she got from it, she was able to narrow down the source of that energy to the Black Forest neighborhood. That neighborhood only had houses, a few shops, an amphitheater, and Canterlot High School. It also boarded the Everfree Forest, which is how it got its name. It wasn’t too far from her own house. The device was focused on that neighborhood. If whatever that was happened again, she’d be able to tell where exactly it came from.

Her suspicions were that it came from the school. Who wouldn’t have their lab in their school? They had to be doing something interesting there. Based on that suspicion, she’d been doing research on the place. She could connect strange events spanning hundreds of years to the area. She’d known that the Everfree and the towns it surrounded were considered one of the most haunted places in America, but that place seemed to be the source of almost a fourth of the stories. The only places seemingly more haunted were the Hurricane Lighthouse and the forest itself. Those stories were bogus, of course, but interesting nonetheless.

The second electro-spectrograph went off and spat out what it recorded, but the location wasn’t the school; it was the amphitheater. That’s… weird. Twilight opened up her laptop and looked up who had reserved the theater. Canterlot High School, what were they doing there?

Twilight brought the read out over to her pin board. “There’s no doubt about it, Spike. Something’s going on at that school.” That only left the question of how to further investigate. She needed to get a closer look, but she also needed the electro-spectrograph. That thing wasn’t exactly portable. Unless I can make it portable. “What do you think, Spike? You got theories?”

As expected, Spike’s only response was a head tilt.

“I wish you could talk. I’d bet you’d make better conversation than my classmates.” Twilight picked Spike up and got on with her work.

Some dump heap

Date: same day, time: 7:00 pm

*fragment of apathy’s perspective*

It felt another wave of energy. It was the same kind of power as before, still weak, but it would take whatever it could get. It absorbed as much as it could before it dissipated. It still wasn’t enough for it to do anything, but it was a start. More power. Need more power.

Forests of Maine

Date: same day, time: 7:00 pm

*Kehinde’s perspective*

Over the past couple of weeks Kehinde had been in the US, she’d found the forests to be a suitable place to hide during the night. Though, her amber fur proved to be no help in camouflage. It wasn’t the most egregious of color contrasts, especially during the night, but humans can pick her out amongst the green. Mother and her grandmothers used to tell her stories about the humans’ wondrous vision. With the right weaponry, humans’ vision turned them from simple prey to the most dangerous creatures to ever walk. They could spot a werehyena from kilometers away and kill them before they ever got into range of the werehyena’s claws. That’s why the very idea of attacking live humans was beaten out of pups before they could even get it as one can never know if a human has one of their weapons. As it currently stood, she was staying away from any sign of humans as she wandered around the woods.

She still hasn’t found any sign of that magic. For the past couple of weeks, she’d been walking through the woods and town to town with no clear plan for finding the magic. She has amassed a sizable stash of valuables and clothes in the meantime though. So, at least she had supplies.

Kehinde reared up onto her hind legs as she felt a wave of energy hit her. It was magic, and now, she had some idea of where to go. She sprinted off, making a beeline for wherever it came from.

Swan Song Beauty Salon, Manhattan

Date: same day, time: 7:25 pm

*Maddy’s perspective*

“About ready to go home?”, Petunia asked. She had already changed out of her uniform and was dressed in her street clothes again with her purse over her shoulder.

“Almost, I still have a bit of cleanup to do.”, Maddy answered.

Petunia leaned against the counter, out of the way of Maddy’s cleaning. “So, what are ya doin’ after work?”

“I have a date.”

“Oooh, what’s his name?”

“Feather Bangs”

“Feather Bangs? Really?”, Petunia said with a raised eyebrow.

“Oh, shut it. He’s pretty.” Maddy pulled out her phone and pulled up his picture to show her.

“Oh, he is pretty, but his parents did him no favors with that name.”

“Heheh” Maddy went to put her phone away but, as she did so, noticed her necklace was glowing again.

“Whoa, that’s weird.”, Petunia said in mild alarm.

“Yeah, I know.” The weird glow disappeared as quickly as the first time. “This is the second time it’s done this, and I don’t know why.”

“Where did you get it?”

“It’s a family heirloom. My mom gave it to me.”

“Your dead mom. So, you have no one to ask about it.”

“No. My mom told me it’s been passed down from mother to daughter for so long that nobody remembers where it came from.”

“Wow, that’s impressive. Maybe I can do some research on it. Where’s yer family from?”

“France”

“Okay, I’ll see what I can find.”

“Thank you” Maddy finished her cleaning then headed to the backroom to change. This was really starting to worry her now. She couldn’t come up with a reasonable explanation for that, and with it happening twice, it would surely happen again. She needed answers.

Middle of nowhere, Beikoku

Date: same day, time: 7:45 pm

*Lee’s perspective*

Lee walked along a desolate road in the middle of something called a “desert”. He had no idea what this hot, dry, sandy place had to do with those sugary treats humans eat after dinner. In the last couple of weeks, he’d stolen a new bag, more folded leather currency holders, a lot of water bottles, and some nonperishable foods. Hunting for food was possible, but the bears were terrifying. They were way bigger than the bears back home and brown instead of black. At least they didn’t seem interested in him, either in human or fox form.

He felt the magic energy wave wash over him. Now, he knew for sure he was going in the right direction. He’d managed to absorb some of the magic and used it to continue marching. He had a lot of this desert to cross and a limited supply of food and water. He wasn’t sure how to hunt in a place like this. There was no telling what was safe to eat or what could hurt him.

He heard one of those “cars” pull up behind him and stop. “Hey man, ya need a ride?”, the occupant asked. Lee looked at him. He had the same skin as Chuck but was also much skinnier. He also stunk. Lee couldn’t place the smell, but it wasn’t body odor. This human wasn’t likely a threat.

“Sure”

“Where are ya heading?” There was a click sound, and Lee took that as an invitation to climb in.

“In that direction.”, Lee said as he sat down.

“Vague but okay. Jus’ gotta put your seatbelt on.”

“My what?”

The human tugged at the strap that sat across his chest. “This thing. It’s for safety.”

Lee looked around and found his “seatbelt” thing. He examined how the human had his and mimicked it. The human nodded then made the “car” move again.

Pinkie’s house

Date: Oct 26th, time: 7:00 am

*Sunset’s perspective*

The clamoring of six pairs of feet stirred Sunset from her sleep. She was previously envious of this whole “sleepover” thing, but getting woken up two days in a row was making her rethink her stance. She crawled out of her sleeping bag and began her morning routine, like the rest of the girls. How four girls were able to share a single bathroom baffled her. She and Spitfire had regular squabbles regarding their shared bathroom, and it was just the two of them. Each of them took turns cleaning themselves before getting dressed and heading downstairs. Pinkie Pie’s mom was cooking breakfast, and all the girls, including Pinkie’s sisters, took their seats and waited for their food.

“Hey, Pinkie, where’s your dad?”, Sunset asked.

“He’s taking care of my grandpa’s grave. He was very smart and always questioned everything, especially what the church said. So when he died, the church declared him a heretic, and they refused to take care of his grave. My dad and his brothers go over there every few months to mow and clean the grave and seed bomb the rest of the graveyard.”

“I had no idea Pies could be so petty.”

“Yeah, we can be.”, Pinkie said with a smile then her face shifted and she gave Sunset a weird look as Mrs. Pie placed a couple large stacks of pancakes on the table. “I’m guessing this sorta stuff isn’t new to you?”

Sunset shook her head. “Let’s just say the graveyard where my grandfather and others like him are buried has a lot more security than a normal military graveyard.”

“Your thestral grandfather?”, RD asked.

“Thestral?”, Limestone asked.

“Long story, has nothing to do with Heritage Poltimer.”, Sunset said.

“Well, I’m glad to hear the government is doing something.”, Rarity said.

“Luckily, graveyard management is handled by the crown itself, and at least they understand it’s important to not piss off the military caste.”

The rest of the Pies looked confused, and Twilight looked uncomfortable, as everyone took their shares from the stacks and began digging in.

“So, what now?”, AJ asked. “In tha span of a couple months, we’ve fought off two supernatural attacks and gained magic of our own. What does this mean for us goin’ forward?”

“That depends on a few factors, but the main one is whether or not you’re generating magic.”, Sunset said.

“What do you mean?”, Fluttershy asked. Everyone around the table were looking at Sunset with interest, even Twilight.

“Humans seem to be particularly good at storing other creatures’ magic. To put it in simpler terms, we can all either be batteries or generators. A battery can store magic, but once the magic’s used up, it can’t fill itself back up.”

“So, you’re saying that this might just be a holdover and we’ll run out of magic eventually.”, Rarity said.

“That’s one possibility. The second possibility is that you can now generate magic, and even if we run out, we’ll be able to recover it with some food and rest. If we are just batteries, we’ll just run out one day, or the magic will die with us. If we are generators, that would mean permanent changes have been done to our bodies and we might pass those changes, mutations, down to our children. We’ll be… a new breed of human.”

Everyone sat in silence for several seconds as they processed the information. Given Mom’s reaction to learning she wasn’t human, they seem to be taking this remarkably well.

“I can still feel my wings tucked into my back. I think these changes are permanent.”, RD said.

Sunset nodded her head. “That does definitely lean the evidence towards the latter, but I’m still not one hundred percent sure. I’m going to see if I can run some tests, but that will take time.”

Twilight’s quizzical look faltered and sadness crept onto her face. “I’m sorry, girls. If I knew this could happen, I never would’ve let the magic bond to you.”

“None of us have determined if this is a good or a bad thing yet. You have nothing to apologize for, darling.”, Rarity said. “If it does turn out to be a bad thing, then you can start apologizing.”

“Yeah, this is weird, but it’s not like you turned us into horrid abominations.”, Pinkie said. “We’ll adapt. That’s what humans do best.”

“To be honest, Ah like the strength increase. Makes ma work much either.”, AJ said.

“I second that. Having wings is cool.”, RD said.

Already having weird powers must make this easier for them.

“I… Thank you.”, Twilight said. The seven of them finished their breakfast, Sunset grabbed her bag, and the Earth residents escorted Twilight to the portal. After some goodbye pleasantries, Twilight passed back through the portal, leaving the six Earthlings.

Sunset watched the surface of the portal settle back into its solid visage. She now had the ability to travel between the world as she wished, and so did anyone else. Celestia could send the guard through without any fear that they would be trapped on this side. There would still be a lot of issues relating to them effectively operating on this side, but she now had the option. The big question was, would she do it. Sunset was effectively banished, but she still had all her sensitive knowledge and was supposed to be locked up. Hopefully, Celestia didn’t think she was a big enough threat to warrant such actions, or Twilight’s able to convince her as such. In all likelihood, she shouldn’t be expecting guards to come a-knocking. However, the rest of the Rainbooms were now also at risk, and it was something none of them had any control over. Her pack was in danger… and the faoladh was starting to talk and get mad.

“Girls”, Sunset said in a serious tone that grabbed all their attention immediately. They all turned to look at her with worried and slightly alarmed looks on their faces. “I don’t want to scare you, but for all of our safety, you need to know this. This especially applies to us, Rainbow.”

“What’s going on?”, Rainbow asked in a fearful tone.

“In Equestria, certain magics are illegal to practice, and some of our psychic abilities resemble these magics. Specifically, our spirit related abilities resemble soul magic. I don’t believe that Twilight would rat us out, at least not intentionally, but I don’t want to take any chances. I’m already on thin ice with Equestrian law, and those order priests can be quite the zealots. The last thing I want is for any of us to be captured and have our powers sealed away. What that does to ponies is already… unpleasant. There’s no telling what it would do to a human mind.”

That seemed to effectively get her point across as many of them looked terrified and a couple were mouthing ‘what the fuck?’. “You’re saying a bunch a’ crazy old guys want to do something to me because of something I was born with?” RD rolled her eyes. “Typical”

“What do you want us to do, lie to her?”, AJ asked. She was upset, but Sunset couldn’t tell what exactly at.

“Just… don’t bring it up. It’s not like we’re shouting about these powers from the rooftops, so just keep it like that. Twilight’s young and likely doesn’t fully understand what kind of danger we would be in over there. If those zealots learned how common it is for humans to have these abilities, I have no doubts they would attempt to cross over and “cleanse” our entire species. Given that, it’s better to keep that knowledge on this side of the portal. If we have to tell her, it’d be best for me ta do it.”

The other girls all looked at each other, trying to make sense of it all. Fear, confusion, anger, and many other emotions swirled within them. Another power Sunset could get sealed for.

“Okay, we’ll keep this quiet.”, Fluttershy said. Sunset nodded her acknowledgement.

“Did ya have ta hide yer abilities over there?”, AJ asked.

Sunset shook her head. “No, I only developed them after I came to Earth. I gotta get home. My mom’s waiting for me.”

The girls exchanged waves as Sunset began the walk home. Once she got home, she dropped her bag off in her room, exchanging it for her backpack, before heading upstairs to find her mother. She found her in her office, reading a book.

“Hey, Mom, I’m ready to go.”

Brigid looked up and smiled. “Okay, let’s go.” She grabbed her bag, and they headed out. They hopped into the car, and Brigid began driving in the direction of the College. “So, did ya enjoy yerself?”

“I’m starting ta think sleepovers are overrated. I don’t like bein’ woken up on the weekends.”

“Give it anothe’ try. Ya might change yer mind when havin’ ta save da world isn’t in da equation.”

“Fine, for the sake of empirical data, I’ll try again.”

“Atta girl. Now, wha’ did da sirens look like?”

“Untransformed, they look like humans, but once they had enough emotional energy, they were able to take a form similar to our hybrid forms but with semi-translucent wings. I suspect that form was influenced by the magic they absorbed from us. On a similar note, given Star Swirl had so little knowledge about Earth that he couldn’t recognize its magic, I have my doubts he knew the sirens would need to take on Earthling forms in order to survive. I have no way to prove this, but I suspect they’re shapeshifters that could take on the needed form on their own with enough magic. It would also explain the shift in sirens’ depiction in art that you’ve mentioned. Their original forms are that of corrupted mermares.”

“Of course pony mermaids exist. Yer hypothesis does make sense. Any idea as to where dey are now?”

“No clue, but they don’t have their magic pendants anymore. They seem to have been their only connection to Equestrian magic, and now, they can’t use their powers; they tried.”

Brigid nodded and seemed to be contemplating. The remaining ride to the college was short, and they headed to the mythology department. The college was closed on the weekends, but the mythology department’s in the same building as anthropology, so Brigid could get in whenever she wanted. Brigid led Sunset to a library looking room. It was filled with many shelves of books. They went inside, and Brigid took Sunset over to a specific section. The shelves all had plaques, and these ones read ‘History & Mythology’.

“Dese books are organized by century. Start at one thousand AD.”

Sunset nodded, and they got to reading. A book called Evolution of Monsters: Europe proved to be the most helpful. It contained hypotheses as to the origins of many monster stories and how those stories changed and evolved with retellings and societal changes, werewolves went from being male only to both male and female; the vampires people know today started off as loosely similar folktales before being solidified by books like Dracula and movies like Nosferatu, the latter of which is responsible for vampires being destroyed by sunlight, and many more. As explained by the book, 1,000 years ago, sirens looked as they were depicted in Homer's Odyssey and had both male and female members, but during the 1200s, they began being depicted as either a human/bird hybrid, human/fish hybrid, or human/bird/fish hybrid. By the time of the late 1300s, the idea of a siren was standardized as a fish-tailed female-only-species with a hypnotic voice, and the words ‘siren’ and ‘mermaid’ became interchangeable.

“If dey're da cause a’ da change, dey'd have ta be shapeshifte's.”

“I’ll see what tests I can run on the gem shards.”

Brigid nodded, then grabbed a few of the books she was reading, which included the rest of the Evolution of Monsters books, North America; South America; Africa; Northern, Southeastern, and Western Asia; and Australia and the Pacific Islands. “Let’s get goin’ den.”

Sunset stashed the Evolution of Monsters: Europe book in her backpack and followed Brigid out. As they headed back to the car, she looked out over the campus. In all likelihood, a place like this would be what’s next for her. Maybe Twilight could put in a good word for her, but the chances of her being able to return to Equestria weren’t good. She’d likely live out her days on Earth. And that doesn’t seem like such a bad thing. I can resume my studies with those girls. I just need to build the proper equipment.

Pinkie’s house

Date: same day, time: 9:00 am

*Rarity’s perspective*

The five remaining girls, minus Pinkie, packed up their bags. Fluttershy walked home, and one by one, the rest of them were picked up. When Rarity was picked up, her parents looked no worse for wear considering what they went through last night, but something about them seemed off. “Hey, are you okay?”, Rarity asked.

“Oh, we’re fine.”, Mom said. She’s lying.

“Really? Because I saw a battle between ethereal horse creatures in the sky, and that was the least weird part of the night.”

Mom and Dad looked uncomfortable, but they didn’t say anything.

“This is what I was talking about. Everything you saw and experienced was real. Magic is real, and my friends and I all have it. There are also other magical creatures that mean humans harm.”

They were quiet for a moment before Dad spoke. “You have a creative imagination, Rarity.”

Rarity glared at her father in the mirror. “I’m not making this up. You were both there. Didn’t you see any of it?”, she asked indignantly.

“Probably just laser effects. Rarity, magic’s not real.”

“Are you… you know what, fine, don’t believe me.”, Rarity said as she crossed her arms. “It doesn’t change what happened.”

The rest of the ride was spent in silence, and Rarity kept her arms crossed the whole time.

Halls of CHS

Date: Oct 27th, time: 3:00 pm

*Sunset’s perspective*

The Rainbooms, now including Sunset, walked down the halls, frequently looking at each other to gauge the others' reactions and receiving weird looks from the other students. The moment after the final bell rang, they’d each been ingloriously summoned to the principal’s office. The reason for their summoning was no mystery to them. They’ve discussed what they’d do when this time came, during lunch that day. Sunset, being the most knowledgeable, would do most of the talking and be the ringleader of their circus. However the conversation unfolded, it was going to be interesting.

The six of them reached Celestia’s door and went inside. Celestia and Luna were waiting for them the same way they waited for Sunset and her family after the Fall Formal. There were six chairs waiting for them, and they all sat down.

“Hello, girls.”, Celestia said in a disarming tone. “Do you know why we’ve called you in here?”

“We do.”, Sunset said. “This is something we’ve been talking about amongst ourselves about. In the span of two months, this school has experienced two large scale magical events, and you want explanations.”

Celestia nodded. “You might want to start with yourself. There’s something different about you, something alien. I sensed that same feeling from Twilight.”

She’s not reacting to this like someone that’s a complete stranger to the situation. Sunset examined Celestia and the way she looked at them. Her eyes looked like they were looking straight through them all, similar yet different to Princess Celestia. The princess developed her ability to read creatures over hundreds of years of politicking. This Celestia looked at them as if it was an innate ability of hers. Where the princess would examine a creature’s whole body and face for subconscious movements or signals, this Celestia stared straight into their eyes and got the same information. It was intimidating. There was also a great but controlled darkness behind her eyes, a powerful weapon.

“Let me start off by asking a question of my own. Do you know who built the statue in the courtyard, specifically the base?”

Celestia turned around to look out her window, which gave her a clear view of said statue. She turned back to them and shook her head. “Unfortunately, I do not. Neither did the acting principal during my time at this school nor did my predecessor. I’ve sensed there was something unusual about it for a long time, but I could never get any answers other than it had survived the Great Fire.”

At least that gives me a latest point for its construction. “Well, it couldn’t have existed before the settlers came.”, Sunset joked. Celestia cracked a smile, and Sunset continued. “You earlier said that you sensed something alien about me and Twilight. Well, you were right on the nail with that one, and that statue houses a portal that allowed Twilight and me to come to Earth.”

“You’re an alien?”, Luna asked. She kept her stoic tone, but she couldn’t completely hide her shock.

“Yes, but things get a lot stranger from here. The two worlds are linked in a way I don’t fully understand. As a result, everyone, or maybe only some people, have doppelgangers in the opposite world. The biggest give away as to who is whose doppelganger is their symbols. No matter the differences between the doubles, their symbols are always the exact same, unless their doppelgangers are of a species that don’t have symbols. In that case, their human counterparts’ symbols are all their own.”

“Interesting”, Celestia said in a scientific tone. “So, you’re not human. Is this what you always looked like or is this a disguise?”

“I consider myself human. It’s not a disguise, but it also isn’t my original form. Equoes, my home planet, has an atmosphere of almost fifty percent oxygen. The portal transforms those that go through it into their doppelgangers in order to prevent them from suffering slow, painful deaths.”

Celestia was doing that thing Brigid does when she’s processing new information. Despite all she said, neither sister seemed too put off. Sunset examined Luna. She observed them with interest but not the same, scientific interest her sister did. She knew so little about her or her counterpart, and Luna kept her aura wrapped tight, difficult to read. She almost seemed invisible. She also had the same controlled darkness behind her eyes.

“Why did you come here?”, Luna asked bluntly. Celestia gave her the side-eye, but she didn’t care.

“That… I got into an altercation with the other Celestia, and I jumped through the portal to escape. The portal, up until recently, was only open for three days every two and a half years, and I jumped through during the tail end of that period and, thus, became trapped. Since then, I’ve formed emotional attachments that keep me from returning.”

“And you stole the crown.”, Pinkie chimed in.

Sunset’s neutral expression turned to more of a “bulldog face”, best she could describe it.

“Ah yes, the crown, I believe that’s our next topic of discussion.”, Celestia said. “You’ve previously said that it was never meant to enter the school.”

Sunset returned to a neutral expression and continued. “Correct, and why I stole it is irrelevant to this conversation and deeply personal. I will not be stating it here. The crown belongs to Twilight and is our home country’s most powerful weapon. Not much else to explain.”

“Except why it looked exactly like the original Fall Formal crown and what happened to it.”, Luna said.

“Right, remember how I said the worlds are linked? That’s why the two items looked identical. As for what happened to the original… I stole it to use as a decoy. It could either be in an evidence locker or trash can by now. Sorry”

“I spent three hours making that thing.”, Luna said through gritted teeth and with a scowl.

“And you did a very good job, sister, but we should move on.”, Celestia said.

“I’m guessing you want to hear about our magic and the Dazzlings.” Celestia nodded. Sunset pulled out the Evolution of Monsters: Europe book, which now sported several page markers, and opened it up. “The sirens are also native to Equoes, but they’ve been here longer, much longer.”

The girls all got up to look at the book, and they, Celestia, and Luna began reading it. Looks of surprise and awe colored their faces. “They really affected us that much?”, AJ asked.

“Yes, and they may not have been the only ones. The other pages marked with blue stickers are other creatures that resemble Equoesian life. My mom has the seven other books from this series that also have instances of Equoesian life.”

“What do the red, yellow, and green stickers indicate?”, Luna asked.

“Magic and magical creatures aren’t unique to Equoes, and I believe everyone in this room wouldn’t be too surprised if I said that Earth has its own, native magic. You can guess what the colors mean.”

Celestia and Luna looked between each other as the rest of the Rainbooms looked amongst themselves. Celestia closed the book and handed it back, and the rest of the girls retook their seats.

“You defeated them, but do you believe they are still a threat?”, Celestia asked.

“They had three amulets that seemed to serve as their only connection to their magic. We destroyed them, but they got away with most of the pieces. They aren’t currently a threat, but I can’t say whether or not they’ll become threats again in the future. On that note, may I have access to one of the unused labs in the basement? I might be able to conduct some tests on us and the amulet shards in my possession and give you a more satisfactory report on our magic and the future of the Dazzlings.”

Celestia opened up a drawer and pulled out a ring of keys. She took one off and handed it to Sunset. The key had some tape with ‘B12’ written on it taped to the head. “You may use the space as you need so long as you keep it clean and undamaged.”

Sunset put the key on her own keyring and nodded. “Understood”

“This only leaves the question as to what we’re going to say to the rest of the student body at tomorrow’s assembly.”

“They’re definitely going to want answers, but we’ll also need to properly portray the importance of keeping everything under wraps.”, Rarity said.

Sunset nodded. “I’ll create a speech to explain everything they need to know.”

“Are you sure you can do this?”, Luna asked.

“Let me put it this way. Before coming here, I was known as First Star General Sunset Shimmer of the Ground Guard Magical Warfare Division. I’ve done this sort of thing a lot. And, before you ask, my counterpart is fifteen, but I’m thirty and was given an expedited promotion because of my schooling and political ties.”

“Oh”, both sisters said.

“I should be heading home. I only have a few hours to write that speech.”

Celestia nodded, and the girls left. Not many students were in the halls, but Sunset delighted in the fact that none of them were glaring at her. They still looked at her warily and unassuredly as they avoided the group as a whole. She was just happy they weren’t being hostile. She had her “pack”, as her new faoladh brain is calling it. The change’s similar to when her brain was changing from pony to human but far less jarring. Even with her thestral nature, she still needed to consciously choose to fight when she was a pony. When she started truly becoming human, ‘fight’ became her default choice. How much her changing feelings towards the girls is due to her improved mental state or the faoladh magic is hard to say. Whichever it is, she’s going with it. It felt nice to have people to protect, and she could even say she was starting to love them.

As they headed outside, they had to split up with AJ, RD, and Rarity catching the bus and Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Sunset walking home. As the three walked past the middle school, they encountered Snips and Snails. The two boys froze at the sight of them. Sunset wasn’t surprised by this given the last time she’d seen them, but what did surprise her is that she wasn’t the only one they were afraid of. Some of their fear was directed towards Pinkie Pie, of all people.

The boys weren’t moving and were blocking the sidewalk, so Sunset decided to pull a little on her old self. “Ya got a problem? Scram!” The boys ran off in the other direction, and Sunset looked at Pinkie with a confused look as they continued walking. “What did you do to make them so scared of you?”

“After you left them in the gym to go after Twilight, I beat them up with my streamers.”, Pinkie said cheerfully.

She’d be a terrifying horror story villain. “That explains the state I found them in.”

“You beat them up with streamers?”, Fluttershy asked.

“Yeah, I used them like ropes.” Pinkie began doing hand gestures that Sunset guessed were meant to simulate rope movements.

“You used flimsy pieces of paper as rope?”

“Yeah, it takes a lot of practice though.”

They reached Fluttershy’s then Pinkie’s house, leaving Sunset to walk the remaining ten minutes on her own. She used that time to start formulating her speech. She would likely reference the area’s weird history. She would most definitely be bombarded with questions if she told people she was an alien. Maybe she could describe Equoes as a realm, lean away from the sci-fi and more into the fantasy of the whole mess. Maybe I could even use it to clear up my image. However she does it, it’s going to be an interesting day.

Celestia’s office

Date: same day, time: 3:30 pm

*Luna’s perspective*

The six girls left the room, leaving the sisters to evaluate the situation. Luna moved in front of Celestia’s desk to face her sister. Said sister had her hands clasped in front of her face and was making the face she does when evaluating or examining something or someone, likely mentally looking over everything that was just said. That face was enough to intimidate many a student and parent. Even five of the girls were looking uneasy as Celestia examined them, but Sunset remained unfazed the entire time. There was certainly something interesting about her. However…

“How much of that do you believe was true?”

Celestia leaned back in her chair and looked up at her sister but not in her eyes. “I believe she’s being honest but is holding back information.”

“Why she stole the crown and her “altercation” with the other you.”

“Yes, the latter of which, I find concerning. When we met with her and her family, I sensed a lot of shame and regret, and she had trouble looking at me but wasn’t by any means afraid of me. I do not believe my counterpart was the aggressor.”

“Wanna hear my guess?”

“Of course, Luna.”

“I suspect her criminal tendencies started while she was still in her home country, and your counterpart attempted to apprehend her.”

“Don’t you think that’s a bit of a leap? And if I was some sort of law enforcement and she was a criminal, wouldn’t that cause her to fear me?”

“This is your counterpart we’re talking about, and she has already committed a crime.”

“Perhaps, but again, she isn’t afraid of me but does feel ashamed and regretful about something, and I’d bet it concerns my counterpart.”

“Maybe it was the other you she stole from, and she caught her.”

Celestia shook her head. “Maybe. For now, let’s just do what we can to help her.”

“Alright, see you later.” Luna left Celestia’s office and went back to her own. At least she now knows she’s not going crazy and has ammo to make Celestia’s ‘early onset dementia’ jokes stop. Those jokes suck.

CHS gym

Date: Oct 28th, time: 8:00 am

*Sunset’s perspective*

Sunset peaked around the curtain of the gymnasium stage and looked out over the assembled CHS student body. The emotions on their faces varied, but needless to say, neither excitement nor happiness were amongst them. They were already unhappy, and she doubted she’d amassed enough goodwill to offset it. They might even become even more unhappy when she goes out there.

A hand was placed on her shoulder, and Sunset looked up to see Celestia. “Don’t worry. We’ll be with you, and your speech is good.” Celestia handed back her speech, and Sunset read over it herself again to prepare.

“Public speaking was never my strong suit. You always did that.”

“What was your relationship with the other me? Why did you two get into an altercation?”

Sunset fidgeted uncomfortably. Her existing nerves didn’t help the matter. “It’s very personal. I’ve already discussed this with Ms. Lance-Hart.”

“That’s okay. Did my counterpart hurt you?”

That’s an odd question. Does it have ta do with her darkness? It is very powerful. “No, she didn’t. What makes you worried that she did?”

Now, it was Celestia’s turn to look uncomfortable. She didn’t fidget, but it was clear that question was a loaded one. “I know what I’m capable of. Any version of me should be capable of the same.”

Oh, she’s done something.

It came time for the assembly to start, and Celestia walked onto the stage with Luna. The Rainbooms stayed behind the curtain as the principals gave their introduction. “Thank you all for coming.”, Celestia started. “This assembly was called concerning the events of the last couple of months. I’m sure you’re all curious about what that all was. Fortunately for us, an expert on the subject goes to our school.” Celestia turned towards the Rainbooms. “Sunset”

Celestia moved to the side as the six of them took their places on the stage. Sunset took Celestia’s previous place at the mic as the rest of them lined up next to Luna. As she feared, very few of the other kids’ moods were improved by her presence. It wasn’t outright hatred, but the amount of negative energy directed at her all at once was enough to make her freeze. As best as she tried to contain it, her fear aura began to leak out, and she began to shake. Get a grip Shimmer. You’re a general. Why is this so hard? You’ve faced worse before. Before Sunset lost her nerve, she felt a hand press against her back. She turned her head to see it was Fluttershy, and her kind presence calmed her down and allowed her to feel the presence of her friends again. My friends are here. They’re behind me. I’m okay.

Sunset turned back to the student body and began her speech as Fluttershy walked back to her spot. “I’ll be straightforward. What we experienced was magic. There is an alternate realm linked with this one, particularly in this area. No, I do not believe this connection is the cause of all the weirdness the greater Canterlot area is known for. Rather, whatever makes this place so weird is why the link is so strong here. This link allows creatures from either world to travel to the other through the use of portals. That’s how the Dazzlings came to Earth over a thousand years ago. The Dazzlings are power hungry creatures that were attracted to this school by the events of the Fall Formal.”

“So, you’re the reason they were here!”, some kid in the audience shouted.

No, the frick I’m not. Sunset glared at the kid, but they were too far away from each other for it to have an effect. “I didn’t make them come here. I didn’t make them turn this school into their playhouse. What I did that night was wrong, but I am not responsible for the Dazzlings actions. They were doing this kind of crap long before my clan was even named. I believe this is called ‘victim blaming’, and I was most certainly another one of their victims. Please keep all questions and comments for after I’m done.” You little turd. I’m gonna… no, we’re trying to be better.

Sunset looked back down at her speech to find where she was interrupted. “During the time of the Fall Formal, you likely noticed a student named ‘Twilight Sparkle’, who disappeared after that night. Twilight was also from the same realm as the Dazzlings. She came here to retrieve an item that got mistaken for the Fall Formal crown and that I came into possession of. When I tried to use the magic contained within it, the crown amplified my negative qualities to create that demon/oni thing, causing the rampage. After Twilight defeated me and took back the crown, she went back to her realm.”

Celestia walked over and took over the mic from Sunset. Sunset took a spot next to her friends as Celestia began to speak. “Now that all that has been explained, we ask you to keep all this quiet for the safety of our newly magically gifted students and the school as a whole. We don’t want government black suits poking around. Any questions?”

“Why do you guys get to have magic?”, one kid asked without raising their hand.

“Because we’re awesome!”, Rainbow shouted. The rest of the girls rolled their eyes or gave her the side-eye.

Celestia looked back at Sunset with a ‘do you want to give the real answer?’ look on her face. Sunset stepped forward and retook the mic. “She’s not entirely wrong. The reason we have magic is because of the crown. My friends have certain neurological and personal qualities that allowed the magic to bind to them, and I was just loaded up with a crap ton of it that night.” Sunset rejoined her friends.

Celestia retook the mic. “Any more questions?” Nobody said anything or raised a hand, so the Rainbooms left the stage. “Alright, thank you for coming. We’ll release an official statement about what happened during the formal and musical showcase soon. This assembly is now over.” Celestia and Luna got off the stage, and everyone else began leaving and doing whatever.

The Rainbooms headed off to the back of the stage and formed a small circle. “You avoided telling them you stole the crown.”, Rarity said.

“Yeah, if I did, it would’ve raised more questions for them that I didn’t want to answer. The whole thing would’ve turned into an alien showcase.”, Sunset said.

“And it doesn’t make ya look so bad.”, AJ said.

“You guys already know what really happened, and I didn’t lie. I just don’t want to be seen as a monster more than I already am.”

The rest of the girls looked amongst each other but didn’t say anything. They headed to class and didn’t meet back up until lunch. The other kids didn’t look at Sunset with hatred but with wariness. It was much more like back when she was just the school bully. The girls sat at their usual table, but much to Sunset’s surprise, Meg sat down next to her.

Sunset waved, not sure what was going on. She avoided me for two months, and now, she just sits down next to me. What’s going on in her head?

“You really were not in control?”, Meg signed.

“More complicated, but yes.”

Meg nodded then got up and left.

Sunset was left even more confused and turned back to the other girls. “I do not understand what’s going on with her.”

“You and Meg were friends?”, Pinkie asked.

“Yeah, well, she was the closest thing I had to a friend, but she stopped talking to me after the formal. I can’t blame her for that. I wouldn’t want to hang out with me either. It’d be social suicide.”

“Yeah, that’s not why.”

“What do you mean?”

“She was your friend. Where the rest of us expected you to do something bad, not that but something, Meg didn’t expect you to hurt her. She cared about you, and she thought you cared about her. Because of that, what you did hurted her a lot more. That’s why she’s been acting the way she has.”

“I-I had no idea.” Sunset looked down and processed everything Pinkie said. “I still have a lot to learn.”

Lunch wrapped up, and they began walking to class. Due to that day’s schedule, Sunset and Rainbow suck together the longest.

“Hey, when would be a good time to start ninja training.”, Rainbow asked once it was just the two of them.

“Well, I got a whole lot of nothing to do after school, so whenever’s good for you.”

“What about after hockey?”

“Works for me. I’ll text you where I live.”

They had to eventually separate, and they didn’t get a chance to all meet up again after school. RD had to hop straight on the bus, AJ had to head home, and so on. Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Sunset talked as they walked to their houses. Once Sunset got to her house, she started on her chores, including cleaning the dog poop from the backyard. Once that was all done, she began to meditate under the cherry blossom tree. The blossoms had long since fallen, and the leaves had taken on the reds and oranges of the fall. The nature of the tree made relaxing easier.

As she meditated, she focused on the feel of her magic. It now contained Equestrian magic, giving her a place to start. The way it felt and moved within her body was still completely alien to her. She tried to move her magic using her Equestrian magic, but the Earth magic mixed in had changed its properties enough to where her old techniques weren’t doing the trick, but she was able to get it to work a little. I can use my old knowledge as a base and build on it to adapt to this new magic. Let’s hope that works.

The doorbell rang, and Sunset jumped up and ran inside to answer the door. “I got it!”, she called upstairs. She opened the door and let Rainbow in.

“Hey”

“Hey” Sunset grabbed the decon bottle and handed it to Rainbow. “Spray yourself down and take off your shoes.”

“Okay?” Rainbow put her bag next to the shoe rack and did as told then handed back the spray bottle.

“Good, follow me.” Sunset led Rainbow outside and over to the cherry blossom tree.

“Okay, what are you going to teach me first, how to climb up walls, throw shuriken and kunai?”

“We haven’t used shuriken since the invention of the gun, and kunai are digging and drilling tools, not meant for throwing. That doesn’t mean they can’t be thrown, but it’s far less expensive to throw a rock.”

“Ninjas use guns? But the 3 Ninja Boys movies said that real ninjas don’t use guns.”

“That’s utter bull-crap. We were some of the earliest adopters of guns when they first came to Japan. As my grandfather puts it, the gun is not the weapon of an honorable warrior that’s not afraid to die, but we aren’t honorable, and we don’t wanna die. The only reason he doesn’t carry a gun is because he’s a pacifist.”

“Oh, then what are you going to teach me?”

Sunset sat down beneath the tree. “I’m going to teach you how to meditate.”

“What? You said you’d teach me to be a ninja.”

“I am. The first step in becoming a ninja is developing discipline. What we do requires focus, dedication, the ability to keep a cool head while under pressure, and a will strong enough that it can be forged into a blade. If you can do this, you’ll be able to do everything else involved in becoming a ninja.”

Rainbow stayed still for a while, and Sunset expected her to leave, but much to her surprise, Rainbow plopped down in front of her. “Let’s get this done with. I want to be a ninja.”

We’ll see how long that lasts. Sunset instructed Rainbow on proper meditation techniques. For such a rambunctious person, Rainbow was doing remarkably well. She was twitching and periodically moving around, but that’s to be expected. It took a while, but Rainbow managed to settle down pretty well.

“Hey! Stinky! Did ya lose a fight with a paint mixer!”, Emi called out.

“Ignore her.”, Sunset instructed.

Rainbow grumbled but did as instructed. “What is her problem?”

“She’s just testing you. Part of this is learning to ignore the outside world.”

They returned to meditating for a while longer. Eventually, Rainbow unfolded her legs and began stretching. “Hey, can we stop for now? Sitting still for so long is making my legs numb.”

“Sure” Sunset got up and brushed herself off, followed by Rainbow. “You lasted longer than I expected. What time are your parents picking you up?”

Rainbow shrugged. “Whenever I call.”

“Okay, want to learn some of the more practical side of being a ninja?”

“Heck yeah!”

Sunset led Rainbow inside and into the basement. “I’ve mentioned that we use guns nowadays, but there’s still some traditional equipment and techniques that we still use.” Sunset unlocked one of the cabinets and pulled out a bottle of magnesium fire starter shavings and a canister of gunpowder. “You’ve seen my shuko, those hand claws I used, but chemistry is our main weapon. With this, a container, and some sugar from the kitchen, I can make impact smoke bombs. We can also use a host of different plants that my mom grows in her greenhouse or that we can find in nature or buy at the store to make medicine or lethal poisons by extracting the active compounds from the plants.”

“Are you seriously telling me ninjas are just mega nerds?”, Rainbow said disbelievingly.

“Nerds with pointy toys. There are also some advantages we, as kunoichi, have over shinobi. The “innocent young woman” can get into way more places and away with a lot more than our male counterparts. There’s also the ‘men are stupid, especially around a pretty lady’ thing. Basically, we sleep with the boss and steal every bit of sensitive info he has, and other stuff like that.” That last bit clearly made Rainbow uncomfortable, so Sunset quickly backtracked. “Let’s go back to the general ninja stuff.”

“Ooh, maybe you can show me your ninja suit.”

“Hm, okay” Sunset put the gunpowder and magnesium away and locked up the cabinet then led Rainbow to her room.

“I like your sign.”, RD said, referring to her “no dumb area” sign.

“Thank you” She led RD to her closet then pulled out a dark blue hoodie, pants, and balaclava. “This is my standard ninja suit, but I’ll wear whatever I need to.”

“Aren’t ninja suits supposed to be black?”

“There are very few times where a black ninja suit would be practical, especially not in rural Japan. I think my dad said that misconception came from kabuki theater. Either way, no, ninjas would wear whatever helped them blend into their surroundings whether that be blue, green, brown, a costume with make-up, or civvies. A black suit might be useful if you're infiltrating a building with little light, but dark blue would work just fine in that case.”

“Hm, one sec.” Rainbow pulled out her phone and began typing. “Okay, The idea that ninjas wore all-black costumes came from prop-handlers of the Kabuki theater.”

Sunset peaked over Rainbow’s phone screen and saw she had a search engine open with that exact information presented on the screen. That would be useful.

“Is everything I know about ninjas wrong?”

“Not likely all but a lot of it, and it’s sorta meant to be like that. Every piece of faulty information the enemy has on us is an advantage we have.”

“Okay”

“Do you still want to be a ninja?”

Rainbow’s face split into a mischievous grin. “Oh, I want to be a ninja even more now.”

Interesting, very interesting. “Okay, well, my parents are going to be home soon, so ninja practice is over for today. We’ll go over survival basics next time.”

“Cool, I’ll call my dad then. Can I get some water?” Rainbow pulled out her phone and called her dad.

Sunset nodded and left to the kitchen to get her a glass. As she filled the glass, small stopping feet came down the stairs. “Emi, please don’t insult my friend. She only just started meditating today.”

“Sorry, I couldn’t help it. It was too good and easy.”

“If that’s what you consider “good”, you need to work on your smack.” When Sunset turned around, she noticed Emi wasn’t wearing her beanie. “Waiting until your birthday to show off your symbol?”

“Ayuh”

Rainbow came out, and Sunset handed her the water. “Thanks” She began to drink and looked at Emi with a glare. “I take it you’re the little shit.”

Emi responded with her signature fox-smile. “You’re hardly one to talk, shorty.”

Rainbow snarled at Emi, so Sunset put her arm out to prevent her from doing anything stupid. “Quit foxing around. You’re making a bad impression.”, Sunset said in Irish.

“Okay, okay,” Emi looked at RD, “what’s your name?”

“Rainbow Dash”

“Seriously?”

“I’m named after my uncle, Rainbow Blaze.”

“Is his hair rainbow-colored too?”

“He, my dad, and my abuela all have rainbow hair. It runs strong in the family.”

“So, your whole clan lost a fight with a paint mixer.”

“You little shit.”, Rainbow said with a glare.

“Emi, knock it off.”, Sunset said firmly.

Emi chuckled to herself and scampered back up the stairs.

“Your sister’s a turd.”, RD said.

Sunset shrugged. “She takes after our paternal grandmother. It’s her nature. Thank you for not bringing up her lack of hair.”

“I’m no angel and an idiot, but that’s low, even for me.”

“When do you want to schedule your training sessions?”

“I dunno. I’ll contact you when I’m in front of my planner.”

“Okay”

A little while later, a car pulled up out front, and Rainbow grabbed her bag and headed to the front door. “Bye, Sunset.”

“Bye”

Rainbow left, and Sunset put the cup in the sink. She headed upstairs and into Emi’s room. Emi was back to doing her work with Anura. They were doing something about plants.

“Hey, Emi, could you not insult my friends. Rainbow clearly didn’t like it.”

“Fine, I’ll leave insulting them to you.”

“Thank you” With that, Sunset left to go about her day.

RaR ch5 A new normal

View Online

CHS band room

Date: Oct 29th, time: 3:00 pm

*Sunset’s perspective*

Sunset walked through the doors of the band room to see the rest of the girls setting up. She joined them, pulling out her school rental, cyan, electric guitar.

“Hey, Sunset, I was thinking we could invite Twilight to Halloween. Do you think she’d enjoy it?”, Pinkie asked.

“We do have a very similar holiday called ‘Nightmare Night’. It’s basically Halloween but celebrated on the twenty-second, and by the end of the night, little fillies and colts have to give half their candy to the mad goddess, Nightmare Moon.”

“Something tells me that last bit was added so the kids don’t eat all that sugar.”, Rarity commented.

“Pony biology is actually pretty tolerant of sugar.”

“What do you mean?”, Fluttershy asked.

“It’s something I noticed over the years. Equestrian ponies are only about the size of Maine coons, but they eat way more sugar than humans and don’t suffer any health complications from doing so. On the other hand, the amount of salt, spicy foods, alcohol, and general poisonous crap humans ingest could make a pony very sick, even if they were human-sized.”

“That is weird. How would a species evolve to eat that much sugar?”

“There’s a common grass in Equestria that’s similar to sugarcane called ‘Oey’. It’s been a staple in our diets since long before we had written language. We basically evolved to eat that stuff like rice.”

“Ah, that makes sense.”

“So, inviting Twilight to Halloween?”, Pinkie asked.

“I’ll write her tonight.”

“Hey! Ya ready ta rock?!”, Rainbow shouted.

“Rainbow, not so loud.”, AJ chided. Rainbow replied by sticking her tongue out.

The rest of them grabbed their instruments and got in position to play.

“Ready”, they all said.

“Okay, one, two, three”

With no need to hide their magic, Sunset let the energy flow throughout her body, and without a major threat distracting her, she could really let herself feel it. The magic pulsed through her in rhythm with the beat of her heart… her heart’s circulating her magic… Her magic is in her bloodstream. Her cardiovascular system is doubling as her magavascular system for her human body. Efficient, and it can easily get magic to every part of the body. Humans would be excellent at biomancy, especially hemomancy. It’s starting to look like humans are built to perform every illegal and restricted magic.

When the song ended, Sunset turned to the other girls and observed them intently. If she had her horn, she could’ve done a scan, but her eyes and sixth sense would have to do.

“Um, Sunset?”, RD asked.

“I figured out how magic is moving through our bodies.” The rest of the girls looked at her with interest, so she continued. “Ponies have a dedicated circulatory system for magic, similar to the cardiovascular system. Humans don’t have that nor did I ever feel like something like that was developing, so I was wondering how we were circulating our magic. It turns out, it’s our cardiovascular system. Anywhere our blood can go, our magic is also there.”

“Magic needs a circulatory system?”, Fluttershy asked.

“It can also be equated to the nervous system. We all got a series of tubes sending electricity throughout our bodies.”

“Fair”

“Is this going to have any negative effects on our health?”, RD asked. “It’s not like our bodies are used to this.”

“You’ll find out when I do. But human bodies have adapted to crazier conditions than this. I think we’ll be fine.”

Katon family home

Date: Oct 31st, time: 6:15 pm

*Sunset’s perspective*

Brigid brought out the cake as the rest of them sang “Happy Birth Day”. “Happy birthday, Emi, n’ congratulations on discoverin’ yer symbol.”, Brigid said as she put the cake down.

“Wait, you discovered your symbol?”, Anura asked, shocked. “What is it?”

Emi smiled and pulled out her beanie from her pocket. She proudly held it out so Anura could see. That symbol means something, something big.

“Is it supposed to be shaped like that?”

“Yes, it is.”, Emi said like she was already sick of explaining it. “It’s a shuriken in the shape of the Star of Magic.”

“The what?”

“Sunset, tell her.”

“I’m only ignoring the lack of a ‘please’ because it’s your birthday. The Star of Magic is the symbol of magic, like how the heart shape is the symbol of love.”

“Oh, does that mean she’ll be good with magic?”

“Ninpo, specifically.”, Emi said proudly.

“We’ll see as she gets older.”

“Let’s get this going.”, Anzhong said. “Sunset has places to be.”

“Quick, before they start chanting.”, Jiraiya said jokingly.

Minerva and Brigid got out the ice creams and began cutting the cake. After they ate the cake and ice cream and opened presents, Sunset grabbed her headband and noise reducers, and Brigid walked her to the high school. Waiting around the statue were the other five girls. RD was dressed as an astronaut, Rarity was dressed as a knight and had a duffle bag over her shoulder, AJ was dressed as a bedsheet ghost, Pinkie was dressed as a cowgirl, and Fluttershy was dressed as a tiger.

“Hi! Sunset! Hi! Sunset’s mom!”, Rainbow called out. The rest of them turned to look and most got a collective ‘oh, crap’ look on their faces as they saw Brigid.

“Hi”, Sunset said with a shit-eating grin. Seeing people’s reactions to first seeing Brigid was good food for her mischievous bits. “I take it Twilight isn’t here yet.”

“Nope. But what are ya wearin’?”, AJ asked.

Sunset was wearing punk shoes, pants, and jacket but with a brown, fuzzy shirt and gloves and a teddy bear ears headband. “Punk teddy bear. At least I put effort into my costume. Are you seriously going as a bedsheet ghost?”

“Ah had ta come up with somethin’ quickly after ya said no ta ma original idea.”

The reminder of that uncanny valley abomination was rather unwelcomed, and she had to restrain herself from grimacing.

“Ah don’t think Ah met most a’ ya. Ah’m Sunset’s mom, Dr. Brigid Katon. Ya c’n call me Dr. Brigid since dere’s two Dr. Katons.”

“Yes, ma’am.”, Pinkie said cheerfully. She wasn’t the slightest bit intimidated by Brigid, or she hid it well.

“Sunset wasn’t kidding; you’re massive.”, Fluttershy said.

“So, ya’ve been talkin’ ‘bout me?”

“I ran into an Irish wolfhound at the shelter and told her the story about Grandpappy’s and how a dog that size was perfect for him. Now that I think about it, it’s a bit ironic that he had a dog that was bred to hunt wolves.”

Brigid gave her a knowing side grin. Before any of the confused, and still slightly scared, girls could ask for clarification, the portal rippled, and Twilight barreled out. Brigid walked over and scooped Twilight up into a standing position. The face Twilight made once she processed who was picking her up was that of a pony facing down a dragon. She’d likely undergone predator desensitization training, but humans are new beasts, and Brigid was a beast of her own.

“Easy dere, kiddo. Y’re okay.”

“Hey, Twilight, this is my human mom.”

Twilight took a couple steps back and looked Brigid up and down. “That’s your mother? I-I had no idea humans could get so big.”

“Heh, Ah’m ‘bout at da upper end a’ human height, but Ah ain’t even da tallest person alive. A’m far from da tallest human ta eve’ live.”

Sunset was tempted to tell Twilight that story but decided that she had already been freaked out enough for one night. “Did ya wear your costume?”

Twilight seemed to snap back to reality and looked down at herself. “Shoot, it didn’t pass over.”

“Okay, so changing clothes on one side won’t affect how you come out on the other, noted.”

“Luckily for you, darling, I prepared for this.”, Rarity said. “Let’s head inside so you can change.”

“Ya girls, have fun.”, Brigid said.

The seven of them waved to Brigid as they parted ways. While the outside was minimally decorated with only a few cobwebs in the bushes, the inside was completely spookified. Paper ghosts, skeletons, pumpkins, and bats were strung and hung up all over the hallways, and there were enough cobwebs to almost cover the walls. That was just the hallways. They haven’t seen the gym yet.

“Good evening, girls.”, Celestia said. The seven of them turned to face her. She was accompanied by Luna, and both of them were dressed as witches. “Twilight, I wasn’t expecting to see you, but it is a pleasure.”

“I’m excited to be here. We have a similar holiday where I’m from, so I’m hoping to examine the differences in how they’re celebrated.”

“The decorations look lovely.”, Rarity said.

“Thank you”, Luna said proudly.

“Halloween’s her favorite holiday.”, Celestia said with a smirk, earning a glare from her sister. “Go have fun but stay on the first floor. All the activities are on the first floor, so there’s no reason to go upstairs or down into the basement.”

“Got it.”, Sunset said.

Rarity led Twilight to the bathrooms while the rest of them headed to the gym. There were far more decorations in there, and they were more complex than just string and paper. Most of them were still mostly paper, but now, some of the bats, pumpkins, and skeletons were plastic and cardboard, and there were now also spiders, witch stuff, and stuff in jars. The music wasn’t deafening or too loud for two people to have a conversation, but the music plus multiple conversations happening at once prompted Sunset to put her noise reducers in. They found a good corner to wait for Twilight and Rarity in and hunkered down.

A few minutes later, Rarity and Twilight came in. Twilight was dressed as a princess, and Rarity was now missing her bag. “I’m sorry that took so long, darlings. We made a stop at my locker to drop off my bag.”, Rarity said.

“Hey, no problem.”, AJ said with a goofy smile.

Why hasn’t she asked her out yet? It’s obvious they’ve got the hots for each other.

“Now that we’re all here, who wants food?”, RD asked.

Various ‘yes’s came from the rest of them, and they headed over to the refreshment table. Along with the standard party snacks and punch, there were bowls of candy. In front of certain bowls of candy were signs that signified no nuts, gluten free, and stuff like that. One of which Twilight picked up. “What’s this about?”, she asked.

“Some humans suffer from food allergies where their immune system overreacts to certain foods, causing symptoms that can range anywhere from mild irritation to death.”, Sunset explained.

“Seriously?”

“Yeah, like, for example, I’m allergic to raw garlic. If I come into contact with it, I get a burning, tingling irritation and some slight swelling. Luckily, once it’s cooked, I’m fine. Otherwise, Ah’d have a hard time in this state.”

“Yikes”

They all went down the tables and picked out what they wanted. Sunset wasn’t too hungry, so she just grabbed some small snacks. Rainbow and Sunset got to the cooler at the same time, and Rainbow reached for an item Sunset recognized from the store but had never tried for herself. “What’s that?”

“Hm, um, it’s diet cola. What, haven’t you ever had soda before?”

“No”

“Wait, seriously? Okay, you’re trying this.” Rainbow shoved the can into Sunset’s hand and grabbed another one for herself.

They got up and headed back to their corner, all the while, Sunset was reading what was on the can. Carbonated water, caramel color, bla bla bla, what do they mean by “natural flavors”? Citric acid, does that mean it’s lemon flavored? Why wouldn’t they state that on the front? They both sat down to eat their snacks, and Rainbow popped her can open. She began to down it as Sunset looked on quizzically. It doesn’t smell like lemon.

Rainbow looked over and gave Sunset a slightly disappointed look. “Come on, try it.”

Sunset opened it and sniffed it, scrunching her nose up from the carbonation. She looked to Rainbow, who motioned for her to go on. Sunset took a sip and was initially taken aback but, as she took another sip, found it nice. It tasted caramelly, and the carbonation felt nice. “It’s good.”

“Ya bet it is.”, Rainbow started saying as AJ and Fluttershy came over and sat down. “There’s also normal cola, but I personally find it too sweet.”

“What are ya guys talkin’ about?”, AJ asked.

“This is the first time Sunset’s ever had soda.”

“Really?”, Fluttershy asked.

Sunset shrugged. “My mom doesn’t buy it, neither my sister nor I ever asked for it, and I never really hung out with anyone that would introduce me to it.”

“I take that to mean you don’t have soda in Equestria.”, Rainbow said.

“Correct”

“I’ll be back in a sec.” Rainbow left her food and drink with Fluttershy and disappeared into the crowd. She reappeared shortly and retook her seat and stuff. “Thank you”

“You just got Twilight hooked on soda, didn’t you?”, Fluttershy said.

“Hey, she came here to experience American culture. I’m just helping her with that.”

“Speaking of the princess, where was she?”, Sunset asked.

“Dancing with Flash and socializing.”

“He does realize he can’t exactly be with her?”, AJ said.

“Flash is a man that follows his heart, but he tends to forget to take his brain along. That was always my job. I’ll talk to him about it.”, Sunset said.

“Sounds like someone's got a type.”, Fluttershy said with a smirk.

“Brother likes his hooves.”, RD said with a matching smirk.

Sunset rolled her eyes and tried to ignore her horny cohorts. “I’m personally surprised that Twilight's the social, slash, partying type.”

“Yeah, she certainly doesn’t give off that vibe.”, AJ said.

“Hey, do you guys wanna check out the other stuff going on?”, Rainbow asked. The other three nodded, and they got up, refilled their plates, got new drinks, and headed out into the halls.

They began walking around and looking into the various rooms. There were several groups of students across the rooms, all either doing some sort of arts and crafts or playing board and card games, all Halloween themed. They decided on a group that was playing a board game and joined in. It was calm enough that Sunset felt comfortable with taking out her noise reducers. None of them were keeping track of time so couldn’t say how much later it was when Rarity walked.

“Hey, Rarity.”, AJ said with a smile.

“Hey, my social batteries are just about drained.”, Rarity said.

“Come join us then.”, Rainbow said.

“Here, you can have my seat.”, Sunset said as she got up from her seat next to AJ. AJ sat there in stunned horror as Sunset got up and moved to an empty seat.

Rarity smiled and happily took the seat. “Thank you”

They got back to the game for quite a while longer. What had to be close to an hour later, Pinkie showed up. “Hey, here you all are.”

“Hey, Pinkie.”, Rainbow said. “Where’s Twilight?”

“I thought she was with you.”

All of their eyes went wide as they realized the situation, and they bolted out into the hallway.

“Does anyone have her number?”, Pinkie asked.

“She doesn’t have a phone.”, Sunset said.

“What? So, the portal can give you modern clothes, but it can’t give you anything else a modern human would need?”, RD asked.

“Correct”

“Great”

“Okay, let’s split up inta pairs and search for her.”, AJ said.

“We aren’t in a dangerous situation. There’s no need to pair up.”, Sunset said.

“Yes, there is.” Before anyone could argue, AJ grabbed Sunset by the arm and dragged her away.

“Okay, okay, what?”

AJ checked to make sure they were out of earshot before speaking. “What did ya think you were doin’?”

“You’re gonna need ta be more specific.”, Sunset said as they walked down the hall.

“Switching seats, what did ya think you were doin’?”

“What do you think Ah was doing? You like Rarity, and I was trying to help you out with that.”

“Well don’t, okay.”

“Ah’m confused. Isn’t the whole point of being attracted to someone to get closer to them in order to mate?”

“What? No… Ah mean, yes… Ah mean, could ya not bring up matin’?”

“Is that not your goal?”

“No-not now” AJ took a deep breath to collect herself. “Okay, Ah like Rarity, but we only just repaired our friendship, n’ Ah don’t wanna rock the boat, at least until Ah know what’s keepin’ it afloat.”

“Ya don’t have to be worried. She likes ya too.”

“She does?”, AJ asked as she began to blush. “Are ya sure?”

“Ah’m sure.”, Sunset said as she pointed to her head.

“Ah-Ah still wanna wait n’ build a better foundation for myself.”

“Better not wait for too long. She might get tired of waitin’ and move on.”

AJ rubbed her arm as she dejectedly processed that bit of information. Before she could come to any consensus, her phone rang. She put it on speaker so the both of them could hear. “Hello?”

“Hey,” Rainbow said, “we found Twilight.” She didn’t sound as energetically upbeat as she usually does.

“Ah, good. Where was she?”

“In the pre-nineteen-hundreds section. Look, could you two get over here, quickly. She encountered… something.”

Oh, crap.

“We’ll be there soon.” AJ hung up the phone, and they hurried to the other side of the school.

Outside a classroom near the pre-nineteen-hundreds, stood Rainbow waving them done. Sunset and Applejack hurried over and into the room. Inside, Twilight’s sitting in a chair, looking totally freaked out with Fluttershy doing her best to comfort her. Fluttershy was giving off some sort of energy, and as they got closer, Sunset suddenly felt safe and calmer.

“Hey, you okay?”, Sunset asked in a surprisingly calm tone. Given how freaked out that call got her, she wasn’t expecting to be so calm and collected. Fluttershy?

“There’s a monster in the school! We need to get everyone out!”

“Hey, hey, breathe.”, Fluttershy said as she rubbed her back.

“What did the monster look like?”, Sunset asked.

Whatever Fluttershy was doing seemed to finally be taking effect, and Twilight actually did take a breath. “It was shaped like a human, but it was pitch black and stuff was sticking out of it.”

Black, humanoid monster with stuff sticking out of it? “What color was its eye?”

“What?”

“Its eye, what color was it?”

“Um, blue, I think.”

“Isn’t that tha principal’s ghost?”, AJ asked.

“What?”

“What’s this about a ghost?”, Rarity asked. Everyone turned to see Rarity and Pinkie coming in.

“Twilight had an encounter with a ghost.”, RD said.

“Again, what?”, Twilight said, angrier this time.

Everyone gathered in a loose circle and looked to Sunset. At least my warning worked. “Chm, well, to avoid a full history lesson, a hundred and fifty years ago, our town’s original school was burned down in a fire caused by the heating stove exploding. The school’s principal was killed in the explosion, and his body was subsequently burned in the fire. The part of the school you ended up in was built over where the old school once stood, and he, along with the spirits of the other people killed in the fire haunt that section.”

“Your school is infested with spirits? Why haven’t you gotten the place exorcized yet?!”, Twilight shouted in outrage, jumping out of her chair.

“Whoa, calm down, sugarcube. From all the stories ma granny’s told me, he and the others are harmless, scary but completely harmless.”

“Spirits are dangerous monsters! There’s nothing harmless about them! I can’t believe any version of Celestia would let such dangerous beings near children!”, Twilight shouted as she stomped towards AJ.

Sunset rushed in front of Twilight and grabbed her arms, startling the girl. “Twilight,” she said firmly, “these are human spirits. They are different from the spirits you’re familiar with. These are a natural phenomenon that can occur if someone suffers a traumatic death or has unfinished business.”

“Natural phenomenon, my flank. We need to get rid of those things and find the pony responsible for conjuring them. We need to tell the Order of the Exorcist.”

“No, we don’t. A hundred and fifty years, these things haven’t hurt a single person in all that time. We work on different rules here, and most of our spirits aren’t malevolent.”

“Yeah, trust me, we’d know if they meant us harm.”, RD said, and Sunset nodded in agreement.

Twilight looked at Sunset with crossed arms and angry skepticism. She clearly still wasn’t convinced, so Sunset decided on a new approach. “Come on, I’ll show you.” Sunset took Twilight by the elbow and dragged her out of the classroom followed by the other girls. She struggled and begged Sunset to let her go, but Sunset was stronger. “Be quiet. We don’t want to be caught.”

The pre-nineteen-hundreds section which had the lights off and decorations acting as barriers. It clearly said ‘keep out’ without a straight up ‘keep out’ sign that any teen would be tempted to spite.

“How’d you even end up in there?”, Pinkie asked.

“I got lost and thought you might be in there because it’s scary.”

They went in and began walking down the dark hallways.

“Hey, Mr. Principal Ghost, we want to introduce you to our friend. Please come out.”, Pinkie called out.

“Pinkie, quiet.”, Sunset growled.

They reached the part of the school Sunset saw that shadow kid all those years ago. She could see the exact spot through the door’s window. There was an energy in the air, and Sunset looked to see some sort of distortion. There was nothing different with the physical space, but the energy of the space changed, and it was in the shape of a human.

“Um, Mr. Principal?”, Sunset said in a whisper.

The principal became visible, fire scorched skin, metal and wood impaling him, near glowing singular blue eye, and all.

Twilight struggled even harder as the principal began walking towards them. “Sunset, what are you doing? He’s going to hurt us.”

Sunset said nothing. It got closer and stopped in front of Twilight and Sunset, and placed a hand on Twilight’s shoulder. Twilight froze in fear, and it pointed them back the way it came. What is it doing? Not sure what else to do, the girls let it guide them. Sunset had to pick Twilight up because she refused to move. The principal guided them back to where they were supposed to be. When they got out, the girls turned around to see it disappear. The girls went back to the classroom, and Sunset put Twilight back in the chair.

Twilight unfroze and looked freaked out and very confused. “I don’t understand. It should’ve attacked us. That’s what they do.”

“As I’ve said, Earth runs on different rules. Not all spirits are malevolent forces. Most are just souls that, for one reason or another, haven’t moved on.”

“Huff, next thing you’re going to tell me is that wendigos are happy, joyful things that spread sunshine and rainbows here.”

“Oh, no, they’re still very much evil winter spirits here, but they aren’t summoned by disharmony and don’t spread everlasting winter. The wendigo spirit is attracted by the cold and to people that commit cannibalism and possess them, creating the wendigo monster, which is an eternally starving and rotting monster that only craves human flesh.”

“What in Tartarus?”

Sunset shrugged. “Like Ah said, Earth runs on different rules. Try keeping an open mind.”

Twilight nodded nervously, probably thinking she had no other choice. “Okay”

“Good” Sunset pulled her phone out and realized that it was getting close to the time for everyone to be heading home. “Crap, it’s ten. When did it get so late?”

They headed back to the gym, which was far emptier and quieter than it was in the beginning of the night. Sunset and a couple other of the girls went to grab some more drinks as the rest of them did whatever. Once Sunset had her drink, she noticed Twilight and Flash talking with each other and walked over to them.

“Yeah, Sunset and I used to go ghost hunting there.”, Flash said.

“You… hunt ghosts?”, Twilight asked.

“Not ‘hunt’ as in to kill and eat it.”, Sunset cut in. “‘Hunt’ can also mean to track and find something, which is what we were doing.”

“Oh”

“Yeah, don’t go around telling people about that. We weren’t supposed to be doing it.”

“Do you do anything legally?”

“When it suits me.”, Sunset said nonchalantly, earning a glare from Twilight.

“Yeah, we were sorta the bad kids couple back in the day.”, Flash bragged.

Suuure

“Hey! Twilight! Come check this out!”, Pinkie called out.

“Go, I need to have a talk with Flash.”, Sunset said.

“Oh, okay.” Twilight passed through the thinned crowd, leaving Flash and Sunset relatively alone.

“You do realize you can’t be with her, right?”

“I mean, she can travel between the worlds. We can find a way.”

“Dude, she’s an alien princess. She can’t hop between the worlds for weekly dates. I’m not saying you can’t be with her, but I am saying you aren’t going to be able to have a proper relationship with her. Do what you want but be practical about it.”

Flash sighed but said nothing.

“I just don’t want to see you hurt.”

Flash nodded, and Sunset gave him a smile before she headed back to her friends.

“Hey, my mom is going to be here soon to pick me up.”, RD said.

“Yeah, I should be getting ready to go too.”, Rarity said.

“You should change back into your civvies before you go home.”, Sunset said to Twilight.

“That makes sense.”, the princess said. “But I should wait until no one might see me before going through.”

Hm, she’s more strategic than I thought.

“Ah’ll wait with ya. Granny’s gonna be helpin’ with the clean up for a bit after the dance.”, AJ said.

“Thank you”

The girls that had food and drink finished it off before they headed to Rarity’s locker. Rarity retrieved her bag, and they headed to the locker room. Twilight and Rarity went inside, the latter there to help the former change, whilst the rest of them waited outside. Sunset and the other four girls talked and joked as they waited. Sunset offered Fluttershy and Pinkie to walk them home, which they accepted, and texted Brigid to pick her up around ten thirty.

“Fluttershy, were you aware that you were giving off a calming aura earlier?”, Sunset asked.

“Yeah, I was. It makes working with stressed out animals a lot easier.”

“Dang, we have opposite powers.”

“Heh, yeah”

Twilight and Rarity soon came back out. They headed out to the front of the school, where kids were exiting to be picked up by their parents. They waited to the side as students trickled out of the school. Rarity seemed to lock onto one car in particular and got a grin on her face. “Hey, this might be my chance.”

“What chance?”, Pinkie asked.

“My parents refuse to believe anything I tell them about magic. They might believe me if we show them the portal.”

“No”, Sunset said immediately.

“Why not?”

“We can prove our magic to your parents other ways. Showing them the portal is too dangerous. The only reason my parents know the location is because I didn’t have another way.”

“We can play for them some time.”, Rainbow suggested. “Will that work?”

“We could try, but they were at the battle of the bands and still don’t believe me.”, Rarity said while crossing her arms.

“I’d imagine you guys transforming right in front of them might be a bit different.”, Twilight said.

“Okay, let’s try that. We’ll text later and set up a time.”, Rarity said as she got up. “See you some time.” She turned and hurried over to the car.

“All our parents should probably come. My dad has been wanting to meet with all of yours to discuss this whole magic business and what it means to have magical kids, especially stuff regarding our health.”, Sunset said. “Your guys’ wing bones are still in your backs, and if you break them, you can’t exactly go to any old doctor.”

“My mom’s a paramedic. She could patch us up.”, Rainbow said.

“That’s a good start. My mother also has a decent amount of medical knowledge from growing up over an hour’s car ride to the hospital, and my doctor grandfather has experience with abnormal individuals.”

AJ looked at Sunset confusedly. “What does that mean?”

“I do need to explain some stuff to you girls.”

Rainbow hopped up with a ‘bye’ as another car pulled up, leaving them at five. Eventually, the rest of the kids had left, and the coast was clear for Twilight. She stepped through the portal and warped back to Equestria right around the time Brigid showed up. The three girls waved goodbye to AJ as she re-entered the school, and Brigid walked them all back to their homes. They dropped Fluttershy and then Pinkie off and were then left to walk only with each other.

“Hey, Mom.”

“What?”

“We had an incident tonight where we lost Twilight and had to search for her. She’s going to be spending more time here, and for her safety, I think she needs a phone.”

“Hm, so, y’re suggestin’ we get ‘er one?”

“Somethin’ like that.”

“Okay, Ah c’n go ta da store ove’ da weekend. Maybe a Nokin, like yers.”

“Actually, I was thinking that we could give her my old phone and I could get a new one. A smartphone would be useful in my research.”

“Oh, really? Ah’m not sure.”

“Please, all my friends have one, and it really would make my research so much easier.”

Brigid looked Sunset over, and Sunset began to get a bit nervous. “Ya have made a great deal a’ progress over da last couple a’ months. Ah think dat should be rewarded.”

“Yes, sweet.”

Outside Sunset’s house

Date: Nov 1st, time: 2:30 pm

*Applejack’s perspective*

AJ stepped out of Big Mac’s truck and onto the sidewalk outside Sunset’s place, at least, she hoped it was. She recognized the house across the street as the “witch’s” house. The only reason she even remembered the place was because of Pinkie’s, admittedly catchy, song. She checked her phone again. After they all got home last night, they scheduled a time to perform for all their parents, and after that, Sunset texted them to come to her house at two thirty. The place looked nice, and the address was correct, but there was no clan crest or name anywhere to be seen. Rainbow and Rarity were dropped off in short order, and Fluttershy and Pinkie came walking up the street.

“Hey, ready to go in?”, Rainbow asked.

“Are ya sure this is the right place?”, AJ asked.

“Yeah, I’ve been here before. We will need to take off our shoes and spray ourselves down with some decon stuff.”

“Oh, okay.” AJ gave a thumbs up to Big Mac, and he drove off.

The five girls approached the house, and Rainbow knocked. The door was answered by a blue-haired man with all blue clothes. There was something… different about him, but it wasn’t the same kind of ‘different’ she felt from Sunset. Or maybe it was. They felt similar.

“Hello?”, the man asked. He had an accent, but AJ was complete garbage at identifying them. The best she could say was Asian.

“Hi, we’re here to see Sunset. She’s expecting us.”, Rainbow said.

“I see. Come in. Sunset’s in her room.” The way he spoke was cold and calculating. It was similar to how VP Luna spoke but with even less emotion. He stepped out of the way, and the girls went inside.

“Thank you”, Rainbow said.

They took off their shoes, and Rainbow gave them all the bottle to spray down with. Once that was all taken care of, Rainbow led them to a door on the other side of the living room with a sign that read “WARNING [something in Chinese] DO NOT DUMB HERE NO DUMB AREA” instead of up the stairs. AJ’s confusion was eased once the door was opened to reveal Sunset and a space that was clearly hers, making the sign make much more sense, but a new confusion took its place as “Sunset’s room” was the size of a small apartment.

Sunset looked over at them like a startled deer as she was messing with a presentation board. “You’re early.”

“It’s two thirty, like you texted.”, Rarity said as they walked in.

Sunset looked surprised and looked down at her phone. “Oh, I really lost track of time. Close the door behind you.”

“Your room is huge.”, Pinkie said, taking the words out of AJ’s mouth.

“Yeah, this used to be the garage, but the previous owner meant it to be a mother-in-law suite. Unfortunately, he disappeared before he could complete it, and it became my room.” Sunset began moving stuff around, making space for everyone to sit.

The five girls tried to find places for everyone to sit as Sunset finished up with her board, but the limited seating proved to be an issue. Sunset’s couch was only big enough for two people, and the only other chair was a beanbag. Pinkie took the beanbag, and Fluttershy sat on Rainbow’s lap, who was sitting on the couch. AJ let Rarity sit in the available spot on the couch and sat on the floor next to her on the floor.

“Okay” Sunset positioned the board so they could all see and grabbed a pointer. “Now-”, she started but was interrupted by her door opening. They all turned to see a couple of pint-sizes enter, dragging in another beanbag, followed by a dog. “Emi, Anura, what are you doing?”

“We want to learn about Earth magic too.”, the pint-size wearing green said.

“Sigh, fine. Find a place to sit.”

The kids dragged the beanbag over to where they were sitting and both plopped down on it with the dog. With a closer inspection, it was clear which one was Sunset’s sister as the other one clearly had hair, and AJ couldn’t see any hair under the beanie. Her beanie also had her symbol on it… a familiar symbol.

“Your symbol looks like the crown.”, AJ said.

“That’s because they’re both the Star of Magic.”, the kid wearing blue said.

“The Star of Magic is the symbol for magic itself in Equestria.”, Sunset quickly explained. “The heart shape but for magic.”

“Does this mean you're talented in magic?”, Rarity asked.

“Ninpo, to be specific. I want to be the greatest magic user ever, just like Sunset.”

“And I think she’ll very well be able to, and thus, this meeting. I may not be religious any more, but I still believe in signs. Emi getting that symbol is a sign, and I believe that sign is that Earth is getting her magic back.”

No way. The five Rainbooms looked on in shock.

“You might want to get your presentation started.”, Fluttershy said.

Sunset repositioned herself and began her speech. “One thousand years ago, magic was commonplace, but around that time, it started disappearing.” Sunset began pointing to various drawings serving as visual aids. “Now, you may be wondering how I know this. Well, I’ll get to that. Along with witches, magical creatures have been slowly losing their magic, and within the last hundred years, Earth’s magic has almost completely gone away with only small remnants within certain creatures. The reason I know this is because my great grandfather, who was alive when magic was plentiful, told my grandmother about it, and she told my father, and he told me.”

“Um, ain’t ya skippin’ a couple generations?”, AJ asked.

“Nope, my grandmother was in her six-hundreds when she died, and her father was about six-hundred when she was born.”

“H-how?”, Rarity asked.

“We’re kitsune.”, Emi said with a fox-smile.

“Kitsune? As in a nine-tailed fox?”, Rainbow asked.

“Nine is the max number of tails a kitsune can grow, but yes. My dad is half fox and half human.” Sunset pointed to a picture of a blue multi-tailed fox. “This was my grandmother. My mom is also a creature known as a faoladh, an Irish werewolf,” Sunset then pointed to a picture of a werewolf wearing robes and armor, “but neither of them have access to their powers due to the draining. That makes Emi a faoladh/kitsune mix with both of their magics. Also, the night of the Fall Formal, I managed to get enough magic to give Emi a magic infusion, the same thing that gave us our ponyoid forms.”

“So, that means Emi can transform, like us?”, Fluttershy asked.

“Theoretically, yes, and there’s more. In the process of giving her the magic, some of her magic infused into me, making me a faoladh with kitsune powers. All the weird stuff I’ve been doing lately is all thanks to that.”

“Holy crap! You’re a werewolf!”, RD shouted right into Fluttershy’s ear. “Sorry”

“Yes, but faoladhs have no connection to the lunar cycle, nor are we weak to silver, and we can’t turn people. If I could shift, I could do it whenever I pleased and would stay in control while doing so. Yes, my life is weird.”

“I’m friends with a werewolf.”

“What about the whole, “Earth’s getting her magic back” bit?”, AJ asked.

“Right, I think by bringing Equestrian magic to Earth, I’ve started the process of returning Earth’s native magic. I can feel my Earth magic growing and a shift in the ground. Something’s happening.”

“What does that mean for us?”

“I don’t know. I understand so little about what’s going on.”, Sunset said, frustrated.

“Whatever happens next, we’ll handle it together.”, Pinkie said, jumping out from behind Sunset.

“Thanks, Pinkie.”, Sunset said with a smile.

“So, along with us, there are witches and various magical creatures.”, Rarity recapped.

“My mom and I are witches.”, Anura said.

“This is… a lot.”, AJ said.

“I know. That’s why it took me so long to tell you all. Figuring out how to condense what I learned over two and a half years into one presentation was difficult.” She picked up several books and brought them over to the five of them. “These are books that detail how various monsters around the world have evolved and changed over time. The red tabs indicate creatures that are almost certainly not real, the yellow indicate creatures that might be real, the green are creatures that are almost certainly real, and blue are creatures originally from Equestria.”

Each of the girls picked up a book and began reading them. Most of the stickers were yellow or blue with red having the second lowest numbers and green having the lowest numbers.

“Really, werewolves exist but vampires don’t?”, Rainbow asked.

“You really think undead monsters that feed off the blood of the living could be real?”, Sunset asked. “I’m the closest thing to a vampire you’re ever likely to meet.”

“Um, explain.”

“Right, thestrals are a nocturnal subspecies of ponies with fangs and bat-like wings. Due to that and my fear tactics that involved licking my bloody blades, I earned the nickname “blood sucking fiend”, or “vampire” in English. Ponish doesn’t have an exact word for vampire.”

“You’re… you sound like some living Dusk saga fanfic. Wait, and you’re allergic to garlic! Heheh, this is rich.” RD began laughing, getting Pinkie to start laughing.

“I know!”, Sunset said while throwing her arms up into the air. “Oh, and don’t let this get out. There’s a kid that’s obsessed with vampires and has been determined to get me to admit that I’m one. Apparently, red hair is a sign of vampirism.”

“Oh yeah, I remember that. Forest something, I think her name was.”, Rarity said.

“This is startin’ to sound more and more like a secret society.”, AJ said.

“Is that going to be a problem?”, Sunset asked.

“Sigh, no, I just wish we didn’t live in a world where lies and secrets were an everyday part of life.”

“I understand. I’ve lived a life where secrets and subterfuge are normal, and I’m tired of it, but for our safety and the safety of our families, all of this needs to stay under wraps. My secret nearly got out once, and… let’s just say werewolf moms will do anything to protect their cubs.”

AJ let out an annoyed huff but nodded.

“How ‘bout this, we don’t lie to each other. No lies within the secret society.”

AJ nodded. “Ah’d like that.”

“Good, and on the topic of our little society, I would like to work with you all to see if we can improve upon our powers.”

“Ooh, ooh, are you going to train us to be super heroes?”, Pinkie asked.

“Um, sure, if that’s what you want to do with them. I was more thinking of gaining better control over them, specifically how to transform on command and not transform when we’re playing.”

“Yeah, that would be a good idea.”, RD said.

“Wanna start now?”

“We might as well.”, Fluttershy said.

Sunset led them all out into the backyard and to the tree in the center of it.

“That’s a perty tree.”, AJ said.

“Yeah, it is.”, Sunset said. She sat beneath it and patted the ground in front of her. Rainbow, Emi, and Anura sat down like her, and the rest of them took their cues. “Now, the first step to controlling your magic is learning how to sense it. Close your eyes and focus on your bodies. Focus on the energy that exists within you. You might have felt it before. You should be able to feel seven pools of energy, called wellsprings, within yourselves. Try to find those.”

They all did as instructed, and AJ tried to find this energy. Ah might’ve felt it before. Like, when we transform? Ugh, this is not my field a’ expertise. Being aware of her body is something that AJ’s used to. Not listening to one’s body when doing physical labor is a good way to destroy it. Is that what she means, the physical boost Ah get when Ah work? She did say it’s caused by the magic. Maybe… She tried focusing on how she felt when she worked, but that only made her antsy and want to get up and move around.

“Ugh, Pinkie, could ya stop twitching?”, RD asked.

“Sorry, I’m not good at sitting still like this.”

AJ got up and brushed herself off. “Yeah, Ah have ta agree with Pinkie. Ah’m havin’ trouble with this too.”

“That’s okay. There are many other ways to meditate. It’s all about getting into “the zone”, as some of you call it.”, Sunset explained.

“The zone,” Pinkie said, “when do I go into the zone?”

“Why are you saying it like that?”, Fluttershy asked.

“Because it’s more fun.”

“Of course”, Fluttershy deadpanned.

“Pinkieness aside, she’s correct.”, Sunset said.

“In that case, sittin’ around like this isn’t gettin’ me inta “the zone”. Ah need ta be doin’ somethin’.”

“Fair enough. This was just an introduction.”

“Can we do somethin’ else then?”

“Sure, what do you wanna do?”

The Rainbows went inside and spent the rest of the day watching TV, playing video, card, and board games, and other such stuff. Sunset’s twirp of a sister and little cousin would sometimes join them. Even though the sisters say Anura’s their cousin, she looked nothing like Emi, and she’s somehow not a kitsune or werewolf, so AJ didn’t know what’s going on there.

During one of their games, they heard a weird sound and looked for the source. It turned out to be Pinkie making the noise. She was doing that Indian monk meditation pose and making that “ommm” sound.

“Pinkie, what are you doing?”, Rarity asked.

“Trying to get into the zone.”

“Right now?”, Fluttershy asked.

“Pinkie, that’s… could you stop? That’s distracting and a specialized meditation technique not used for what we’re trying to do.”, Sunset said.

“Fine” Pinkie returned to a normal sitting position and brought her attention back to the game.

“She is the sole reason I’m not the weirdest humanoid on this planet.”

“I take that as a compliment.”, Pinkie said proudly.

“Own your freaky self, darling.”, Rarity said sorta dismissively.

At around six, the girls’ families started coming and picking them up. AJ climbed into Big Mac’s truck, and they headed home. Seven wellsprings and magic blood, what do Ah even do with that? Find the energy that exists inside us. That sounds like the kind a’ self empowerment stuff Ah did as a kid… hang on, that might be worth a try.

Sweet Apple Acres

Date: Nov 2nd, time: 2:00 pm

*Sunset’s perspective*

Brigid pulled up to the curb outside AJ’s place with Jiraiya not far behind them. They all got out with Brigid carrying Emi, Minerva holding Anura’s hand, and Sunset grabbing her guitar. AJ and her family were finishing setting up the garage, and the other girls and their families rolled up in short order. Everyone got out of their cars, and the adults that already knew each other greeted each other. The little kid, who Sunset has recently learned is Applejack’s little sister, ran out to greet Rarity’s little sister and Rainbow’s surrogate little sister, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo.

Brigid corralled them over to the group and introduced them. “Hi, we’re Sunset’s family.”

The other parents all looked at her and most got the faces that everyone who first meet her get. “I think we’ve met before.”, RD’s mom said.

“Probably during one of our hockey games.”, Sunset said.

“Jiraiya?”, a woman who came with Rarity said.

“Torta, I guess you get to meet my granddaughters early.”

“Dad,” Anzhong said, “mind introducing us.”

“Righ, right, kids, this is Torta, my girlfriend. Torta, these are three of my kids and grandkids, my son, Anzhong; his wife, Brigid; their girls, Sunset and Emi; Brigid’s sister, Minerva; and Minerva’s daughter, Anura. I became Minerva’s surrogate father during Anura’s difficult birth.”

“Girlfriend?”, Emi asked.

“Well, we’ve gone on a couple of dates.”

“Old people date?”

“Of course we do. We’re old, not dead.”

During that whole conversation, Rarity and Sunset were looking between each other and their respective grandparent. What does this mean for us?

“Oh, Mama, you really went through with it.”, Rarity’s mom said.

“Why don’t you continue this conversation at a later time. We would like to watch our daughter perform.”, Pinkie’s dad said.

“Dat sounds good. Dis is gonna be a special performance”, Brigid said.

They all went into the garage, and the Rainbows set up while everyone else sat in the chairs that had been set up. Once everyone was ready, the girls began playing. The magic pulsed through Sunset’s blood and into every part of her body. It was a warm, energizing feeling. It made her feel powerful, and the music seemed to help her express it fully. She returned her attention to the present as the song ended. Everyone, except for the CMC girls, looked interested or surprised. For most of them, you could see the gears turning in their heads, but for Rarity’s parents, they looked completely dumbfounded. Sunset placed her guitar down and walked over to her parents. They stood up as she approached, and Sunset took Anzhong’s hand and put it to her pony ears.

“They’re soft.”, he said as he rubbed her ears. “And stop growing. You’re getting too big.”, he joked.

“Never”, Sunset said with a playful growl.

“Yer hair’s waggin’ like a tail.”

“It is a tail.” Sunset noticed Rarity approaching her parents, and given their initial reactions, she felt she needed to be attentive to things so removed Anzhong’s hand.

“This is what I was trying to tell you about. I have magic. We have magic. We were attacked by magical creatures that wanted to feed off of everyone at the musical showcase that we had to fight off.”, Rarity said.

“I don’t… I don’t understand.”, Rarity’s dad said.

“How did this happen?”, Rarity’s mom asked.

“Oh, you know, Sunset lost control over her magic, and we had to gain magic of our own to save her, normal magical girl stuff.”, Rarity said nonchalantly, probably in an attempt to play down just how weird it all actually was.

“Your media seems to have somewhat prepared you for this.”, Jiraiya said.

“You didn’t look too surprised by this?”, Ms. Torta said.

“That’s because my late wife was a magical creature called a kitsune, a multi-tailed, shapeshifting fox spirit. That makes my biological children human/fox hybrids.”, Jiraiya began to explain. They’d previously discussed what they would say if this situation came up, so he knew what he could and couldn’t say. “Also, Minerva is a witch. She can’t fly or shoot energy beams, but she can brew potions.”

All the parents and the CMC heard what Jiraiya said and looked over to the Katons.

“Ya did the deed with a fox and made a baby and one that could also make a baby on top a’ that?”, Granny Smith said.

“Two, actually, and it wasn’t easy; that’s why his sister is so much older than him, but her being a magical shapeshifter would take most of the credit.”

“My sister and I are basically human, which made it easier for us.”, Anzhong explained.

Rarity’s parents still looked like their brains have overloaded as they sputtered and made confused sounds.

“Rainbow, get back down here.”, AJ demanded. Rainbow was flying around the garage and showing off to her parents.

“Oh, come on. I’m an expert flier.”

“You’ve had less than an hour of flight time. I’d hardly call you an expert.”, Fluttershy said.

Pinkie Pie jumped up and grabbed Rainbow, dragging her back down to Earth.

“What I don’t get is what’s with the ears.”, Fluttershy’s brother said, Zephyr something. What shocked Sunset was just how loud he was. He wasn’t shouting, but he was speaking a little too loudly to be considered socially appropriate, but with how the rest of his family speaks, he might as well be shouting.

“The form we take has to do with how we all got our powers.”, Sunset started explaining. “The magical artifact we got our powers from contained the magic of an alien species. As a result, whenever we use our powers, we take on features of that species. As to why only Rainbow and Fluttershy have wings, there are three different races of the species with differences in their magic, Rainbow and Fluttershy got the flying one, AJ and Pinkie got the physically strongest one, and Rarity and I got the one with the finest control over magic.”

“Whoa, that’s awesome.”, Zephyr said as he looked specifically at Rainbow. Sunset couldn’t see his face, but Rainbow moved so her dad was in between her and Zephyr.

Each of the families resumed talking to their respective Rainboom with the exceptions of the Katons and Ms. Torta. Jiraiya and Ms. Torta were talking with each other, and the rest of the Katons were observing the conversations. Their place as the most experienced with magic stuff would likely come into play. Sunset focused on Rarity’s conversation with her parents. They seemed to be having the hardest time out of all of them, even with Sweetie Belle helping to explain what she knew about the situation. Sunset’s seen enough movies and shows to know that they were the most likely to say something upsetting.

“Maybe there’s a doctor that we can talk to, someone that could get you back to normal.”, Rarity’s dad said. Shit, there it is.

Rarity’s ears flattened against her head, the motion startling her parents, and she took a step back.

“You can’t do that. It will kill her.”, Sunset said, getting everyone’s attention. “Our magic is a part of our bodies, a part of our blood, and that’s not a metaphor. Our bodies now require magic to continue functioning. There’s nothing we can do to undo what’s been done.”

Rarity’s parents still didn’t look to be taking it well. Rarity’s mom was looking between her daughter and Sunset, and her dad sat back in his chair, holding his head.

“This would be a good time to go over what this all means for you, as parents.” Jiraiya walked in front of the crowd and began talking about how things could and will change, both socially and medically.

Rarity’s parents were distracted with themselves, so she took the opportunity to slip away. The rest of the Rainbooms noticed it and followed her out of the garage and over to the side of the house. Rarity sat down in the grass with her knees pulled up to her chest and her ears still flat against her head. The rest of them sat down so they were in a circle, with AJ, of course, being right next to her.

“You okay?”, Pinkie asked.

“My parents rejected me.”, she said flatly but with a hint of sadness.

“They’re just scared.”, Sunset tried to reassure. “My mom found out she’s a werewolf only a couple months ago, and even with all the magic craziness she’d already experienced, it still scared her. Your parents just need time to process everything. Oh, and my mom wants to keep her lycanthropy on the downlow. She doesn’t want people thinking she’s a bloodthirsty monster.”

“Got it, and yeah, your parents are good people that love you.”, Rainbow said. “Besides, there’s no way your grandma would stand for them rejecting you, especially if she's going to marry into that family.” RD pointed at Sunset.

“Okay, what did Ah miss?”, AJ asked.

“My grandfather is dating her grandmother.”, Sunset explained.

“Oh, that’s goin’ ta be interestin’.”

“I know you’re right, but it still feels bad.”, Rarity said. AJ rubbed her shoulder to comfort her.

“Try her ears. That feels really good.”, Sunset suggested.

AJ gave Rarity a questioning look, and Rarity leaned her head towards her while letting her ears relax. AJ began rubbing her ears, and the look on Rarity’s face told her everything she needed to know.

“Y’know, we’ve been transformed for a long time.”, Fluttershy commented.

“Let’s see how long it lasts.”, Sunset said.

“Speaking of pony stuff, you’ve been purposely avoiding telling people that you’re an alien.”, RD pointed out.

“Yeah, things are already weird enough. I’m trying to not overload people. Plus, I don’t want to deal with the “Why did you come to Earth?” question or the dumb jokes that would come with it.”

“ET… go home.”, RD said, trying to mimic that smoker’s voice, and poked her finger into Sunset’s personal space.

“ET bite finger off if you don’t get it away from me.”, Sunset said with a snarl and glare.

Rainbow retracted her hand quickly and hid it behind her back then her eyes widened. “Whoa, your eyes are glowing red and slitted.”

“What?” Sunset blinked a few times. There was a warm sensation in her eyes, but it quickly went away.

“It stopped. Is that a you thing or an us thing?”

“Grrr”, Pinkie said, earning everyone’s attention.

“What are you doing, you screwball?”

“Sunny’s eyes glowed when you got her mad, so I’m trying to get myself mad.”

“Mad? Yes. Angry? No.”, Sunset quipped to RD.

“Look”, RD said as she pointed to Pinkie. They all whipped their heads around to see that her eyes were glowing pink but not slitted.

“So, glowing’s an us thing but slits are, Ah’m guessin’, a fox thing.”, AJ said.

Pinkie relaxed and blinked, returning her eyes to blue. “Glowy eyes, cooool.”

“Add that to the weird list.”, Rarity said.

“We’re also still transformed.”, Fluttershy pointed out.

“Maybe we have to manually turn it off.”, Pinkie said. “Maybe the off switch is next to the G-spot.”

“I’d think that’d be the on switch.”

“Oh, something I wanted to ask. What’s up between your brother and Rainbow?”, Sunset asked.

“Sigh, I’m not out to my family yet, so my brother doesn’t know Rainbow’s taken.”

“And let’s just say, I’m hoping she tells them soon.”, Rainbow added.

“Why don’t you just tell him to bugger off? You’re half Scottish. You lot are the best at angry rants.”

“That’s exactly why I don’t. I don’t want to make him cry again. It ain’t pretty.”

“What does ‘bugger’ mean?”, AJ asked.

Sunset and Rainbow both looked at each other for answers, making it clear neither of them knew what the lone word meant.

“It probably has something to do with sex. I mean, it’s British slang. It’s gotta be either sex related, shit related, lack of intelligence related, or devil related.”, Sunset said.

“Aren’t all swear words related to at least one of those?”, RD asked.

“No, there are Japanese swears that are ugliness related and ones that straight up tell you to die and hit your head on tofu, and I do mean full on swears, not just insults.”

“Oooh, dark.”

“Girls! Come back in ‘ere!”, Brigid called out.

They hopped up and went back over to the garage.

“Mom, what does ‘bugger’ mean?”, Sunset asked.

“Someone dat gives anal, a pain in da arse, as it were.”

“Oh, that makes sense.”

The seven of them re-entered the garage and rejoined their respective families. Sunset overheard the Forsts and the Hothoofs discussing medical care regarding their respective Rainboom’s wings with Jiraiya. Out of all of them, Rainbow and Fluttershy would have the biggest changes to their lives simply because of their wings. AJ and Pinkie were showing off their ears to their siblings and letting themselves be petted. Rarity approached her parents slowly. They still looked overwhelmed, but Sunset couldn’t sense any hatred coming from them. Rarity bent down so Sweetie Belle could touch her ears too.

“Rarity, are you okay?”, Rarity’s mom asked.

Rarity stood back up to answer them. “I’m fine, Mom. Actually, I’ve been feeling stronger lately.”

“You’re okay with what happened to you?”, her dad asked.

Rarity shrugged. “It’s weird, but like Sunset said, there’s nothing we can do about it now. Besides, I’m not alone in this.”

“Looks like ya got yerself a pack.”, Brigid whispered into Sunset’s ear.

Sunset’s tail wagged slightly. Hers was the only one to do so. The werewolf in her was probably the reason.

“I think you look adorable.”, Ms. Torta said. Rarity smiled. Affirmation was all she needed to hear.

“Give us some time. This is a lot.”, her father said.

“I understand.” Rarity tried to keep her expression neutral, but her ears betrayed her sadness. Ear movements were always the most challenging to learn control over, and that’s for ponies, who were born with those ears.

Rarity’s mom hugged her. Her love for her daughter was clear. “We’re trying.”

“I know.”

The two of them broke off the hug, and Rarity’s mom took a step back. “Let’s go home. Um…” Ms. Alba pointed at Rarity’s ears.

“Right” Rarity closed her eyes, and a couple seconds later, her ears and hair returned to normal. “Looks like we do have to manually turn it off now.”

“Sweet, that means I don’t have to worry about detransforming mid-flight. I can fly home after school.”, RD said as she flew around the room.

“Absolutely not.”, her mom said firmly. “Someone will spot you.”

“I was joking.”

Rainbow landed, and the girls all transformed back into their human forms and packed up. Everyone parted ways and climbed into the cars they came in and started heading to wherever.

“You guys sounded really good.”, Anura said.

“Thank you.”

“I hope Rarity’s parents come around. She seemed really upset.”, Minerva noted.

“Yeah, I’m not sure if she’s out to them yet, but Rarity’s gay, so being rejected by them is probably an already existing fear she has.”

“Oh, okay.”, Brigid said. In the mirror, Sunset could see Brigid had her gears turning. “Sunset, are ya still afraid a’ bein’ abandoned by us?”

“The fear’s still kinda there, but at least, not as strongly anymore. Having your magics in my blood does give me a sense of security. I know you guys see me as your daughter, regardless of our blood relation, but having some parts of you contribute to my whole is quieting down some nagging little voices in my head.”

“That’s good.”, Anzhong said as he reached his hand back. “Thank you for being honest with us.”

Sunset took his hand. ‘I love you’ wasn’t something said a lot in their house, but they still communicated it. If only her screwed up brain would just get the memo.

Black void

Date: ?, time: ?

*Sunset’s perspective*

“How did I get back here?” Sunset walked through the black void. She tried to think of all the ways this could’ve happened. She was starting to get freaked out. She looked down her hands to have something other than the void to look at. Her fingers looked blurry. She couldn’t make sense of them or tell how many of them there were.

“Some pack,” a voice that sounded like hers said, “they don’t care about you.” Sunset spun around to see her demon form floating above her. “They’re your leash. They’re afraid of you.”

Sunset glared up at her inner darkness. “You’ve got a lot of nerve talking to me like that.”

“Really?” The giant demon backhanded Sunset, sending her flying.

She skidded to a stop on the nonexistent floor and got back up. “Yes, you are just my weapon. The weapon obeys their master, not the other way around.”

The demon’s smile grew wider and more sharp teeth jutted out. “I am you. You really think your parents, either set, can love such a monster?” It began crawling towards her like some leviathan dragon. “The moment they don’t need us anymore, we’re out. We are a stain on their names. We can never be fixed.”

Sunset stared up into the demon’s completely black eyes. “Why do you hate me?”

The demon’s sadistic smile warped into pure rage. “I AM YOU!”, it shouted as it reared up to its full height, bursting into flames, and smashed its fists down onto Sunset.

Sunset’s room

Date: Nov 3rd, time: 7:00 am

*Sunset’s perspective*

Sunset woke up with a start. Her heart was racing. She looked around her room to ground herself. Just a dream. Just a dream. She’d woken up earlier than her alarm was set to go off, but her parents were likely already awake. She got out of bed and ready for the day then headed out to the living room.

“Y’re up early.”

Sunset went over to her mother, who was feeding the animals, and hugged her.

“Bad dream?”

“Yes”

“Wha’ about?”

“Ugh, the demon decided to torment me.”

Brigid picked Sunset up and let her cling to her as she finished with the animals. Anzhong was almost done cooking, so Brigid put Sunset down to go get Emi. Sunset sat down and waited for the food. Anzhong placed a cup of coffee in front of her and rubbed her shoulder comfortingly. Brigid soon came down with Emi, and the food was served. After they all ate, Brigid took Emi back up to her room, and Sunset went back to hers as Minerva and Anura walked in. She really had no reason to sit around at home, so she packed her bag and headed to school.

She got there before eight, so the doors were still locked and there weren’t any other students. She sat on the front steps and pulled out her new phone. She could call up her friends or experiment around with it. She still needed to start building the testing equipment.

“Sunset?”, Celestia said.

Sunset turned around to see her standing in the doorway. “Hey”

“Would you like to come inside?”

Why not? Sunset got up and went inside with Celestia. When she was closer, Sunset could sense unease within her, and she seemed less sunny than usual. “Is there something serious going on?”

“You are very perceptive. Have I ever told you that I have prophetic dreams?”

“Your counterpart has. What was this one about?”

“I believe you and your friends, including Twilight, are in danger, possibly because of your magic. You and your friends were being attacked by something, but I couldn’t see what, but it was laughing like a hyena, and I could see seven floating balls of electricity.”

“That’s… weird. Thank you for the heads up.”

“You don’t seem like you slept well either.”

“I haven’t fully regained control over my darkness, and I had a nightmare related to that.”

“Want some advice for that?”

“Sure”

“Your darkness is powerful. That means you must balance it out with an equally powerful light. Fill your life with love and learn to love yourself, all parts of yourself.”

“What, you want me to kiss my demon on the head and tell it everything will be alright?”

“That’s how I did it. Just like the rest of you, it needs to be accepted. It is an important part of you.”

Sunset nodded. “That makes a stupid amount of sense. I’m going to check out the lab space I got. I need to figure out how to get all the crap to build my equipment without breaking the bank.” Sunset headed down to the basement and looked for room 12. The room was easy to find. Inside, it looked like a classroom but without any desks or chairs. What made it different was the observation room. There were also some boxes in there. Those could probably go into the observation room, if they don’t have anything useful in them. She looked through the boxes and found some electronic components but mostly just junk. She put the useful stuff in one corner and shoved everything else into one side of the room.

Sunset’s phone dinged, so she pulled it out.

Hey where r u? We’re at the statue

“Girl still doesn’t know how to text.”

In room B12, or my lab, I should say.

Ok we’ll just head in then

Sunset stashed her phone and headed upstairs, making sure to lock the door behind her. She headed up to the school entrance and met up with the others.

“So, how’s the lab?”, Rarity asked.

“A classroom with some extra safety features and clutter, so a normal lab.”

“Um, shouldn’t labs not have clutter?”, AJ asked.

“It’s a scientist joke. By the way, if you have any broken electronic parts, I could use them.”

“We’ll ask our parents.”, Fluttershy said.

“Thank you”

The bell rang, and they all scattered in the directions of their classrooms. The glares and sneers had pretty much stopped, and now, kids were just ignoring her existence, a fact the ninja in her's perfectly okay with. Classes were uneventful. Lunch came around, and the Rainbooms all got to meet up again.

“Hey, AJ what do you want to do for your birthday?”, Pinkie asked.

“Your birthday’s coming up?”, Sunset asked.

“Yeah, the fifteenth, and Ah dunno.”

Pinkie rolled her eyes, and then something dinged in her head, somehow audibly. “Oh, speaking of birthdays, when’s your birthday, Sunset?”

“Oh, my birthday was on September first.”

Once what Sunset said had sunken in, the rest of the girls gave her apologetic looks.

“Ooh, I guess that wasn’t a great birthday.”

“None of us were exactly in celebratory moods at the time, but it’s fine. I’ll have another one next year.”

“No! Birthdays are important! Never assume you’ll live another year! We’re having a makeup birthday for you.”, Pinkie shouted firmly.

“You make a good point, but…”

“No buts! We are giving you a make-up birthday!”

“Okay, fine, just stop yelling. Sigh, I don’t want anything big. Maybe just pizza and ice cream.”

“That actually sounds pretty good. We can do that for me too.”, AJ said. “We can do it joint if ya want.”

“Uh, Ah wouldn’t want ta hijack your birthday.”

“Ah wouldn’t mind, so long as ya don’t mind tha happy birthday song not being sung. Ah hate that song.”

“Yeah, me too.” Is not singing it an option?

“Then we’re in agreement.”

“What about dietary restrictions?”, Pinkie asked. “That includes your family members.”

“Um, you know about my garlic thing, and my dad and grandpa are lactose intolerant.”

“Got it.”

“What about presents?”, Rarity asked.

“You guys freed me from myself on my birthday and gave me your friendship. I don’t need any more presents.”

“Sigh, at least let me give you a new jacket, darling. Yours is looking tight and… well loved.”

“Sigh, okay. I do need a new jacket.”

“And you, Applejack?”

“Um, Ah trust yer giftin’ skills.”

Rarity rolled her eyes. “Great, another stetson. You are impossible.”

“So, do we have all this birthday stuff taken care of?”, Sunset asked.

“Yeah, I got it down.”, Pinkie said.

“Good, Principal Celestia gave me a warning earlier about a prophetic dream she had. We might be in danger.”

“Well, that went from parties to peril real quick.”, RD commented.

“What kind of danger are we in?”, Fluttershy asked.

“She couldn’t tell me anything about the enemy, but I believe it would be pertinent for us to prepare to fight.”

“How exactly are we going to do that?”, RD asked.

“There’s no longer a time limit on our transformation. We now have the opportunity to train our powers. You would even be able to get some real flight hours in and actually become an experienced flier.”

“You once said your sister is some sort of expert flier, right?”

“Yeah, she’s the captain of the Wonderbolts, yes, the Equestrian counterparts of the Golden Angels stunt flying rivals.”

“And that would mean that you are at least somewhat familiar with their training, right?”

“You want me to teach you their tricks?”

“Yes”

“Sure, I used to help my sister train, being the brainiac I am.”

“Sweet”

“I could also use some help transporting some stuff from my house to the lab so I can start building the testing equipment. Would any of you be able to meet me in front of the statue at three thirty?”

“Sure thing, sugarcube.”, AJ said.

“Sorry, I have a dentist appointment.”, Fluttershy said.

“I’m free to help, darling.”, Rarity said.

“No prob.”, RD said.

“I’ll try to be there, but the PPC meetings have been running long lately.”, Pinkie said.

“Thank you”, Sunset said.

Lunch soon finished, and the girls went back to class. After three more hours of mundane lessons, classes let out, and Sunset went to go meet with Ms. Lance-Hart.

“Hello, Sunset.”

“Hi, Ms. Lance-Hart.” Sunset sat down and noticed that their usual chess wasn’t set up. Instead, snakes and ladders was out, but the snakes were replaced with slides and the virtues and vices and that sort of stuff were gone. There were also more ladders. “What’s this about?”

“I’m getting kinda sick of losing all the time, so I was hoping we could try something I might actually win.”

“Fair enough, but why does it look like this?”

“What do you mean?”

“The one we have at home has the ladders representing virtues like generosity, patience, and humility and the snakes, or slides in this case, representing vices like anger, murder, and theft. And it has fewer ladders.”

“Huh, I’ve never heard of something like that. This is just what they sell in stores. Why would yours have stuff like that on it?”

“It’s supposed to teach us the effects our actions have on our path to Nirvana and that following a path of good is harder than following a path of vices.”

“Is your family Buddhist?”

“My dad is, but he doesn’t full-heartedly believe in any of it. It more provides him with a sense of comfort and guidelines for living a good life.”

“Do you have any beliefs, beliefs from your home world or ones you adopted here?”

“Not really. Well, not so much religious beliefs. My mom has a Gaianistic code that can be summed up as respecting all life on this planet because they’ve managed to survive and respecting the plants and animals that we eat for serving their purpose in the food chain, and I’ve been following that.”

“That sounds interesting. Mind explaining it more?”

“Well, it isn’t complicated. We, as apex predators, hold a lot of power and so must show kindness and respect to the other inhabitants of Earth, don’t harm animals or plants just for the sake of hurting them, only kill for food or to protect ourselves or another, respect that which we kill for food. That sort of stuff. It’s a survival of the fittest type mentality, and anything that can survive here deserves respect.”

“I like that. Should we start playing?”

“Oh, yes.”

They began playing, and with it being a game of chance, Ms. Lance-Hart was faring better than in chess.

“So, how have things been?”

“Good, the girls and I showed our parents our magic over the weekend, and they mostly reacted well. Rarity’s parents had the most trouble accepting everything and didn’t have the best reaction. They even talked about finding someone that could cure her before I shut that down. They were a bit better after they got some time to process it, but they were still having trouble when they left.”

“That’s unfortunate. What about your parents? How are things with them?”

“Things are good. As you suggested, I’ve tried being more honest with them about my feelings, and it’s been going good. It’s a weird feeling. Even with my biological parents, I felt I needed to keep the truth about the gods to myself. I didn’t want to shatter their reality, like what happened to me. But with Anzhong and Brigid, I really can be honest with them. With everything they’ve done and been through, they can really understand me.”

“That’s good. Not a lot of kids can say that.”

The session continued for a bit longer with them discussing smaller things. Once their time was up, Sunset headed straight out to the statue and saw RD, AJ, and Rarity out there. “Pinkie not here yet?”

“She is now.”, RD said while pointing to the door.

Sunset turned around to see said girl rushing out.

“I’m here!”, Pinkie shouted as jumped down the stairs and bounced over to them.

“Good, let’s go.” Sunset led the girls to her house, but instead of going through the front, she took them in through the back.

“Sounds like ya need ta oil yer gate.”, AJ said.

“Nah, it acts as a line of security. Good luck sneaking in through the back with a screaming gate.” Sunset retrieved a wagon from the space between her room and the greenhouse and brought it up the ramp. “Don’t bother with your shoes. We won’t be here long.” She led them inside and to her boxes of electronic bits.

“Why do you have this?”, RD asked.

“I like to buy broken electronic devices and frankenstein them together into something working. I’ve even managed to make a pretty penny from selling repaired consoles and the like. Unfortunately, business has been slow for a while.”

“So, next time Dashy breaks one of our consoles, we can bring it to you?”, Pinkie asked.

“It was an accident, and I said I was sorry.”

“An expensive accident that left me and my sisters without video games until your parents were able to repay mine.”, Pinkie said with a glare.

“Yeah, I can fix your shit.”, Sunset said. “And you just reminded me, why haven’t I seen Marble around school? She seems pretty close to you in age?”

“Heh, she’s actually my twin, and she got bullied because of her skin, so our mom pulled her out of school and has been homeschooling her ever since.”

“Oh, that’s just fucking low. Tell your sister I think she's beautiful and unique.”

“I will.”

The five girls brought the boxes outside and placed the biggest ones in the wagon. Since she had the least lifting strength, Rainbow pulled the wagon while the rest of them carried the smaller boxes. They went around to the side entrance, where they could take the wagon inside. They had to abandon the wagon once they reached the basement stairs. AJ passed off her box to RD and took one of the larger boxes.

“That’s impressive.”, Sunset said to AJ once they were down the stairs.

“Thanks, Ah found that by takin’ more magic from my wellsprings n’ focusin’ it in the needed parts of my body, Ah can increase my strength.”

The rest of the girls turned to look at AJ in surprise. “You’re explaining that more… once we put these down.”, RD said.

They brought the boxes over to room 12, and Sunset unlocked the door and let them in. “Put them ove’ in that corner.”, she instructed. They did as instructed, but calling the resulting pile neat would be generous.

The girls circled around AJ and looked to her for their explanation.

“Okay,” AJ started, “my form a’ meditation is physical labor. When Ah work, Ah can feel my magic’s movement. In the past, when there was a task Ah had trouble doin’, Ah would imagine more energy goin’ ta my arms n’ legs, makin’ me stronger. Ah tried that yesterday and felt ma magic becomin’ that energy.”

“That is exactly how magic works.”, Sunset said with a smile. “Magic is mind over matter. The only limitation is the amount of power you have and your imagination. Well done, AJ. How strong can you make yourself?”

“Uh, Ah haven’t done any testing like that, but on top of tha strength increase just havin’ magic gave me, Ah’ve been able ta do so much more work.”

“Okay, I’ll add strength tests to the list. They should be easy. We already got what we need in the weight room.”

The five of them finished getting the boxes into the lab and placed them in the pile.

“Girls”, VP Luna said.

AJ and Rarity jumped in surprise, and they all turned around to face her. She was standing in the doorway, wearing her standard serious expression. “Hi”, they all said.

“I’m guessing that’s your wagon at the top of the stairs.”

“Yeah, we just finished unpacking. I’ll be taking it back home shortly.”, Sunset said.

Luna nodded and scanned the room. “What is all that?”

“Stuff to build my machines.”

“Okay… We can move that other stuff out of here.”

“That would be helpful.”

They all grabbed boxes from the junk pile, and Luna led them to another room. She unlocked the door and let them put the boxes inside. A couple more trips and the junk boxes were in the other room, and Luna relocked the door.

“Thank you”, Sunset said to all of them.

“My sister and I are very interested in the results of your research.”, Luna said.

“I’ll get them to you as soon as possible.”

Luna nodded and left.

“Thank you for your help. I can handle things from here.”

The girls said their goodbyes, and the rest of the girls headed back upstairs. Sunset locked the door to the lab then followed the girl up the stairs and grabbed her wagon. Sunset and Pinkie waited with AJ, RD, and Rarity as they waited for the bus with them all just shooting the breeze. The bus pulled up, the three got on, and Sunset and Pinkie began walking to their houses. Once Sunset got home, put the wagon back, and got in her room, she grabbed her journal and computer along with a lot of notebooks and hunkered down to design the equipment.

Several filled notebooks later, Sunset’s shoulder was lightly shook, and she jumped as she spun around in her chair only to see Brigid. “Mom, you startled me.”

“Ya must’ve been really absorbed in wha’eve' dis is. Wha’ is it?”

“Designs for my testing equipment.” Sunset picked up one of the books and handed it to Brigid. “I took what I remember from when I repaired these devices from Equestria and adapted them to work with the technology of this world and what magic I can do.”

Brigid opened up the book and began reading through it. “Dis looks very impressive. Ah don’t know wha’ any a dis means, but da fact ya can do dis is impressive.”, she said as she handed the book back. “Dinner’s gonna be ready soon. Get washed up.”

“Okay. Oh, AJ’s birthday is on the fifteenth, and she offered to share it with me as a sorta makeup birthday, considering how we spent my last birthday.”

“Okay, wha’ do ya want f’r yer makeup-birthday?”

“I don’t want any presents. I already feel weird about having my makeup-birthday on AJ’s actual birthday. The only reason I agreed is because of something Pinkie said.”

“N’ wha’ would dat be?”

“Never assume you’ll live another year.”

Katon family garage

Date: Nov 4th, time: 5:45 pm

*Sunset’s perspective*

“So, wha’ kind a tools will ya need?”, Brigid asked. She and Sunset stood in front of her work bench, which had several tool boxes and a board of tools.

Sunset opened up her journal and one of her notebooks. “Wire strippers, a soldering gun and wire, heat shrink tubing, a lighter, a drill with Phillips-head and flat-head attachments, and maybe some welding equipment.”

“Do ya even know how ta weld?”

“I was a skilled pyromancer in the military. I was “volunteered” by the higher ranking commanders to learn how to weld and help fix weapons.”

“Do ya know how ta weld as a human?”

“Well, it can’t be too different.”

“Ah’d feel bette’ if ya had an adult ta help ya.”

“I can ask the machine shop teacher ta help.”

“Please do.”

They continued collecting tools and parts but were interrupted by the journal glowing.

“Wha’s dat about?”

“It’s Princess Twilight. This journal is linked to one in her possession, and we can use these to essentially email each other.” Sunset flipped to the first empty page to see what Twilight wrote.

“Hey, I have some free time in a few days and was thinking of coming over to your world. I’ve also found evidence of humans in Equestria and want to discuss it with you.”

“Dat is weird but cool, n’ am Ah readin’ it right dat dere are humans in Equestria?”

“You are reading it correctly.” Sunset pulled a pen out of one of her notebooks and began writing a response. “I would be interested in the discussion, but I’m going hunting this weekend. I’ll call the other girls and check what they’re doing.” Sunset grabbed her phone and called the rest of the girls. She put it on speaker so she could still write.

“Hey, Sunset, what’s up?”, RD asked.

The rest of the girls answered in short order and gave their own versions of ‘hello’ as Twilight wrote her response.

“Hey, Twilight says she wants to come over this weekend, n’ Ah’m checkin’ plans.”, Sunset said. “By the way, you’re on speaker phone.”

“Oh, that’s not gonna work. I’m going hunting with my family.”, Pinkie said.

“Same”, AJ said.

“Same”, Rarity said.

“Yeah, I’m not going hunting, but I’ve already got plants.”, RD said.

“Same as Rainbow.”, Fluttershy said.

“Hm, what kind of plans do you two have?”, Pinkie asked in that tone.

“Oh, shut up. My plans ain’t even got anything ta do with Fluttershy.”

“Gasp, Rainbow, are you seriously going to do that to Fluttershy?”, Rarity asked in mock horror.

“Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!”

Man, I wish I could see how red Flutter’s face is right now.

The banter coming out of the phone came to a halt as Brigid let out a hearty chuckle. “Hahahah, ya kids Dese days grow up so fast.”

“Hi, Dr. Katon.”, Fluttershy squeaked out.

“Hello, girls.”

Sunset took this break to read Twilight’s reply.

“You hunt? What do you hunt?”

“Yes,” Sunset started writing, “my mom first took me hunting after my thirteenth birthday. We mainly hunt deer, a large, quadrupedal herbivore, but we also hunt squirrels, turkey, and fish, when we can. Also, the rest of the girls also have plans that weekend. Maybe we can do something next weekend.”

“Oh, okay. I’m not sure when I’ll next be free.”

“Okay, girls, I relayed what you said to Twilight.”, Sunset said into the phone. “And she said that she doesn’t know when the next time she’ll be free is.”

“Will she be able ta make it here for ma birthday?”, AJ asked.

“I’ll check.”, Sunset said, then switched back to the journal. “AJ’s birthaversary is in eleven days. Do you think you’ll be able to come?”

“I’ll certainly try. Interestingly, my Applejack’s birthaversary is a few days later.”

“That is interesting.”

“I should go. I need to do some schedule rearranging.”

Sunset returned the book to the page she previously had it on and turned her attention back to her phone. “Okay, Twilight’s gonna try to come, but she’s a princess with princess-y responsibilities.”

“Ah understand.”

“When we get a chance, we should discuss a few things related to her when she comes to Earth. We don’t want a repeat of Halloween.”

“Agreed”, Rarity said. “She’s also been wearing the same clothes for a total of three days… including underwear.” Rarity said that last part through what sounded like gritted teeth. “Unless the portal gives her clean clothes every time, she needs something like an Earth stash.”

“A phone, clothes, we should probably add some emergency cash to that list and hygiene products,” Pinkie said, “but where is she going to keep it all?”

“I live closest to the portal. I can hold onto her stuff.”, Fluttershy offered.

“I have a spare duffle bag she can use, and I swear it doesn’t smell like dirty gym socks.”, RD said. “I won it in a CFD raffle and just haven’t needed to use it.”

“Look, Ah got ta get goin’.”, AJ said.

“Yeah, me too. Bye.” Sunset hung up and turned her attention back to the tools.

“Ya know, Ah’m glad ya have friends again.”

“What do you mean “again”? Before them, it was Meg.”

“But neithe’ a’ ya eve’ went ta each othe’ birthday parties, n’ Ah neve’ got da impression dat ya two were friends.”

“Yeah, Ms. Hart… Lance-Hart said that me learning that the gods I worshiped were fake caused a lot of trust issues and my friendship with Fleur going boom made it difficult for me to form those kinds of attachments again. Mental illness is confusin’.”

“Yeah, outta all da thin’s dat c’n go wrong up dere, issues caused by trauma c’n be da most complex, especially repeated trauma.”

“Speaking of Meg, she’s been avoiding me like the plague, more than the other students, and Pinkie had to point it out to me that what I did hurt her more because of our… I’m not sure if I can call it a friendship, but I’m not sure what else ta call it. I’m not sure what ta do about it or apologies to her or what. Should I just leave her alone?”

“Ah don’t know. Nothin’ like dis eve’ happened ta me. Da best Ah could say is ask ‘er. Let ‘er know dat y’re sorry n’ ask ‘er wha’ she wants from ya.”

“I’ll try that.”

CHS

Date: Nov 5th, time: 3:00 pm

*Sunset’s perspective*

The bell rang, and kids rushed out of their classes. Sunset, in particular, had someone to meet before they left. She rushed past everyone, weaving through the crowd. Finding Meg was easy enough as she knew her scent well enough to easily track her, even through dozens of stinky teenagers. When she found her, Sunset stepped in front of her and waved. Meg jumped nearly a foot in the air but recomposed herself quickly and waved back.

“I want to talk about things.”, Sunset signed.

“Go somewhere less crowded.” Meg led Sunset to a space under one of the stairwells, and they hit in there.

“Sorry, I didn’t know how much I hurt you.”

“You hurt me a lot. You were my best friend.”

Best friend? Sunset froze as she processed that. She’d expected something like that but not “best friend”. “Sorry, you weren’t mine. My heart wasn’t where I could have friends like that. I value you, but I wouldn’t have call you a friend.”

Meg’s eyes widened in shock before sadness took over and she turned away from Sunset, closing her eyes.

“Oh, fuck me, and fuck this shit.” Sunset reached out and placed a hand on her leg, getting Meg to look at her again. “My heart is now where I can have friends. I want you as friend.”

Meg put her own hands around Sunset’s and pulled them up into a standing position. She took Sunset’s arm in a firm grasp and nodded before leaving.

Sunset watched her leave and didn’t move from her spot until she was out of sight. Once Meg was gone, Sunset headed to her locker and grabbed the tools she’d collected and headed down to the lab. She placed her tool bag down and began working on building her machines.

She’d once heard about soldiers linking together the motherboards of a couple hundred EBOX consoles to build a supercomputer, and that’s what she’s trying to replicate with Brigid's cool soldering gun that looks like a revolver. She doesn’t have anywhere near that many complete motherboards, but they should be enough for her purposes. If not, acquiring more shouldn’t be too much of a hassle.

The motherboards quickly proved to be the easy part as none of the casings were going to be big enough to house the completed computers. She would have to build a custom casing, but that will have to happen later. Her current solution was the shelves that lined the back wall. Once she knew how big of a container she would need, she’d find someone that could help. The machine shop teacher might be able to help her, but that's a chapter to write later.

Medical sensors would be optimal for this project, but getting some might be an issue. Sunset pulled out her phone to see if she could buy some and nearly choked on her own spit when she saw the price. “Sweet creator of storms, no wonder going to the doctor’s so expensive. Maybe I can build my own. I would just need blueprints or one to dissect. I’ll ask Grandpa.”

Sunset continued working for a while longer until the PA system announced that the school was locking up. She packed up the tool bag and headed home. The first thing she did when she got home was begin looking for medical sensor blueprints or something else that could work as sensors. Finding blueprints quickly proved challenging as there were nothing more than diagrams. Anything with any sort of details was probably protected under a copyright. “Okay, I’ll have ta ask Grandpa.”

“Sunset, dinne’!”, Brigid called through the door.

Sunset got up and washed up for dinner then headed out to the living room and sat down at the table. Emi and Anura joined Sunset at the table as the adults brought the food over. The adults took their seats and everyone started serving themselves.

“Girls,” Anzhong started, “tomorrow night, we’ll be hosting a dinner with the Albas.”

“Who are the Ablas?”, Emi asked.

“Rarity’s family.”, Sunset said.

“Oh”

“Yes,” Anzhong continued, “Grandpa is wanting for everyone to properly get to know each other.”

“This will be interesting.”, Sunset mumbled to herself. At about that time, she got a text.

Good news girls, Granny Smith just texted me with
gift suggestions for AJ. She also wanted me to ask
you all what kind of pizzas you want.

Thank goodness

Is she really that hard to shop for?

Yes

Ayuh

Yes

Oh, I could tell you stories.

Noted, whatcha got?

RaR ch6 And then there were witches

View Online

Katon family home

Date: Nov 6th, time: 6:00 pm

*Sunset’s perspective*

“Do you have the narutomaki ready?”, Jiraiya asked nervously.

“Yes, Dad, I have the udon handled. You’re the one who taught me how to cook. You just focus on the beef stroganoff.”

“Right, right, sorry. I just want this to go well. It’s important to us that you kids can also get along.”

Sunset watched on as they cooked the dinner. She’d never heard of beef stroganoff, but the name sounded Russian, and that’s most likely why they're making it. Brigid and Minerva were entertaining the girls with a board game. Sunset didn’t have anything to do herself, so she just watched and waited, like a shadow.

The doorbell rang, and Jiraiya hurried to open the door. “Welcome, please come in.”, he said excitedly. He and Rarity guided the rest of them in taking off their shoes and spraying themselves down.

Rarity, being the most familiar with the house and family, walked further in and spotted Sunset sitting at the kids table. She walked over and sat across from her. “Looks like some things never change.”, she joked.

“You can change what a shadow is cast over, but you can’t change the fact that it is a shadow, or it ceases to be.”

“Um, thestral proverb? Am I saying that right?”

“Yes and yes. How are things with your parents?”

Rarity looked back at her parents, who were talking with Jiraiya, Brigid, and Minerva, and her sister, who looked bored and unenthusiastic about being there, before answering. “They’re coming around, but the whole thing still weirds them out.”

“Hm… Rarity, could you answer a question for me?”

“Sure, what is it?”

“Are you out to your parents yet?”

Rarity froze like she’d just ran face-first into a wall and stared at Sunset in complete shock. “How did you know? I’m not out to anyone.”, she whispered.

“It’s pretty obvious to anyone with my skills that you’re interested in AJ.”

“Sigh, no, I’m not out to my parents. It’s not that I’m scared to. It’s more that I only realized… that during… that night, and with everything else that’s going on, I’ve put off telling them. I want to at least understand those feelings more before I tell them.”

“Has their reaction to us affected your thoughts on coming out to them?”

“... I… I’m not sure. These are two very different topics.”

“Fair, so long as you’re okay.”

“Thank you for caring.”

“You’re a member of my pack. I’m going to care about you.”

“Hff, so, we’re a pack now?”, she asked with a smirk.

Sunset shrugged. “Pack, unit, team, coven, whatever you wanna call it. Being the only ones of our kind, we’re gonna be in it for the long haul.”

“I’m inclined to agree with you.”

“Food’s almost ready.”, Anzhong announced. “Wash up.”

Everyone headed over to a sink and cleaned up before heading to the tables. The adults directed the kids to their table with Sunset sitting at the head, Rarity and Emi sitting to her sides, and Sweetie Belle and Anura sitting next to them. Jiraiya sat at the head of the adult table with Anzhong, Brigid, and Minerva on the same side as Emi and Anura and Ms. Torta sitting next to him then Mrs. and Mr. Alba. Food got passed around and everyone started serving themselves.

“Beef stroganoff, how kind of you.”, Torta said.

“I’ll admit; I’ve never made beef stroganoff before. It was an interesting experience.”, Jiraiya said.

“Why is the fish raw?”, Mr. Alba asked unassuredly.

“It’s sashimi.”, Anzhong said in his usual flat tone. “I’m surprised you’re unfamiliar with it. There are several very good sushi places around town. They’re quite different from what we have back in Japan, but American sushi is tasty.”

“Okay” Mr. Alba looked at the sashimi unassuredly. “Are you sure it’s safe to eat?”

“I wouldn’t serve it if it wasn’t.”

Mr. Alba still didn’t look convinced and switched his attention to the udon, earning an unamused side-eye from his wife. “Is this ramen?”, he asked.

“Close, this is called udon. It uses different noodles and has a lighter broth.”

He served himself some then looked down at his bowl confusedly. He, rather unskillfully, used his chopsticks to remove something from his bowl. “What is this?”, Mr. Alba asked as he held up a piece of narutomaki.

“I can’t see what you’re asking about.”

“Right, um, it’s white with a pink swirl.”

“Narutomaki, or Japanese fish cake, it’s nothing like the ones made with potatoes and deep fried.”

Rarity leaned over to Sunset and put her hand up to hide her mouth. “As you might’ve guessed, my father takes after our English ancestors. It drives my mother crazy.”

Sunset nearly spat out her rice as she tried to contain her laughter. She quickly swallowed it to speak. “Heheh, says she who speaks with an English accent.”

“It isn’t exactly by choice.”, Rarity said as she straightened up.

Not by choice? Okay, I’m asking more about that later.

Emi tried some of the beef stroganoff with her rice and made a weird face. “I don’t like strogoff.”

“Stroganoff”, Sunset corrected.

“Fuck off”, Emi said with the same intonation. Sunset and Anura rolled their eyes.

“I see having a potty mouth runs in the family.”, Rarity commented.

“It’s a great defense against being kidnapped.”, Sunset said then realized what she said and slapped her hand over her mouth.

“Hm, I’ll keep that in mind for next time.”

“So, ya’re a… fox?”, Mrs. Alba asked Anzhong.

“Half, yes.”

“And ya’re a witch?”, she asked Minerva.

“I am.”

“So am I.”, Anura interjected.

“And ya’re a normal human?”, Mrs. Alba asked Jiraiya.

“For the most part, yes.”

“And so are you… more or less?”, she asked Brigid.

“Actually, no, Ah’m not.”

“What are ya then?”

“Wha’ Ah am is irrelevant. Ah c’n’t even use mo powers.”, Brigid said, a hint of annoyance in her voice when she mentioned her lack of powers. Sunset wasn’t sure if she agreed that people would see her as a bloodthirsty monster if they learned she’s a werewolf but respected her wishes.

“What do ya mean?”

“Due to reasons unknown to us,” Anzhong started, “magical entities have been losing their powers, some going their whole lives never knowing they had any. As a result, none of us can use our full powers if at all. Sunset and her friends are the first of us in generations able to use theirs.”

“So, for all intents and purposes, you’re human?”, Ms. Torta asked.

“More or less”

“That blows.”, Sweetie Belle said. “But wait, you were able to curse those kids.”, she said to Anura.

“Um, I don’t remember that.”

“You did. You told them “You’re now breathing manually.”, and they all freaked out.”

“Oh, that. That’s not a magical curse. It’s a psychological trick, no magic whatsoever.”

“Ahh, man”, Sweetie Belle said dejectedly.

The dinner continued with the adults talking about magic, their hunting plans, and other adult stuff. Emi and Anura mostly talked between each other and to Sunset, Sweetie Belle pretty much only talked to her parents and sister, and Sunset and Rarity talked to each other and their respective families. As Sunset was talking to Rarity, she noticed Sweetie Belle looking at Emi strangely.

“Did you go to Mory Patchwork Elementary?”, Sweetie Belle asked Emi.

“Yeah”

“Could ya tell me something you did? You look familiar, but I can’t place you.”

“I used to beat up Match for being a bully, and I once ate a goo gummy worm sandwich in front of this annoying little brat and got sent to the principal’s office by Ms. Meanie-pants.”

“Oh, now, I remember you. I couldn’t recognize you without all your hair. Did you get a haircut?”

“Yeah, I did.”

They soon finished dinner, the table was cleared, and the adults went off to talk about adult stuff. Emi and Anura headed up stairs, leaving just Sunset, Rarity, and Sweetie Belle. Rarity was currently with Sweetie Belle, but she and Sunset needed to have a conversation.

“Hey, Rarity, could we talk?”, Sunset asked.

“Sure” Rarity stood up to follow Sunset, but Sweetie Belle grabbed her arm.

“Where are you going? Stay here.”

“I’m just going to talk with Sunset. I’ll be back soon.” Rarity got her sister to let go of her arm and followed Sunset into her room. Sunset led them over to her couch, and they sat to be facing each other.

“So, if this continues, it will change our relationship.”, Sunset said.

“I know. We’ll be cousins. But I’m not sure if it will change our dynamic in our friend group.”

“I’m hoping it won’t. Other than some legal documents and the holidays, not much is really going to change.”

“We’ll just have to feel this out. That might be the simplest option.”

Sunset nodded. “It would be nice to have someone my age in the family.”

“It would.”

“By the way, you mentioned you don’t talk like that by choice earlier. What did you mean by that?”

“Oh, right, to make a long story short, when I was much younger, I was being stupid and took a dive off the stairs. I later woke up in the ambulance with a concussion and talking like this.”

“What?”

“It’s called foreign accent syndrome, and it’s weird.”

“Ya got that right. Is it permanent?”

“There’s no way of telling. It might go away. It might not. I hope it does go away. This accent tends to make people mad, especially if they’ve met my family, or they don’t believe me when they ask why I talk like this.”

“How ‘bout dis?”, Sunset started in her Irish accent. “If some twat gets mad at ya f’r dat, ya call me, n’ Ah’ll go all irate Irish lass on deir asses n’ tell ‘em ta go take out deir generational ange’ by pissin’ on Cromwell’s grave.”

“Hehehe, okay, I will. Speaking of accents, why do your parents still have theirs when your grandfather doesn’t?”

“Ah… I don’t actually know. I never thought to ask. All Ah know is that hearing my mom speak with an American accent is bizarre.”

“We should head back out. I don’t want to keep my sister waiting.”

Sunset nodded, and they headed back out to the living room. Rarity went over to Sweetie Belle, who was now with their parents as they talked with Sunset’s. Jiraiya and Ms. Torta were talking with each other and watching their families interact. Sunset went over to Brigid and stuck to her side. Brigid brought her into a side hug and kept her close like that. Even though she and Rarity were talking, Sweetie Belle kept giving Sunset angry glances. Geeze kid, she wasn’t even gone five minutes. The adults eventually wrapped up their conversation, and Rarity’s family left.

“I think that went well. What do you kids think?”, Jiraiya asked.

“I am holding my judgment, for now.”, Anzhong said. “Given how quiet you both were, I did not get enough to make a decision on Ms. Torta.”

“That’s fair. Maybe we can do something similar with just her. How about her kids?”

“Dey seem like fine people, but it seems like we’re bringin’ ‘em inta our world too quickly. We should give ‘em a break before tryin’ ta integrate ‘em more.”

“Rarity says they’re still weirded out by magic.”, Sunset added.

“Maybe what they need is further exposure to normalize us to them.”, Minerva suggested.

“Dat could also scare ‘em away from magic permanently.”

“I think we may be getting a bit off topic.”, Jiraiya said. “How do you like them as people?”

“They’re fine. There’s nothing about them that makes me automatically dislike them.”, Anzhong said. Brigid and Minerva nodded in agreement.

“Good, good, I hope this continues in a positive direction.”

“I’m going to bed.”, Sunset said.

“Good idea.”, Brigid said as she released Sunset.

Alba family car

Date: same day, time: 8:00 pm

*Rarity’s perspective*

“Ah think that went well. What do you kids think?”, Grandma asked.

“I don’t like Sunset.”, Sweetie Belle said quickly.

“Sweetie Belle,” Rarity said, “Sunset is a changed person. She proved that during the musical showcase.”

“I still don’t like her.”

“I thought they were okay.”, Mom said. “Though, they seemed kinda standoffish.”

“I wouldn’t say ‘standoffish’ is the right word.”, Dad said. “Though, I do agree that they don’t seem to be the warmest people, but… Minerva did seem nice.”

“That could just be because they don’t know us well.”, Rarity suggested. “Sunset has always been distant with people she doesn’t know, but she’s a surprisingly caring person, and I’ve seen Dr. Brigid’s warmer side before. Your poking into their magical natures might’ve also contributed to their attitude. It’s a sensitive topic for us.”

“Oh… our bad.”

“It sounds like things went well then.”, Grandma said.

“I’m happy you found someone that makes you happy, Mama.”, Mom said.

The rest of the ride home was relatively quiet. Once they got home, Rarity headed to her room to take care of some homework before bed. Some time later, there was a knock at her door, and Dad came in.

“Hey” Dad came over and sat on Rarity’s bed then patted the space next to him. He had a large book in his other arm.

“What do you have there?”, Rarity asked as she got up and went over to sit next to him.

“Something I want you to have. Recent events have got me thinking about old stories I was told as a kid, mainly stories about the witches of the Everfree and stories about my grandmother.” Dad handed the book to Rarity. It had no title but was leather bound with moon and deer iconography around the edges and a symbol consisting of three diamond-like pillars rising towards three dots inside two circles (The Awen) in the center. “I didn’t believe in those stories. The only reason I kept this thing is because it’s an heirloom. In my mind, magic couldn’t be real, but you’ve proven me wrong. Rarity, your great grandmother was a witch, and this is our family’s spell book.”

Rarity looked up at her father with wide eyes, examining his face to see if he was joking, but his face and her own sixth sense told her he wasn’t. She looked back down at the book and began flipping through the pages. The thing was in surprisingly good shape for something so old. It felt like it was only a few months old, max. It was filled with ritual instructions, old-timey talk, and about a dozen other things Rarity could only guess as to what they were.

“Our family was one of many that were involved in the revolt. According to the stories, our ancestors and many other people escaped their captors and retreated into the Everfree. There, they began learning magic from the natives and witches that were also brought over from the old world. They wrote down everything they were taught in that book, and future generations added to it.”

Rarity closed up the book and placed it behind her on the bed then tackled her dad into a hug. “Thank you, you have no idea how much this means to me. Does Mom know about this?”

“Yeah, I told her all of this.”, Dad said as he began stroking Rarity’s hair. “We love you, Rarity, no matter what form you take.”

Everfree Forest

Date: Nov 7th, time: 11:00 am

*Sunset’s perspective*

“N’ dere.” Brigid got up from pounding in the last spike and tossed the mallet back into the bag. “Wha’ time is it?”

Sunset pulled out her phone and checked. “‘Bout eleven”

“We should grab some food den.”

They grabbed their hunting gear and headed down to the lake. They caught some fish then headed back to camp. Sunset dug the firepit while Brigid prepped the fish and veggies. Sunset had just placed the grill on top when the sound of bipedal feet crushing the fallen autumn leaves came from beyond their campsite. It was distant, and Brigid certainly couldn’t hear it.

“Hey, I’m going to take a walk.”

“Take yer rifle.”

Sunset grabbed her rifle from her bag and slung it across her back as she headed out into the trees. As much as she tried to avoid it, the fallen autumn leaves crunched beneath her feet, and her target would undoubtedly hear her once she got closer. If only I could fly. Dad could silently fly through these trees with those weird feathers of his. I wonder if I would get those same comb feathers if I ever become an alicorn, or would my feathers be like Mom’s? I do have his fur texture that helps to absorb sound. It would be awesome to be able to fly through the night with no one wise to my presence.

She got close enough to her target that she could sense them. Applejack, let’s play a game. Can’t hide my footsteps, so… Sunset hid behind the trees as she and AJ got closer to each other. AJ wasn’t walking in a straight line but, rather, like she’s searching for something, but she wasn’t stalking or in any way trying to not be noticed. Weird, isn’t she hunting?

Sunset put her shuko on and climbed up a tree with a sturdy branch about three meters up. She perched herself on the branch and watched as AJ approached. She stopped just below Sunset and looked around like she was confused. She began to walk away, and Sunset waited until she was a meter away then jumped down behind her. AJ spun around and legit jumped back with a startled yelp and fell on her butt, and Sunset began cackling at the sight.

“Sunset?! What the fuck?! Where’d you even come from?”

Sunset pointed up at the branch as she got her chuckles under control.

“Ya seriously jumped down from there? That’s ten feet up.”

Sunset took her shuko off then walked over and helped AJ up. “It’s perfectly safe, if ya bend your knees right.”

“Ah see ya still find pleasure in nearly givin’ people heart attacks.”

“Don’t give that attitude. I’ve seen you nearly rolling on the ground after startling someone.”

“It’s only funny when it’s not me.”, AJ said in a joking manner, and Sunset returned the grin AJ gave her.

“What kind of gun you got there?”

AJ grabbed her gun off her back and showed it to Sunset. “It’s an Ithaca Deerslayer. The name’s pretty self explanatory. What you got?”

Sunset grabbed her gun and presented it to AJ. “A modified Savage Model 99, it used to belong to my nana, and she tweaked it to improve its accuracy.”

“Cool, but why does it have yer mom’s symbol engraved on it?”

“What?” Sunset turned the gun over and saw what AJ was likely talking about, but it wasn’t Brigid’s symbol… or anyone’s personal symbol for that matter. “This isn’t my mom’s symbol. This is the Mac Carthaigh clan crest.”

“Wait…” AJ leaned in closer to the engraving and even ran her finger over it. “No way.”, she said as she straightened up. “Y're a member of that Mac Carthaigh clan? Ah thought they all died?”

“My mom was the only survivor.”

Both of them slung their guns back across their backs as they continued to talk.

“Then how did ya end up as such a bitch and then literal a demon?”

“I came to this world with most of my problems already starting to take root. Plus, you guys seem to idolize us like some sorta superheroes with love powers.”

“With people like Boann and Taranis Mac Carthaigh havin’ existed, it’s hard not to.”

“Who?”

“Seriously? Okay, how much of the founding of Appleville do you know?”

“A bunch a’ Irish and Scottish “indentured servants” were brought over here to work the fields and build the town, yada yada, they revolted, killed the English, took over the town, and named it after the largest family, yours.”

“Right, but do ya remember who planned the revolt and rallied everyone?”

“They didn’t mention anyone like that. It kinda seemed like they were avoiding naming people. Y’know, finding any way to make history unengaging.”

“Well, it was yer ancestors, Boann and Taranis. Sadly, they died in the battle. There’s a monument with all the names of the people that died to free us. Their names should be on there.”

“Huh, nowhere in the family records did it say that any of us were captured by Cromwell.”

“That was hundreds a’ years ago. A lot happened in that time.”

“That’s the understatement of a century. Though, I’m surprised you weren’t told about my mom. Meg’s dad found out about her some time ago, and I remember him saying he was going to spread the word or something along those lines.”

“Meg’s dad? Dude probably forgot by the time he got back home. His memory is legendarily bad. It’s like he’s only got a select number a’ memory slots. The moment he learns something, he forgets something else. It’s baffling. Ah mean, ma family ain’t known for bein’ geniuses, but he gets lost walkin’ home from his neighborhood’s movie theater. You can see his house from the theater’s front doors.”

“Oh dear, I feel bad for Meg.”

“One advantage of her bein’ deaf is that she doesn’t have ta worry ‘bout losing brain cells by hearin’ him talk. There’s a reason we call him ‘Half-baked’.”

“Please tell me his idiocy has at least resulted in some good stories.”

“Oh, lots.”

“Applejack!”, some kid shouted in the distance.

“Over here!”

AJ’s little sister came through the trees and over to them. “Lunch is ready.”

“Okay, Ah’ll be back in a minute.”

“Bloom, right?”, Sunset asked.

“She also goes by Applebloom now.”, AJ said.

“Let me guess, wanna be like yer big sis? Have ya eve’ heard da origin a’ ‘er nickname?”

“Accent”, AJ said with a grin.

“Shut up.”, Sunset said quickly.

“Um, isn’t it because it sounds cool?”, Bloom asked.

“That’s why we keep usin’ it, but it’s not where it came from.” Sunset got a devilish grin as AJ began rubbing the bridge of her nose. The bag was opened, and the cat’s coming out. “An applejack is an alcoholic drink distilled from fermented cider. It’s one of my mom’s favorite drinks. It tastes really good when mixed with Irish cream.”

“You drink?”, AJ asked.

“Ah think I can have a glass once in a while.” Sunset gave AJ a look that she hoped conveyed the underlying message.

“Ah guess.”

Bloom looked between them with a confused expression.

“If you already had lunch, why were you out here?”, Sunset asked.

“Oh, remember when Rainbow told ya Ah’m a human lie detector?”

Sunset nodded.

“Well, what she left out is that Ah have a connection with plant life. I could sense ya were here but not yer exact location, so Ah came ta find ya. What were ya doin’ out here?”

“I heard your feet crunching the leaves and came to investigate. Not many bipedal critters out ‘ere after all. Once Ah realized it was you, I decided ta spook ya.”

“Ah think Ah’m lost.”, Bloom said.

“It’s not important.”, AJ said then took Bloom’s hand. “Ah hope ta see ya later.”, she said to Sunset.

Sunset waved to them as they left then headed back to her own camp.

“Dere ya are. Ah was about ta go lookin’ fer ya. Wha’ took ya so long?”

“Ah met up with Applejack, n’ we talked.” Sunset took her seat as Brigid got up from her chair and started cooking the fish. “Did ya know that a couple of our ancestors were involved in the revolt?”

“Wait, da revolt? Dat would mean dat dey were captured by Cromwell.”

“That’s what AJ told me. She said their names were Boann and Taranis.”

“Huh, no, Ah did not know. Wha’ happened ta ‘em?”

“They were killed. They must be buried at the church.”

“Huh, we might jus’ need ta take a trip ove’ dere. It’s about time we took ya kids dere anyways.”

Brigid served their food, and they ate. Once they were finished and had cleaned, they grabbed their gear and headed out. They headed further up the mountain as they kept their senses honed on finding their prey and avoided 500+ pounds death machines and geese.

“Mom” Sunset pointed out a tree on a slope with a good perch that overlooked a good chunk of land and even a lower path. Brigid nodded, and they headed over to it. Sunset climbed up and perched herself to look over the slope. Brigid perched herself on the ground and kept an eye on the higher ground and trees behind them.

Sunset surveyed the area with her scope. There were a lot of trees, so she couldn’t see the whole area, but she could still spot movement. The path was pretty easy to see due to the angle. It wasn’t manmade, nothing that far out is. It looked to have been made by animals. She noticed a spot of hunter orange amongst the trees and focused her scope around that area. In the next break of the trees, she saw AJ and her two siblings walking on the path. Their granny wasn’t with them, but her brother is a freshly minted adult. Four year intervals, I guess their parents didn’t want ta have ta deal with two toddlers at a time, smart. I wonder if I can get their attention.

Sunset lowered her scope and could still see them but not well. She also has a scope, and my hair’s a lot easier to spot. Shouting wouldn’t work from this distance. Well, time to try an old ninja trick with a werewolf spin. Sunset cupped a hand around her mouth and howled. She hurriedly grabbed her gun and checked through her scope. AJ heard her and was looking in her direction. She waved her free hand, and AJ looked through her scope up at her and waved back.

“Wha’ was dat about?”

“Just getting AJ’s attention. She and her party are close by.”

“N’ she recognized ya?”

“Yeah, we’re the only werewolves she knows. We’re probably the only wolves in the state.”

“Ya told ‘em?”, Brigid asked in an accusatory tone.

“We hadn’t had the ‘no telling people we’re werewolves’ talk yet, and I’m not about ta keep that from them. We made a rule, no lies within the secret society.”

“N’ dey’re okay with it?”

“Rainbow laughed at me when I told her about my old nickname, calling me a bad Dusk fanfic, which she’s not wrong about. At least the werewolves in that movie were sexy. That’s more than I can say about the vampires.”

“Be careful who ya tell, especially if ya don’t know ‘em well.”

“Y’know, as bad as those movies are, they did turn the public opinion on werewolves from bloodthirsty monsters to sexy badasses. I’ve been watching this show called The Teenage Life of Werewolves for a couple of years, and the main characters are a bunch of werewolves that go from lame dorks to badasses dorks as they go through high school and grow into their powers. It’s no cinematic masterpiece, but it’s fun.”

“Ah’m glad dat yer generation has dat opinion on werewolves, but my generation grew up with werewolf horror movies, n’ ya know how us old farts c’n get stuck in our ways.”

“Okay, I guess you have a point.”, Sunset said sadly.

The rest of the day proved unsuccessful as the only deer they came across were does and other non-antlered deer. Turkey also fell short. But they did get some squirrels for dinner. They were heading back to their camp when Sunset heard AJ and her party nearby.

“Hey, Mom, AJ’s that way. Do ya wanna join them?”

“Hm, if dat’s wha’ ya want.”

Sunset led them to the Apples’ camp site, where they had a fire going and AJ’s brother was prepping their food.

“Hey, Sunset.”, AJ said.

“Hey, whatcha cookin’?”

“Not much, just some veggies. We couldn’t catch or shoot a damn thing ta day.”

“We got some squirrel we c’n share.”, Brigid offered.

“That would be great. What do you think, Big Mac?”

“Ayuh”

“Care ta join us?”

Brigid headed over to Big Mac with their catch bag, and Sunset sat on the ground next to AJ.

“The critters seem ta be hiding better this year.”, Sunset said.

“Really? Ah thought it was because we were outta practice.”

“What do you mean?”

“Sigh, Granny’s not in any shape to be stompin’ about tha woods, n’ we haven’t always been able ta get another family member ta take us. But Big Mac turned eighteen last year, so now, he can take us.”

“Applejack, Ah’m bored.”, Bloom complained. “I want ta do something.” She was stomping around the camp and generally being restless.

“Come sit down. We’ll be eatin’ soon.”

Bloom plopped down and crossed her arms with a huff. “Ah hate huntin’. We aren’t doin’ anythin’ but walkin’ through the woods.”

AJ rolled her eyes and ignored her sister’s complaining. “Sorry, this is her first trip.”

“Maybe you guys should wait until she’s a little older before trying again. I didn’t start huntin’ until Ah was thirteen.”

“Ahh, she’ll get used ta it. She was just expectin’ ta do more shootin’.”

It was completely dark by the time dinner was ready and they were all eating. It was a new moon, so the only major source of light was the fire. They got to talking about school, life, etcetera.

“So, how has Sunset been behavin’ at school?”, Brigid asked AJ.

“Um, good. She’s… well, Ah wouldn’t call it a one-eighty, but she hasn’t done anythin’ malicious.”

“Dat’s good.”

“How did ya survive the massacre? We were told ya were wiped out.”

“Dat is not a story for little girls.”

“Ah’m a big girl. Ah can handle it.”, Bloom complained.

“Kid, Ah still get nightmares ‘bout dat night, n’ Ah was a month away from seventeen. It ain’t a happy story, n’ Ah don’t wanna talk about it.”, Brigid said firmly. She then switched to a more lighthearted tone. “How’s about Ah tell ya kids ‘bout how Ah became known as Brigid “Da Gator Wrassler”? Dat’s a much more fun story.”

“You wrastled gators?”, Bloom asked in astonishment.

“Ah lived in Florida for ove’ a year, specifically, in a city called Pahokee. Pahokee is located on da shore of Lake Okeechobee. Lake Okeechobee is da goddamn most alligator-infested lake in all a’ Florida. We’re talkin’ ten thousand gators. N’ little known fact ‘bout hurricanes, dey c’n pick gators up SHARKNADO STYLE n’ drop ‘em in ta backyards!”

Sunset chuckled to herself as Brigid spun her story until she caught a whiff of something vile, something that made her gag and retch and slam both hands over her nose and mouth. “[Sweet Celestia and stars above]! What died!?” It smelt like a mixture of rotting meat and gangrene soaked bandages (a smell a hospital kid like herself was familiar with) but less pungent. It smelt old but putrid.

“Wha’s wrong, baby?”

“There’s somethin’ wrong.”, AJ said. Sunset picked up her head and looked at AJ. She was looking out into the woods and had a look on her face like she was looking at something alien and was determined to get rid of it. “There’s somethin’ out there, and it’s not supposed to be here.”

“Wha’ do ya mean “not supposed ta be here”?”

“Ah’m not sure, but it feels similar ta you.”

“Me?”

Could she be talking about another werewolf? “I think we should check it out.” Sunset got up and pulled her rifle out of her bag. “AJ care ta join me?”

Brigid stood up and put herself in between Sunset and where AJ was looking. “Now, hold on dere. Stompin’ afte’ some random creature in da middle a’ da night is a bad idea. Ya could get hurt by any numbe’ a’ things.”

“We’re just going to scare it off, make sure it doesn’t come close to camp. Besides, we’ve tussled with dangerous magical creatures before, and that was without guns.”

“You were one a’ them.”, Bloom said coldly.

“Exactly, besides, ya always know when I’m in danger.”

“Ah’m with Sunset. Whatever this thing is, we should scare it away for everyone’s safety, and as the only people here with powers, it should be us two ta handle it.” AJ had her shotgun with a flashlight mounted to it and stood next to Sunset.

“If we get inta somethin’ we can’t handle, we’ll scream… really, really loud, and I’ll be up a tree before AJ can say ‘Are ya seriously leavin’ me down here ta be eaten?’.”, Sunset said in a bad AJ impression, earning a backhanded smack to her arm. Sunset grinned back at her. “It ain’t my fault y’re slower than me.”

“Oh, is that the only reason ya want me ta come with ya?”, AJ said sarcastically.

“Yes”

The two of them grinned and chuckled with each other over their dark humor. I like having someone else that gets my humor.

“Sigh, fine, but don’t do somethin’ dat would give yer fathe’ a heart attack.” Brigid stepped out of their way, and the girls marched on into the woods.

Without the fire, it got dark quickly. Without the moon, even Sunset couldn’t see more than a meter in front of her. In enclosed spaces, like caves or houses, this wasn’t a problem, but in the Everfree Forest, renowned for getting really dark in places (hence its nickname as the Dark Forest) due to its thick foliage, this was a problem.

AJ turned on her flashlight and scanned their surroundings. “Ah take it ya don’t have yer flashlight on ya.”, she said quietly.

“I don’t own one.”

“What?”

Sunset turned to AJ and showed her her eye glow. It’s certainly odd that humans are more light sensitive than ponies and that they can pick up on her eye glow when normal ponies can’t, especially since pony eyes are something like three times bigger than human eyes. “I retained my thestral senses when I came through the portal. There aren’t many times I’d need a flashlight, and most of the time, it’d just be a hindrance to me. Unfortunately, tonight’s the one time I’d need one. I’ll just rely on my other senses. Whatever that thing is, it’s pungent.”

“Got it.”

As they followed their senses towards the creature, Sunset started to hear something. She grabbed AJ’s shoulder to stop them and eliminate their noise. Quadrupedal, bear-sized, it’s moving slowly. “What exactly is your sixth sense telling you?”

“Eh, it ain’t easy ta explain. Every animal and plant has its place out here, even humans and human adjacents, and Ah can sense that through ma connection ta the trees and identify the creature. This thing doesn’t belong in this ecosystem. It also feels magical, like you and yer mom. Ah don’t know how else to explain it.”

“I got it. How close are we?”

“Ah dunno. Ah can only get a general direction, but Ah can be more precise the closer we get.”

“Got it.”

They resumed walking, and the sound seemed to maintain a steady distance from them. It’s moving away from us at the same speed we’re moving towards it. Sunset kept them at a steady pace to keep from alerting the thing too early.

“Ahh, that reeks.”, AJ said as she quickly covered her nose.

“I know.”

“What is that smell?”

“Rotting human flesh would be my guess.”

“What are we dealing with, a wendigo?”, AJ said in an alarmed tone.

“Wouldn’t it be classified under “human adjacent”? And it’s not winter yet.”

“Ah don’t know. Ah’ve never encountered one. But y’re thinkin’ that ain’t what we’re looking for?”

“I heard it walking. It’s quadrupedal, and I don’t think they are.”

“They can scuttle. Ah have some Native relatives, and they told me about a time they encountered one. It would scuttle around on all fours to move quickly.”

“Eh, this thing’s moving slowly. Did your relatives mention how heavy they are?”

“No. How heavy is this thing?”

“Bear heavy.”

“Bear?”

They reached a spot where the smell became overwhelming, and nothing else could be smelt. AJ let go of her nose and realigned her gun. They didn’t have the luxury of covering their noses anymore. The thing had been there. Sunset noticed something in a patch of dirt and directed AJ to point the light over there. They got closer to examine it. It was some sort of paw print. It looked like a dog print but was the size of a bear.

“Okay, this thing’s moving away from camp. It’s not comin’ ta attack us. We should head back.”, AJ said with a hint of fear in her voice.

“Hang on.” Letting her gun fall to her side, Sunset took out her phone and crouched down to take a picture of the print with her hand as reference. The flash from her camera illuminated a small area around the print and revealed a tuft of fur caught on a bush. She retrieved it, and it stank of the same rotting smell. She took a picture of the fur as well. It was a sandy brown color. Its color didn’t match any animal she knew of. I’ll ask Fluttershy about it. “This thing smells like rotting human flesh. That means it got into a human at some point. It’s a threat to us so long as it’s alive.” Sunset put her phone back in her pocket and readied her gun again.

“We’re two girls, goin’ after a creature the size of a bear and that has eaten a human, in the dark. Ah’ve changed my mind. This isn’t just some creature anymore. It’s a man-eater. We don’t have the skills or gear ta deal with this. Ma gun is only meant ta take down deer, not somethin’ that big.”

“I’m an ex-monster hunter. I do have the training to deal with this. And you said it was magical. That makes this our responsibility. We’re the only ones that can deal with it.”

“Just because some magical monster is marchin’ through the woods, it doesn’t mean it’s our responsibility. You’re an ex-monster hunter, and that was back when ya were a pony, back in Equestria. This is Earth, and you’re now a human…ish. We aren’t goin’ after it. We’re headin’ back ta camp.”

“What, don’t tell me you’re scared.”

“Ah am scared n’ rightfully so. Ah didn’t come out here ta hunt down somethin’ like a wendigo. The state police can take care of it or some other adult. Now, ya can either come with me willingly, or Ah can knock ya out n’ drag ya back. Yer choice.”

Is she really going to do this? AJ taking her gun’s strap off and the determined look in her eye told her she was. “Scoff, fine, let’s go.”

AJ put her strap back over her shoulder, and they retraced their steps back to camp. AJ had a quicker pace on the way back, and Sunset had to pick it up to keep up. AJ turned her light off as they reached the light of the fire.

“Did ya find anythin’?”, Brigid asked.

“We did. Do you guys have any baggies?”, Sunset asked Big Mac.

“Eeyup” Big Mac got up and retrieved the requested item.

“Thank you” Sunset took the baggie and placed the fur inside.

“Wha’s dat?”

Sunset held the bag out towards Brigid, and from the face she made, it was clear she got a whiff of it.

“Ah’m guessin’ dat’s from da thin’ ya smelled.”

“Ayuh” Sunset closed the baggie up tightly and stuffed it in her pocket.

“Wait, dat’s human rot. Ya were chasin’ afte’ a man-eate’! Sunset, don’t give me da excuse ya couldn’t tell. Ah know ya know wha’ dat smell is.”, Brigid said angrily.

“That’s why I wanted to go scare it off or kill it, if need be.”

“Sunset, come with me.” Brigid got up and walked towards the woods. The tone she used was a cold, commanding one that communicated a level of pissed that no amount of screaming could. Sunset did as instructed, wanting to run in the other direction all the while. They ended up just outside of the campsite but still near enough to see. Brigid leaned over Sunset, making herself look very intimidating. “Ya went afte’ a monster, one ya very well knew is a man-eate’. Wha’ were ya thinkin’?”, she said angrily but quietly enough to not be heard by Bloom or Big Mac.

“It’s my job to hunt monsters. It has been for fifteen years.”

“It was yer job. You aren’t a soldier any more. Y’re a child. Ya could’ve gotten yerself killed. Ya could’ve gotten Applejack killed.”

“AJ said it herself. It’s a magical monster. We’re the only people that can handle it.”

“Is it an Equestrian monster?”

“No, I don’t think so.”

“Den y’re not da only ones dat can handle it. Earth has been dealin’ with our own crap for thousands a’ years. Ah’m sure dere are capable adults dat c’n handle it.”

“But-”

“No ‘but’s, Ah understand that transitioning back ta civilian life is hard, but y’re not a soldier any more. Y’re a little girl. One day, y’ll be old enough ta handle dis stuff, but dat’s not tonight.”

“But I’m the reason magic’s coming back to Earth. I’m the reason that monster’s here. It’s my responsibility to fix it.”

“We don’t know dat. Maybe ya are da reason. Maybe it’s pure coincidence. We jus’ don’t know. All we do know is dat y’re da reason yer girls have magic. Y’re responsibility is ta them. Y’re responsible f’r helpin’ ‘em figure out deir magic, n ya c’n’t do dat if y’re dead… Sunset, part a’ askin’ f’r help is recognizin’ when ya need help. Do ya really think dat two kids could take on a man-eatin’ monste’?”

“We had our guns with us.”

“Guns aren’t magic wands where ya c’n go ‘bippity boppity boo’ n’ make a problem go away. Hunte’s c’n still get hurt or killed by even normal animals like deer. Wha’ are ya not understandin’?”

Sunset lowered her head and looked away.

“Sunset Shimmer, look at me.”, Brigid commanded as she grabbed Sunset by the jacket.

Sunset whipped her head back around and saw Brigid with a rage filled face. Unlike the last time she was like that, there was no sadness in her face, just pure anger. Sunset let out a whimper and tried to make herself smaller. She couldn’t explain why, but she felt like she was going to cry, maybe because of the fear.

“Dis is da second time ya’ve done somethin’ like dis. Y’re not some super soldier anymore. Y’re mo daughte’, n’ Ah’m not gonna let ya kill yerself. Do Ah make meself clear?”

Sunset nodded quickly. If she had her tail, it’d be in between her legs.

“Go sit down.” Brigid pointed to the fire.

Sunset scurried over with her head low and sat down with her knees to her chest. She looked over to AJ, who had a bewildered look on her face. “What are you lookin’ at?”, she said sharply.

Brigid sat down next to Sunset and pulled her close to her. “Ah think we should head back ta town tamorrah, with dat thin’ around.”

“Ah’m not sure that’d be necessary.”, AJ said. “For starters, if it’s as large as we think it is, it’s gonna be hard for it ta sneak up on us, not ta mention the way it smells. Also, given that we didn’t see hide nor hair nor putrid stink of it today, it’s most likely only active durin’ the night. Ah think, so long as we stick together, we’ll be fine.”

“Hm, ya do make some good points. Alright, but we’re leavin’ before tamorrah’s nightfall. Ah don’t feel like riskin’ it.”

Sweet Apple Acres

Date: Nov 8th, time: 7:00 pm

*Applejack’s perspective*

“Ah can’t believe Sunset had you chasin’ after some man-eatin’ monster.”, Bloom said. She sat on the back porch as AJ and Big Mack processed the deer.

“Ah know, Bloom. Ah don’t like it either, but Ah’m not ready ta dissolve our friendship over it. It’s not like she was trying ta kill us.”, AJ said.

“She could’ve killed you.”, Bloom said angrily.

“And Ah’ll be ridin’ that mileage for a while. She just overestimated our abilities. We’re all still learning what our new limitations are. Heck, fer all Ah know, we could’ve taken that thing.”

“Ah still don’t like her.”, Bloom mumbled.

“Sigh, that’s yer right. Just don’t be mean ta her. She’s tryin’ ta get better.”

They finished processing the deer, getting it all covered up and everything cleaned up, then headed back inside to clean up themselves. As they were finishing cleaning up, Granny came down the stairs. “‘Bout time ya kids finished up. Jacklyn, Ah have somethin’ ta show you.”

AJ put the towel down and followed Granny over to the couch, joined by Big Mac and Bloom. AJ and Bloom sat around Granny, and Big Mac stood behind them, leaning on the back of the couch. Granny had a large book in her hands and handed it to AJ. It was leather bound with the tree of life and other plant, moon, Celtic axe, and Native American iconography carved into it. “What is this?”

“It’s yer mom’s spell book.”

“Are ya jokin’?”

“No, Ah ain’t. Yer mother was a practicin’ witch.”

AJ quickly flipped open the book and began looking through it. It was filled with ritual instructions, spell instructions, and a bunch of other weird stuff. “This is awesome.”

“Maybe ya can make somethin’ of it with yer magic, instead of it spendin’ the rest a’ eternity in ma closet.”

“Does this mean we might have magic?”, Bloom asked.

“Hell if Ah know. Ah barely understood this stuff when yer mother would tell me about it. Just no doin’ magic in tha house.”

“Understood” AJ turned her full attention to the book, reading through everything. This is so cool. Ah’m… Ah’m like mom.

CHS lunchroom

Date: Nov 10th, time: 12:00 pm

*Sunset’s perspective*

Having just come from gym and with still damp hair, Sunset sat down with her tray of food at the Rainbooms’ usual table. She no longer felt the need to sit in the center of the group given that the other students have decided to ignore her existence, all except for Lily Valley. Sunset could see her giving her death stares out of the corner of her eye. She could only guess Lily hated her because she was with Flash or because she was getting popular, but it all still seemed odd. Everything from her behavior to her kissing Flash, especially when contrasted with the rest of her family, was just odd.

The rest of the girls were already talking amongst each other, and as soon as there was a break in her conversation, Sunset got Fluttershy’s attention. “Hey, Fluttershy, could you take a look at something for me?”

“Sure, what is it?”

Sunset showed her the picture of the print on her phone and handed her the baggie of fur. “I wouldn’t open that, at least, not while yer eatin’.”

“Holy crap, that’s huge.”

“I estimated ‘bear-sized’.”

“Yeah, that looks about right. Where did you find it?”

“AJ and I encountered it while we were hunting in the Everfree a couple days ago.”

“We had ta cut it short because we could smell tha… let’s just say we could tell it ate humans by tha smell, and it’s not keen on bathin’, and that’s why ya shouldn’t open that up”, AJ said.

“Okay, well, ignoring the size, it’s definitely canid or canid-like, but it’s not a dog, wolf, coyote, or fox. This fur also doesn’t look like it would belong to anything found here. The color looks more suited to a desert environment. Could you send me that picture? I’ll look more into it when I get home.”

“Okay, I can do that.”

Sunset emailed it to Fluttershy then put her phone back in her pocket but noticed her gym bag was open. She looked up to see Rainbow putting her gym pants on over own pants. She looked on in befuddlement as RD pulled her pants up to her neck, making herself look like a pair of pants with a head. Sunset’s quite a bit larger than RD in every way, and her pants were very stretchy, so it was easy for her to do so. It was only when she started running away, while still wearing her pants, did Sunset register what was happening.

“Hey! Bring me back my pants!” Sunset jumped up from her seat and started chasing RD around the cafeteria. For all intents and purposes, it looked like she was chasing down her own runaway pants, earning belly laughs from the rest of the students. She chased the pants stealer around the cafeteria before finally catching her and bringing her to the ground, eliciting a surprised yelp from her. Rainbow had to let go of the pants to protect her face, letting Sunset yank them off her.

“Okay, okay, heheheh, you win.”, RD said between chuckles. Sunset wasn’t done with her however and flipped her onto her back. Rainbow looked up at her with surprise as she crouched over her on all fours and growled straight into her face. Surprise turned to fear, and she instinctively lowered her chin to protect her neck before realization flashed on her face. “Oh, I get what’s going on.” Rainbow raised her neck in submission, and Sunset stopped snarling and got up. “Point made, I won’t steal your pants again.”

Sunset took a moment to clear her head of the animalistic thoughts and instincts then helped RD up. They turned to go back to their table when Sunset noticed everyone was giving them weird looks. She blushed in embarrassment and pulled her hoodie up.

“What? Like this is the weirdest thing you’ve seen this year?”, RD chided. The rest of the students went back to their own stuff, and RD and Sunset quietly scurried back to their table. “Wolfie took over?”

“Wolfie saw one of her bitches actin’ da maggot and was not havin’ it.”

“Acting the maggot?”

“Irish phrase meaning acting like a fool.”

The two of them sat back down, AJ was rubbing her side, and Sunset put her pants back into her bag. Lunch soon finished, and the day continued. Once school was over, Sunset headed to Ms. Lance-Hart’s office. She sat down, and they got to talking. Ms. Lance-Hart asked about her weekend, and Sunset told her everything that went down in the forest.

“Okay,” Ms. Lance-Hart said, “that’s pretty scary. Why did you go after the creature?”

“I knew it could be dangerous, and I wanted to protect my mom. I guess I fell into my old monster hunter role and didn’t consider the idea that we weren’t prepared for something like that.”

“Sounds like your victory against the Dazzlings might’ve given you a false sense of confidence. It also sounds like your mother has a pretty good grasp on your situation.”

“My aunt’s an ex-soldier, so she has experience with people like me and a minor in psychology. I’ve had times where I forget that I’m a kid or that I was a pony. Now, with my old life bleeding into my new one, I forget I’m not General Shimmer anymore and that my girls aren’t soldiers, but Celestia warned me of a prophetic dream she had where we were in danger because of our magic. I want to protect them and get them ready to fight, but I keep having to remind myself that they’re children. I’m scared.” Sunset covered her face with her hands. “I am responsible for them. It’s my fault they have magic. It’s my fault they’re in danger. It’s all my fault.”

“Have you asked anyone for help?”

“Who can I ask for help? I’m the only person with advanced knowledge of magic.”

“What about Twilight? Wouldn’t she have a similar knowledge of magic?”

Sunset pulled her head up and looked Ms. Lance-Hart in the eye. “She would. She’s coming in a few days. She might be able to help.”

They finished up the session, and Sunset headed home. As she walked down her street, some yappy little dog was barking up a storm. She passed the yard of the yappy dog, a chihuahua, and bent down to better face it. “Noisy little thing, you are.” The dog kept barking. Sunset wanted to growl at the thing to shut it up, but the look that would’ve earned from Fluttershy made her rethink. She got up and continued home. Once home, she headed straight to her desk to continue working on making her own medical sensors, having gotten a broken one from Jiraiya to dissect.

Her dissection was interrupted by her phone ringing, and the caller ID showed Fluttershy. Sunset placed it on speaker to continue working. “Hey, Fluttershy, what’s up?”

“What you found was a hyena paw print, and the fur color also matches.”

“A hyena? In Maine? A ‘bear-sized’ hyena in Maine?” Hyena laughing, is that thing the danger?

“I know, but that’s what you found.”

“Thanks, Fluttershy, you were a big help. I need to go double check some things.”

“Okay, bye.”

Sunset dropped what she was doing and rushed over to where she kept The Evolution of Monsters books and flipped open the Africa one. Given her and her mother’s nature, she’d marked the entry with a green tab but never expected to encounter one. Werehyena, a creature that can take the form of a human during the day but take their true form at night. Blablabla, dig up graves and devour the rotting flesh of the occupant. “Gross, but that explains the smell. Okay, we might have a problem. I have ta call the girls.”

CHS

Date: Nov 12th, time: 3:00 pm

*Sunset’s perspective*

The bell rang and the students spilled out of their classrooms, except for the students in gym class. They headed to the showers. This included the Rainbooms.

“What does sixteen plus thirty-six equal?”, Pinkie asked.

“Um, fifty-two.”, Fluttershy said.

“Nope, a prison sentence.”

Fluttershy, Rarity, and AJ all rolled their eyes while Sunset and RD, the most messed up of the bunch, chuckled as they entered the locker room.

“What did the cannibal do after he dumped his girlfriend? Wiped his butt. What’s the difference between a cop and a bullet? When a bullet kills someone, it gets fired.”, she continued as they undressed.

“Pinkie, Ah would say ya need help, but any shrink that sees you would end up in the loony bin themselves.”, AJ teased.

“Nah, you need ta be alive to end up in the loony bin.”, RD said.

“Are you suggesting I would kill my shrink? Because I wouldn’t. I would hire someone else ta do it.”

“I don’t know. That’s a lot of paperwork.”, Rarity said.

“I can do it.”, Sunset said. “No paperwork, no pens, just give me a name, address, and three hundred bucks and some Gormy chocolate.”

“Hm, how would you do it?”

“Oh, I wouldn’t kill them. They’d commit suicide.”

“Yeah, suicide by two shots in the back of their head.”, Fluttershy deadpanned.

“I knew there was a reason I like you.”, RD said.

“Oh, I thought it was because I’m blackmailing you to love me.”

“Yeah, that too.” A very naked RD hugged a very naked Fluttershy and kissed her on the head.

“Oh, geeze, at least wait until the rest of us are done showerin’.”, AJ joked.

“Just plug your ears.”

“Ah could plug yer ears with a knife.”

The jokes stopped at that as they climbed into the showers. After they were clean, dry, and dressed, they headed to the bandroom. As they were heading inside, Scootaloo came rolling up to them on her scooter.

“Hey, Rainbow Dash, wanna see a new trick I learned?”, Scootaloo asked.

“Of course, Scoots, I’ll meet you outside after we’re done practicing.”

“I need ta do my trick at the skatepark, and my aunts are leaving soon.”

“Ooh, sorry kiddo, I can’t. I have magic stuff ta do. Maybe another time.”

Sunset placed a hand on RD’s shoulder to let her know to wrap it up. They were on a schedule.

“I gotta get going. We can hang another time.”

Scootaloo scowled at Sunset and rolled away.

“Is she allowed ta ride that scooter in here?”, Sunset asked.

“She has a bad knee. She can’t move it properly, so she has a medical exception for it as a mobility aid. It’s cheaper and works better for her than the medical ones.”

“Ahh, clever.”

The girls headed inside and started playing. The purpose of the jam-session wasn’t to practice. It was to “pony-up”, as Pinkie called it. Personally, Sunset thought it sounded like they were telling someone to pay up in some mafia period piece, but it worked and made sense. Once they all were “ponied-up”, they put their instruments away and, as planned, covered their ears with hats and hoodies, and Fluttershy and RD covered their wings with thick jackets. Fluttershy led them outside and to a relatively large clearing in the Everfree surrounded by sparse trees. It was perfect for flying lessons. They removed their ear and wing coverings and split up into two groups; AJ teaching Rarity and Pinkie how to reinforce their bodies near the edge of the clearing, and Sunset working with Fluttershy and Rainbow in the center.

“Okay, Fluttershy, I’ve seen that Rainbow has a good grasp on getting off the ground, but I haven’t seen you do much flying. Can you show me what you can do?”

“Um, okay.” Fluttershy flapped her wings and brought herself to only about a few inches off the ground.

“Can you go any higher?”

“Um, I’ll try.” She got herself about another couple of inches higher.

“I thought you said you aren’t afraid of heights.”

“I’m not afraid of heights. I’m afraid of falling.”, she said indignantly.

“Hey, you don’t have ta worry. You got me here ta catch you.”, RD said.

Fluttershy smiled and blushed as Rainbow tried to hug her without them ending up on their butts with little success.

“Fluttershy, is this a self confidence issue, or are you just doing this so Rainbow can play ‘knight in shining armor’?”, Sunset asked.

Fluttershy’s blush spread across the rest of her face. “Um, a bit of both.”, she squeaked out.

“Well, put your lovie-dovie crap on hold for now.”, Sunset said in her ‘commander voice’. “That werehyena should have the same powers as a werewolf, and you’ve seen what I can do without full access to mine. Imagine gettin’ inta a fight with mo mothe’. You wouldn’t last long. We need to be prepared if Celestia’s prediction comes true.”

Fluttershy and Rainbow put some distance between them then nodded their understanding.

“Good, start with some warm-ups. Fly around and get a feel for your wings and how you move.”

They nodded again and took off. Rainbow was much more confident and faster in her flight as they circled around the clearing. She also started doing dives. Man, that still looks cool. Sunset didn’t stop her as she remembered how much Spitfire hated it when her teachers did that but also kept a careful watch in case of a crash. She wasn’t looking to test if their hybrid nature made them as impact resistant as ponies today. Rainbow’s dives started getting bigger, and she was going above the trees. Being spotted was a concern, but the bigger concern was RD cracking her skull open.

“Rainbow! Stay below the treetops! And slow down! These are only warm-ups!”, Sunset barked.

“Right! Sorry!” Rainbow stopped her dives and slowed down to about Fluttershy’s speed. The two of them circled the clearing a couple more times before heading back down to Sunset.

“Okay, good. Now, the most important part of flying is control. Do either of you have your learner’s permit?”

“Nah, I’m not turning fifteen until May.”, Rainbow said.

“She’s the youngest of us.”, Fluttershy elaborated. “I do have my permit.”

“Good, then you would know how important maintaining control is. Losing control can lead to a crash and you losing your lives. There is a reason we have flight school back in Equestria. The way my sister learned control is through obstacle courses. We don’t have flight obstacle courses here, so we’ll be using the trees as our obstacles. Don’t worry about speed. Go as fast as you feel comfortable with but stay as close to the trees as possible and keep your turns tight.” Sunset grabbed several packages of throwing needles with red tassels attached and one with white tassels and zipped around and outside the clearing, throwing them up into the 60-80 foot trees, creating markers. “Those are your course markers. The white one is your starting point. Try to fly as close to them as possible.”

Fluttershy and RD nodded and shot back up into the air and began the course. Sunset grabbed a pair of binoculars out of her bag to get a better look at their forms and turns. Fluttershy was going slow but steady and making clean, tight turns. Rainbow was going much faster, but her turns were less consistent. Some turns were good but others went wide with her nearly hitting other trees.

“Rainbow! Slow it down! You’re not racing!”

Rainbow did slow down for a bit but picked it back up within minutes and continued with the sloppy turns.

“Rainbow! Slow it down or-” Before Sunset could finish her threat, RD clipped badly, lost control, and began plummeting to the ground. The world slowed around her as Sunset’s brain screamed. Crap! Crap! Crap crap crap crap crap! Fluttershy dove to try to catch her, but she was on the opposite side of the clearing. Sunset dropped the binoculars and started to run to catch her without having thought of a plan to catch her, something she only realized when she was almost under her and Rainbow was only about a dozen feet away from the ground. What do I do? What do I do? Oh, this is going to hurt. Sunset twisted around and launched herself backwards, finishing her spin mid air and right under Rainbow. RD landed chest fist into Sunset’s stomach, slamming them to the ground. They skidded to a stop and got the wind knocked out of both of them.

They laid there, stunned, as the world sped up to normal speed. Sunset started to register other sounds again, including the shouts of the other girls. She let out a sharp inhale as her body remembered to breathe, and much to her relief, RD started breathing again too.

“Are you okay?” “Get her off her.” “No, we shouldn’t move them.” All the girls were talking over each other, and the cacophony of voices wasn’t helping Sunset’s frazzled senses.

“Shut up.”, Sunset said. It was by no means commanding, but neither was it weak or wheezy. She sounded like she was tired or ‘just done’.

Rainbow pushed herself up, and the rest of the girls tried to stop her, but she waved them off. “I’m fine.”

“You just nose dived out of the sky. You’re not fine.”, Fluttershy chastised.

“My mom’s coming to pick me up. I’ll have her check me out.”

“Sunset, are you okay?”, Pinkie asked.

“Been better.” Sunset wobbled to her feet and, aside from a lot of soreness, felt fine. It was like getting slammed by someone Tiny’s size. “I think we should wrap things up.”

The rest of them agreed, and AJ gathered up their stuff while the rest of the girls helped Sunset and RD out of the forest. AJ joined back up with them as they exited the forest. The girls brought the two of them over to the steps and had them wait there. They waited for RD’s mom to arrive, and when she did, Pinkie rushed over and quickly brought her over.

“Okay, can someone else explain to me what happened? Pinkie was talking way too fast.”, DR’s mom explained.

“Rainbow crashed into Sunset during flight training.”, Fluttershy explained.

“Okay, let’s head inside so I can check you out.” RD’s mom still looked confused about the situation but followed the girls to the locker room. The rest of the girls stood out of the way as she had the two of them sit on a bench and gave them a once over. “Okay, tell me what happened, exactly.”

“Sunset was teaching us how to fly when I clipped my wing on a branch and lost control, and Sunset had to break my fall.”

“Okay, is your neck hurting at all?”

“No, but I haven’t moved it, just in case.”

“Hm” RD’s mom poked around RD’s neck, especially the back of it. “Okay, I don’t think it’s broken. Do either of you have any complaints? Are you hurting anywhere?”

“Other than some soreness, I feel fine.”, Sunset said.

“Yeah, same here. Though, I can practically feel the bruise forming on my wing.”, RD said.

“Okay, both of you, take off your jackets and shirts.”

They did as instructed, and that’s when Sunset noticed the state of her jacket. The back wasn’t torn, but it was noticeably scratched up. It made her wince. She laid it aside to worry about later and took off her hoodie then her shirt. Her front was slightly discolored but otherwise looked fine.

“You… have a lot of scars for someone so young.”, RD’s mom said.

Welp, she’s probably gonna think Mom and Dad are abusive. “Yeah, those are a long story, but the short version is I got them before I was adopted.”

“Oh, I did not realize you were adopted.”

“Not many people do. My favorite are the people who ask where I get my gold stripes and I get to tell them ‘from the mailman’.”

“Ha! Oh, that’s gold. Okay, how deep would you say your soreness is?”

“Um, skin deep, I don’t feel like any of my organs are damaged, other than not wanting to eat.”

“Okay, keep an eye on that. If you start to have more internal pains, go to the hospital. Rainbow?”

Rainbow poked around her chest then shook her head. “No broken bones. I think I’m fine.”

“How high up did you fall from?... And I guess I need to ask how fast you were going.”

“You were at one of the lower markers, so about sixty feet, and with the aid of gravity, you were probably going about… twenty, twenty-five-ish mph.”, Sunset said.

RD’s mom’s eyes widened at that. “H-how? People die going slower than that on bicycles. How did neither of you break anything?”

“It’s the alien magic. They’re some tough cookies, and it looks like we got the increased durability as well.”

“Yer chubbiness probably helped too.”, AJ remarked.

“Did you just call me fat?”

“Well, ya are. Y’re like a livin’ pillow.”

“I’m not overly fat. I have a healthy layer of protective fat.”

“Keep tellin’ yerself that.”

“Rude”

“What’s rude is not tellin’ someone that they’re chasin’ after a man-eatin’ werehyena.”, AJ said with a shit-eating grin.

Sunset didn’t have a proper response to that so just gave her the middle finger.

“I’m just going to ignore that. Though, you seem to know a lot about this alien species. You were the one to explain your magic to us and now this. How do you know so much?”, RD’s mom asked.

“I’ve been to Equoes, the aliens’ home planet, and spent a while over there. That’s how I got most of my scars.”

“I have… so many more questions.”

“And I would not like to answer them. My time on Equoes was very traumatic.”

“Oh, sorry.”

“Yeah, speaking of alien business, could you wait outside for a bit. We’ve got secret society stuff to discuss.”

RD’s mom looked to her daughter, who gave her a nod, then exited the locker room with some hesitation. The rest of the girls huddled around Sunset and Rainbow.

“How long do you plan on holding onto that monster hunting trip?”

AJ shrugged. “Ah dunno.”

“Anyway, before this kerfuffle, I wanted to ask you if it’d be okay if I told Twilight about your psychic powers. Given her reaction to the school spirits, I think she can be trusted with that knowledge.”

“You’re the one that wanted to keep it a secret from her, darling.”, Rarity said. “I think it would be best to leave dealing with Equestrians to you since you’re from there.” The rest of the girls nodded, echoing similar sentiments.

“Great, I feel like a politician again.”, Sunset said, remembering the times she had to play diplomat. Those were not fun times.

“You were a politicker?”, Pinkie asked.

“Are you really that surprised, considering how much of a sleazebag I can be?”

“No, not really.”, she said through a gritted teeth smile.

“With that out of the way, does anyone else have anything to say before we wrap things up?”

“I do.”, Rarity said. “Any idea of how durable we are, and would it also mean we’re heavier too? If so, I might just test it out next time my sister hogs the couch.”

“Well, as far as weight goes, my mom hasn’t had any trouble carrying me, but she is a super-werewolf, so… As far as durability, you’re more than welcome to step out into traffic and check.”

Rarity let out an evil little laugh with a smile that would scare a normal pony. “Maybe I could push you into traffic.”

“Hm, we could play a friendly game of traffic doggers.”

“Okay, this line a’ jokes is goin’ a bit too far.”, AJ said.

“Alright, we’ll cut it out. Does anyone else have business to discuss?”

The rest of the girls gave their various ‘no’s, and Sunset nodded. She and Rainbow put their clothes back on then they all headed out, AJ handing everyone their stuff back. RD’s mom rejoined them, and they all, except for RD, detransformed. AJ and Rarity got onto the bus, RD got into her mom’s car, and the remaining three walked home. Sunset headed straight to her room and began working on the sensors. She’d gotten a pretty good idea on how to build them. She just needed to draw up her own plans for them. She’d just about finished building the machines. She just needed to build a couple more pieces and the sensors, and they’d be ready for cases.

A couple hours later, Brigid and Anzhong returned home, and Sunset rushed out to greet them. Her bruises gave protest when she hugged Brigid, but she ignored them. “Hey, Mom, I need to talk with you about somethin’.”

“Wha’s up?” Brigid continued to unpack the groceries as they talked.

“Well, the girls and I have a rule, no secrets within the secret society, and Twilight is technically a part of our society, even though she doesn’t live here. I want to tell her everything, but given that “everything” includes a sensitive topic for you, I wanted to get your permission first.”

“Hm… how does Equestria view werewolves?”, Brigid said after some consideration.

“We ain’t got any, and at least to my knowledge, there are no such legends. And Twilight has had no exposure to werewolf stories over here.”

“Chm, alright, ya c’n tell ‘er.”

Hothoof apartment

Date: same day, time: 5:00 pm

*RD’s perspective*

RD laid on her bed with an icepack on her bruising wing. Given that her wings and hoodie are both blue, tucking them in worked well enough to hide them for the walk up to her apartment. Even if someone did notice them, so long as she didn’t move them, she could easily say they were a costume. Her ears on the other hand, they didn’t like to hold still, twitching towards any sounds and moving to convey emotions. They were like squirmy toddlers. She had her blinds closed so anyone looking to go window peeping wouldn’t see her. Some people can be such creeps.

There was a knock at her door, and the person on the other side didn’t wait for an answer before barging in. Scootaloo hobbled in as fast as she could with her bad knee and hopped onto Rainbow’s bed. “Hey, Rainbow.”

“Hey, Squirt.”

“What happened to you?”

“I clipped my wing while training and crashed. I’m not hurt, just got some bruising and aches.”

“So, I take it you aren’t up to going to the skatepark.”

“Sorry, Squirt, maybe tomorrow. I’ll be seeing if my magic gives me super healing.”

Scootaloo nodded and scooted in closer. She began stroking and fiddling with the feathers of RD’s uninjured wing. “What’s it like having wings?”

“They feel like my arms and legs. It did take a bit for my brain ta… create a separate command path for them, if that makes sense. Uh, for a bit, I would move them when I tried to move my arms and my arms when I tried to move them, like they were attached with strings, but that eventually got sorted out.”

“Cool”

“Hello, girls.”

RD lifted up her head to see mom standing at her door with a book in her arms. “Hey, Mom, whatcha got there?”

Mom entered the room, and RD and Scoots shifted around so she could sit on the bed. “Do you remember the stories about the Everfree witches?”

“Yeah, dozens of escaped indentured servants retreated into the forest and began learning magic to free their families, and the MacNeacail were supposedly among them. Why?”

“Well, given current events, I started looking through my mother’s old things and found this.” Mom handed RD the book. The cover was made of leather and in the center was a griffin and surrounding it were crows, valknuts, and wind patterns. “Open it up.”

Rainbow did, and it was filled with Nordic and witch imagery. Her eyes widened at the sight. “The stories are true.”

“I’m starting to think so, yeah.”

“That’s so awesome. You’re a real life witch.”, Scootaloo said.

Rainbow continued looking through the book, discovering more spell looking things and even descriptions on spirits. “Totally awesome”

Outside CHS

Date: Nov 14th, time: 4:15 pm

*Sunset’s perspective*

With a ripple of the surface, Twilight came stumbling out of the portal, and Sunset stepped out of the way and grabbed her by the back of the collar to stabilize her.

“Whoa, thanks.” Twilight straightened herself out then looked around the courtyard. “May I ask, where are the rest of the girls?”

“Home would be my guess. It’s just us two tonight so we can discuss sciency stuff that I doubt the others will be interested in. We’ll be heading to AJ’s tomorrow for the party.”

“Oh, that works for me.” Twilight tried to adjust her skirt to cover more of her legs as the wind picked up and more flakes flouted to the ground.

“Good, let’s get going. I only live a twenty minute walk away, but it’s only gonna get colder.”

“Yes, I would like that please.”

Sunset began leading Twilight to her house and decided to start the conversation then since they had nothing else to talk about. “So, a couple of house rules, my dad is blind so don’t leave anything on the floor and make sure your chair is fully put back before you leave the table.”

“Oh, okay, I understand your rules.”

“You don’t have to be so formal, Twi. For that matter, what you’re goin’ can be considered rude here.”

“May I ask, how would formal language be considered rude? I am trying to be respectful to my elder.”

“For starters, I’m not your elder. Secondly, people don’t wanna listen to others drone on. It’s considered wasteful of other’s time. Be concise. Time is the most limited resource we have.”

“I see. Do humans not live as long as ponies?”

“No, we actually live longer. American culture is just, in many ways, the opposite of Equestrian high society culture.”

“How so?”

“‘Princess’ can be an insult.”

“What?!”, Twilight shouted, both surprised and insulted.

“Calling someone that’s older than twelve a ‘princess’ is a way of calling them spoiled and immature, a brat, unless you’re calling them that in relation to their parents or they are an actual princess. It’s a long story that requires a history lesson to explain.”

Twilight still looked somewhat offended but didn’t comment on it. “In what other ways is American culture the opposite of Equestrian culture?”

“Well, that’s complicated, but the summed up version is that a lot of the nobles would be considered almost comically rude here. On that note, have you told anypony about our school being haunted?”

“I did tell Celestia about it and that it means no harm and how your world works differently than ours, but Earth and the portal are classified information. I’m not allowed to tell anypony else.”

“And remember how I asked you to keep an open mind?”

Twilight nodded.

“Well, there are things that are completely normal and harmless here that are illegal back in Equestria, and I’m talking ‘send the Orders in’ kind of illegal.”

“What are the Orders?”

Now, it was Sunset’s turn to be surprised. “You’ve never heard of the Orders? But you’re a princess.”

“I haven’t. What are they?”

“The Orders are black-ops priests units of the military tasked with dealing with illegal magics, like soul magic and neuromancy, and they’re zealots about it. If they learn about what I’m about to tell you, they’ll find the portal and come to Earth to purge us. Earth magic heavily deals in abilities that resemble illegal magics, and they would do everything in their power to eliminate it. They can not learn about us. Do you understand?”

Twilight got a frightened look but nodded.

“Good, does your Pinkie have something she calls her “Pinkie sense”?”

“Yeah, I tried to figure it out, but I almost went crazy doing so. I’m guessing yours does too.”

“She does. Although, here, it’s more commonly known as a sixth sense. The rest of us also have sixth senses, but each of ours work and do different things. The reason I gave you that ‘keep this under wraps’ spiel is because Rainbow has the ability to see spirits, a soul magic ability, and members of my family and I can sense emotions, a neuromancy ability.”

“Those don’t seem like dangerous powers.”

“They aren’t, but the Orders only see people with “sinful magic” and want to get rid of them. And the best part about all of it is that you have to have the ability to use those “sinful magics” to join whichever order. They’re a whole bunch of hypocrites.”

“I want to talk with Celestia about this and get her side of it.”

“Fair, I guess I’m kinda salty about them because the head priest of the Order of the Exorcist was a… whole bunch of words I shouldn’t say in front of foals, to me whenever we interacted.”

“Okay, she’s not nice. Got it.”

“He”, Sunset corrected.

The two of them were passing by the house with the yappy chihuahua, who was doing its thing by the fence gate. It caught Twilight’s attention, and she made a weirded out face. Sunset patted her on the back to keep her moving. They were nearly at the end of the block when the barking started getting louder. They turned around to see the dog running towards them. Twilight freaked out and began running in the other direction as if she was being chased by a timberwolf. Sunset just watched the tiny dog run by as she tried to process Twilight’s reaction. She’s going to run past my house. Sunset rushed to catch up to them and scooped up the pooch and grabbed Twilight’s shoulder.

Twilight spun around and backed away from Sunset and the dog. “Get that thing away from me.”

“Yeesh, Twi, it’s just a chihuahua.” Sunset began scratching its head, which stopped its barking. “It’s a dog, just like Spike.”

“But it’s not Spike! Celestia knows what it might do.”

Sunset looked down at the dog and back up at Twilight. “The worst this thing can do is gnaw on your finger. It’s harmless, despite what the jokes might make you believe.”

“It’s a predator! Just look at its teeth. And it was charging at me! It wants to eat me.”

“You’re also a predator and a much bigger one at that. Come ‘ere.”

Twilight gingerly approached, and Sunset grabbed her hand and put it on the dog’s head, earning a wince from Twilight. The dog started to lick her, and Twilight jumped back. “See! It was just tasting me! It wants to eat me!”

“It was cleaning you. He thinks you’re dirty. Dogs don’t bother with tasting their food. Tomiju’s a prime example of that. They’re like the dopre back home but carnivorous, and they can get a lot bigger, but they are just as loving and loyal and don’t eat humans… normally. Not everything is as it seems here.” Sunset turned around and brought the dog back to its yard, putting it in the corner away from the gate that it can apparently squeeze through, then got Twilight to her house. “Take your shoes off and spray down with this.”

Once they were all disinfected and stuff, Sunset brought Twilight to the dining room table. “Set up here. I’m gonna grab some stuff from my room.” Twilight took a seat, and Sunset went into her room. She grabbed The Evolution of Monsters books along with her computer and a few other things and returned to the dining room. Twilight had unpacked her backpack and had books spread across the table. Sunset took the opposite side and spread her books.

“So, what do you have?”, Twilight asked.

Sunset opened up the European book and showed Twilight the siren pages. “Around eight-hundred years ago, sirens went from a male and female bird-like species to an all female aquatic species, both having the ability to entrance people with their songs.”

“Oh my, the Dazzlings have to be responsible. I wonder why Star Swirl the Bearded thought Earth didn’t have any magic?”

“My best guess is that he didn’t recognize it as magic. It feels very different inside my body. I’m not sure how to describe it, but it feels denser. I’ve started to learn to move it around, but I still can’t mold it to create spells without the help of spell circles. The sirens have been here for hundreds of years, so they’ve had plenty of time to relearn their magic.”

“Alright, as far as humans in Equestria goes, they’ve all been dead or died quickly.”

“Yeah, they likely died of oxygen toxicity. Equoes has over twice the oxygen percentage of Earth. Anything from Equoes that came to Earth would suffocate, and anything from Earth to Equoes would slowly sustain lethal damage to their lungs. That’s why the portal changes the species of whoever goes through it.”

“That explains it. I didn’t know you could die from too much oxygen.”

“Yeah, me neither, my mom told me about it last summer. I guess the old adage is true, too much of any good thing is a bad thing.”

“That is unfortunate. I was hoping that our two species could someday interact without the need for the portal’s transformative effects.”

“It still might be possible. It’d be easy to create a mask that filters out the excess oxygen, and Equoesians can carry and wear an oxygen tank and mask.”

“Huh, interesting.”

They continued going over instances of creatures from either world ending up in the other. Sunset would try to identify the people by looking through various missing persons databases, but with only having physical descriptions to go off of, 600,000 people going missing in the US alone every year, and many of the instances happening hundreds of years ago, that was proving impossible.

“The first sighting of a unicorn was in a country called India, in the fourth century BC, but it might not’ve been a unicorn.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Well, the description reads “wild asses with white bodies, blue eyes, red-heads and a multicolored horn, about one foot six inches long, in the middle of their head”. Does that sound like a unicorn to you?”

“No, but that doesn’t sound like anything from Equoes.”

“Well, this was over two-thousand years ago, so the story undoubtedly got warped over the centuries. Either way, I’m thinking we’re dealing with Saddle Arabian unicorns because, if a human saw a couple of ponies, ‘donkey-sized’ would not be the adjective they’d use, but Saddle Arabians, averaging three feet, are donkey-sized. Earth donkeys are between two foot seven inches and five foot two inches.

“Foot means nothing to me, Sunset.”, Twilight said in a ‘remember’ tone. “I remember that a trot is about five inches.”

“Right, for context, there are twelve inches in a foot, so two-point-four trots in a foot. Ponies average at one foot, Celestia is about four foot seven, you look to be about five foot five, and I’m five foot seven.”

Twilight’s jaw dropped at that.

“How tall did you think we are?”

“Not that tall. I figured humans were taller than ponies because of your bipedalism but not taller than Celestia! You’re the size of adolescent dragons, bigger even.”

The back door opened, and Brigid and Anzhong walked in. “Hey, kiddoes.”, Brigid said as she took her jacket off and Anzhong took Kiba’s harness off.

“I don’t even want to think about how big your mom is.”

Kiba came over and inspected Twilight. Twilight tried to press herself into her chair but didn’t freak out.

“Now, that’s a breed you should be careful with. Akitas can break bones with their bites. And before you ask, we keep them because they’re cute and good working and hunting dogs and are safe so long as they are properly trained. Kiba helps my dad navigate without sight. She’s a seeing eye dog.”

“And I thought the ponies that keep cats as pets are nuts.”

“We do have a pet cat. She’s around here somewhere.”

“You have cats here?”, Twilight asked with mild alarm.

“You have Spike.”, Sunset deadpanned. Kiba deemed Twilight okay and went over to receive scratches from Sunset.

“Spike is sapient.”

“Humans are two, but I feel safer around random dogs than I do around random humans.”

“Whacha two doin’ ‘ere?”, Brigid asked as she looked over Sunset’s shoulder at the table. Without her jacket, everyone could easily see the tattoos covering her arms. Each arm depicted a dark, bioluminescent, fairy forest with giant, glowing mushrooms; shimmering moss; dark trees, grass, and rocks; and wolves and foxes. All the symbols of her pack, including Emi’s, Sunset’s, Anzhong’s, Minerva’s, and her own, were “carved” into the trees and rocks with space for Anura’s when she figures hers out. Twilight was clearly staring at them.

“We’ve been tracking the crossovers, as I’ve started calling them.”

“Good, make sure ta clear off da table before dinne’. On dat note, wha’ do ya want ta eat, Twilight?”

“Um, anything without meat would be fine.”

“Great, another not picky eater.”, Anzhong complained.

Twilight gave Sunset a confused look.

“My family would eat just about anything someone puts in front of us, and it annoys him that we never say ‘we want X’.”

“Oh, well, I can be picky. I just don’t know enough about human food.”

“We c’n fix dat. Anzhong, let’s do a spread ta give ‘er da full multicultural experience.”

“Can do.”, Anzhong said.

“Are your arms dyed?”, Twilight asked Brigid. “How would you dye yourselves without fur?”

“Dese are called tattoos. We dye our skin by injectin’ ink inta it.”

“Is it painful?”

“It is.”

“Why would you put yourself through that if it’s painful? Is it really worth it?”

“Ah think it is. We have all dis blank space on our bodies dat we c’n fill with pictures that represent us n’ our lives or our loved ones. All da best things in life come with some sorta pain, like parenthood. Plus, da pain’s only temporary, unlike parenthood.” Brigid gave Sunset the side-eye, and she gave her a “widdle ol’ me” smile in return.

Sunset dropped the smile and turned back to Twilight. “Let’s move this to my room.” She and Twilight gathered up their stuff and took it into her room, and Sunset directed Twilight to the coffee table. They relayed their stuff out on the table and floor and sat on the floor at either end of the table then got back to work.

“Equoesian creatures seem to be crossing over all over Earth.”, Twilight pointed out. “I doubt I’ll be able to find any information about Earth creatures crossing over into other countries on Equoes, but it looks like it most certainly would’ve happened.”

“Yeah, too bad you don’t have the internet over there.”

“Heheh, yeah.” Twilight froze for a moment then began looking around frantically. “What was that?”

“What was what?”

“I felt something cold. It was moving.”

Sunset tilted her head in confusion then noticed what Twilight was talking about. Ki walked behind Sunset, her being alerted to as such by the cold space that moved across her back. The sensation was naturally alarming, but Ki’s familiar and comforting aura caused her to associate that cold with positive feelings. “Oh, don’t worry. That’s just Ki, my dad’s previous seeing eye dog. He passed away about a year ago, but he still wants to protect our family, so he’s chosen to stay here.”

“Spirits can be protectors?”, Twilight asked confusedly.

“Spirits have as much range to them as humans. Most are neutral, some are dangerous, and some are protectors, dog spirits especially. Here, look at this.” Sunset pulled out her phone and showed Twilight a video of baby Emi and Ki. Emi was in a baby hammock, and Ki was holding up a squeaky toy to Emi and periodically squeaking it, earning laughter from her. “That there’s Ki.”

“Earth truly is strange.”

Sunset put her phone away, and they got back to work. So, she’s afraid of non-sapient predators. Kid, you got things backwards.

“It seems like there’s no rhyme or reason to where a creature ends up on Earth. I am impressed that humans are so capable against dragons.”, Twilight said.

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure those stories are exaggerated. Remember, if they really happened, those dragons were slowly suffocating, and their mental faculties were likely impaired.”

“It’s still impressive either way. Is that everything?”

“Yeah, I think we covered everything I have. You?”

“Me what?”

“Did we cover everything you have?”

“Oh, yes, we did.”

They put their sources away and generally cleaned up. Since Brigid hadn’t called them out for dinner yet, they just sat on Sunset’s couch. It was a bit awkward. Sunset wasn’t sure if she would call Twilight a friend. They were friendly, but despite getting to know her better, she still represents the source of much of Sunset’s trauma. Maybe if I get to know Twilight, the individual, better, I can disassociate her from those feelings. She’s just a kid and did nothing wrong. It’s not her fault she was born a noble.

“So, how are things going in Equestria? What have I missed in the last five years?”

“Well, there was Princess Luna’s return, the return of Discord, and shortly after that, Princess Cadence was ponynapped and replaced by a changeling.”

“Wait, changelings are real? I thought they were just old ponytales moms tell their foals to get them to behave, “Don’t wander off or a changeling might grab you and gobble you up”. You’re seriously telling me they’re real?”

“Unfortunately so, Cadence, who was set to marry my brother, was replaced by Queen Chrysalis of the changelings, and they invaded Canterlot on what was supposed to be their wedding day. Queen Chrysalis even managed to defeat Celestia.”

“Celestia was able to be defeated by a bug? Damn, old age must be getting to the old crone.”, Sunset said with mirth.

“Well, Chrysalis was being empowered by my brother’s love for Cadence.”, Twilight tried to defend.

“Ooh, if she could do that with only one pony’s romantic love for one pony, I’d like ta see what she could do with my mother’s love for me or my sister.”

“Why?”, Twilight said with some confusion.

“My mom grew up in a large family, twenty people she deeply loved, and they’re all dead. Imagine enough love for twenty people concentrated inta maternal love for two girls. My mom can get pretty scary when she enters mama bear mode.”

“Yeah, I don’t want to see that or your mother in “mama bear mode”. It’d probably look something like an ursa major.”

“Yeah, that sounds about right. Oh, that reminds me,” Sunset got up from her seat and grabbed a couple of items from her desk and sat back down in her seat, “remember how we lost track of you during the Halloween party?”

“Yes”

“Well, it was then we realized that, if you were lost or there was an emergency, we’d have no way of contacting you and you’d be royally screwed. So, we decided to rectify that oversight.” Sunset presented Twilight with her old phone, now switched to a pay-by-the-minute plan. “This is a cell phone. It allows one to talk to anyone else with a cell phone, no matter how far away they are, as if they were standing right next to each other. It already has all of our numbers and my parents’ phone numbers programmed in.” Sunset turned on the phone and showed Twilight what she meant. “It also allows you to contact emergency services like the police, what we call the town guard, fire rescue, and a medical carriage that we call an ambulance.”

Twilight took the phone and began examining it and playing around with the buttons. “May I try it out?”

“Let me teach you how to call for emergency services first. You see, ten of those symbols are numbers.” Sunset taught Twilight what the symbols represented. Teaching her human’s base ten numeric system was challenging, but Twilight powered through, even if she looked like she had a headache by the end. Changing the way you think from eights to tens isn’t easy, especially since Mino-Griffin numerals act very differently to Hindu-Arabic numerals. Having ten fingers did help the process. “Good, now that you understand our numbers, if you need emergency services, you just need to dial nine-one-one and then that green symbol there.”

“Cool, now, may I try it out?”

“Sure, who do you want to call?” Twilight made her pick, and Sunset taught her how to use the phone. Sunset walked outside, and her phone rang. “Hello, Sexy Mares Hotline, we cover every fetish under Celestia’s sun and then some.”

“Sunset”, Twilight said with an irritated groan. “You’re not in heat, are you?”

“Nooo, humans don’t go into heat. We’re raring to go twenty-four-seven, especially humans around my age.”

“What, how does that work?”

“It’s called a menstrual cycle. Basically, we’re more like males in that we can reproduce any time of the year, all year round, and we can get “turned on”. I’d recommend not asking more into it.”

“Is this another freaky human thing that will make me feel faint?”

“Absolutely”

“Got it… This is cool. You’re nowhere near me, but I can still talk to you in real time.”

“I’m coming back in. I have another thing to give you.” Sunset hung up and headed back to her room. Twilight was exactly where she’d left her. Sunset sat back down and presented Twilight with the second item, a wallet with her cutie mark painted onto the leather. “We use dyed pieces of sturdy cloth as our primary form of currency and small coins as our secondary form of currency, and this is what we use to carry it around in. It has about fifty dollars in it and an emergency contact card with my and my mother’s numbers written on it, so if there’s an emergency, you aren’t totally helpless.”

“Thank you, is fifty dollars like fifty bits?”

“Um, money conversions are difficult, especially since those two currencies are from different planets. Let’s just say that fifty dollars can get you some food and water.”

As Twilight was putting the two items in her pockets, Brigid knocked on the door. “Dinne’!”

“Comin’!”

Sunset and Twilight washed up and went out to the dining room. Emi, Anura, and Minerva were already seated, and Anzhong and Brigid were bringing food to the table. Tomiju came excitedly running over to Twilight, freaking her out. Sunset scooped the fluffer up before she could start jumping on the scaredy-cat unicorn.

“She doesn’t want to hurt you. She’s just excited to meet someone new. Tomiju is a poodle, a breed renowned for their friendliness. As the princess of friendship, I’d’ve figured you’d like her breed.”, Sunset said in a slightly mocking manner. “Seriously, you’re being silly. Out of everything on Earth that can hurt you, she’s pretty low on that list.”

“But she still can hurt me.”

“You can choke on the food we’re about to eat. You rode in a car. Extreme weather events could rip through here. The bell crowd at school could trample you. Just try petting her.”, Sunset said exasperated.

“Yeah! She’s the least dangerous canid in this house! The one you’re standing next to is way more dangerous!”, Emi shouted. Since when does she know the word ‘canid’?

Twilight hesitantly reached her hand out and, after a brief pause, placed her hand on Tomiju’s head. She still froze, so Sunset took her hand and moved it around for her. It was likely the worst petting Tomiju ever got, but she clearly didn’t care. “She’s… soft.”

“Yeah, that’s another thing her breed is renowned for. She also doesn’t shed, unlike somebody in this room.” Sunset gave Kiba the side eye, and she indignantly turned her head away.

Twilight removed her hand from Tomiju and quickly went over to the table. Sunset put Tomiju down, and she went back under the table with Kiba. This is a good start. Sunset took her seat next to Twilight. Said girl was sitting cross legged to keep as far away from the dogs as possible. She was also examining the leaf and the underside of the table. “A track to separate the two sides of the table and add another section, brilliant. Did you design this, Sunset?”

“I’m flattered you think this is my handy work, but table leaves have been around for quite some time longer than me.”

“Dis table is somethin’ like fifty years old.”, Brigid added as she put bowls of rice in front of everyone. “N’ when Sunset said “quite some time”, we’re talking hundreds of years.”

“I’m guessing you’ve read up on me.”

“I have. You’ve lived an accomplished life, General.” Twilight turned her attention to the food on the table. There were a lot of small bowls filled with every vegetable Brigid grew and then some and various meats. Twilight watched the rest of them to figure out what to do. “What is that?”

“That’s called rice. It’s a cooked grass seed.”

“Da vegetables are in da green bowls n’ da meats are in red.”

“Oh, thank you.” Twilight scooped various vegetables on top of her rice and covered that with soy sauce, as she’d seen her hosts doing. She looked down at the helper equipped chopsticks next to her bowl. “What are these?”

“Chopsticks, they are what my father’s people customarily eat with, but they require some skill to use. That’s why you have that green piece attached to yours.” Sunset began eating her own food and noticed Emi watching Twilight out of the corner of her eye. What are you doin’, ya little weirdo?

“So, Twilight,” Minerva asked, “what do you think of Earth, so far?”

“Earth is very interesting. I’m impressed you were able to advance so far without any magic.” After a couple of attempts, Twilight managed to get some of her food into her mouth. “Hmm, this is good. What is it?” Twilight held up a piece of vegetable in her chopsticks.

“Dat is called okra. Ah grew it meself.”

“You’re a farmer?”

Brigid nodded. “Ah only got mo backyard garden nowadays, but Ah grew up on a large farm in a country called Ireland.”

“Oh, why did you leave?”

Jeez, kid, ya don’t ask something even more sensitive? Sunset leaned over and whispered into Twilight’s ear. “Remember how Ah mentioned they’re all dead?”

Twilight’s eyes widened as she realized her faux pas. “My apologies, I shouldn’t have asked that question.”

“It’s alright.”, Brigid said with a soft smile.

“Where do you work now?”

“Ah work at da local college.”

“Oh, so, you teach other people how to farm?”

“Heheheh, no, Ah teach anthropology, da study a’ humans. Humans tend ta be scared a’ wha’ we don’t unde’stand, which c’n turn ta hate. That includes people a’ other cultures. Mo hope is ta spread unde’standin’ ta mo students n’ dat dey continue ta spread it outside a’ da classroom.”

“Wait, that sounds like a scholar job.”

“Yeah, Ah am a scholar.”

“But you said that you’re a farmer.”

“Um, yeah, Ah was born on a farm but chose ta get mo PhD n’ go inta academia.”

“That’s allowed here?”

Everyone, except Sunset, gave Twilight weird looks, and Sunset decided it was time to cut in. “Most countries on Earth don’t have a caste system, US included. So long as you get the proper qualifications, a farmer can become a doctor, the child of two doctors can enter the trades, or someone whose parents are store clerks can go into politics.”

“What? That’s not how things work. If you were born a farmer, you’re destined to be a farmer. Who would become soldiers if they aren’t born into the warrior caste? You can’t be capable of running a country if you're not a noble?” Twilight continued on with the rant as she shortwired. Brigid and Minerva were giving her disapproving glares, and Anzhong was also becoming upset, but Sunset raised a hand to single to let her handle it and waited for Twilight to wind down.

Twilight eventually stopped talking and just sat there with a stunned look on her face. Sunset was expecting something like this so prepared a way to explain it without straight up saying the gods aren’t real. “Twilight”, Sunset said calmly. Twilight turned her head back to her but still looked shocked. “You read up on me. What caste was I born into?”

“The noble caste, obviously. You wouldn’t have been able to get into Celestia’s school if you weren’t.”

I’ll try to not take offense to that. “No, I was born into the warrior caste. My father pulled some strings to get me accepted into Celestia’s school. As you may have noticed, I became a great scholar, even though I was born in a lower caste.”

“But, but, but… That’s not how things work.”

“You’re right. The nobility makes sure that’s not how things work. Who’s to say Faust doesn’t want farmers to become scholars. They would know how farming works better than somepony that was never a farmer and could speed up agricultural research with that knowledge, but the law prevents them from doing so. Plus, that sounds like a much more engaging story to me.”

Twilight’s shock turned to understanding as the little seed Sunset planted got her gears turning. “You’re right.”

“Of course I’m right. Not constraining people into one life path is why we’re so advanced. Do me a favor, think about this and ask the rest of the girls about school tomorrow.”

Twilight nodded and went back to her food. The adults’ anger was subsided, and they continued eating in peace, until Emi threw a piece of her food at Sunset, which she easily dodged.

“Emi, if you wanted to give me your food, you could’ve just slid your plate over.”

Emi merely responded with a shit-eating smile.

“So, you’re Emi.”, Twilight said.

“Ayuh”, Emi said proudly.

“Sunset must love you very much.”

“Of course she loves me. Just look how cute I am.” Emi cupped her hands around her face to frame it.

“Oh yeah, real cute. Do you really think a pony would think of a hairless ape as cute?”, Sunset said. She wasn’t even trying to be mean. She’d thought humans were ugly and gross for several months before her brain converted to a human brain. She had to do what she did because Emi wouldn’t be hurt or as insulted if it came as teasing from her sister.

“We think they’re cute. Why wouldn’t they think we’re cute?”, Emi said in a ‘gotcha’ voice as she crossed her arms.

“Because they look like our ancient ancestors’ young with the fur and big eyes, but we look nothing like their young with our lack of fur and small eyes.”

“Ah, poo.”

“When can we go to Equestria? I wanna see all the cute ponies.”, Anura said.

“Ahh” Sunset looked to Twilight, who shrugged. I do want to see my pony family again. “Well, I’m not sure when we can do that, but I’d like ta show you, some day.”

They ate dessert, cleaned up, Brigid began feeding the animals, and Sunset and Twilight went back to the former’s room. “Hey, I remember when I said I’d teach you English?”, Sunset asked.

“Yes, I do. Are you going to teach me tonight?”

“We’re gonna start.” Sunset grabbed her Learning English for Children books from her boxes of stuff and placed them on the coffee table. Wait a minute. “I’ll be right back.” Sunset went over to her door and stuck her head out. Emi and Anura were playing a card game at the dining table. “Hey! Emi! I’m using my children’s English books!” Sunset capped it off with a raspberry. Emi stuck her tongue out at Sunset, and Sunset went back over to the coffee table and sat down across from Twilight. “Ready?”

“I am, but what was that about?”

“Emi had previously teased me for holding onto crap I haven’t used in years. Humans show affection to those they are very close to by “gently bullying them”, as Pinkie puts it. And before you ask, the big difference between teasing and what I was doing is that teasing doesn’t have malice behind it. I was very much being malicious.”

“What the-? Sunset, bullying people isn’t friendship. It doesn’t matter if it’s “gentle”. Why would you do that?” Twilight almost looked angry, confusing Sunset.

“Um, like I said, it’s how humans show affection to those they are very close to. It’s just how this species behaves. There’s nothing wrong with it.”

“There’s plenty wrong with it. Bullying is never okay.”

“We’re not trying to hurt each other. We’re just joking with each other in ways only we can. Only friends and sisters as close as us can make those kinds of jokes because only we know what is and isn’t okay to joke about.”

Twilight still had a scowl on her face as she shook her head. “You clearly still have a lot to learn about friendship.”

Sunset rolled her eyes and opened up the book meant to teach the alphabet. She taught Twilight the names of each letter and what sounds they made along with combinations like ‘ch’, ‘tion’, and the like. The hardest parts were the 'G', 'J', ‘V', ‘W’, 'X', and ‘Z' sounds, given that Ponish didn’t have those sounds. 'G's came out as 'C's, 'J's came out as 'H's, ‘V's came out as ‘F’s, 'X's came out as 'C's or 'S's, ‘W’s cam out as ‘OO’s, and ‘Z's came out as 'S's. She kinda sounded like she had a Mexican accent. In her attempts to copy the sounds Sunset made, the older mare noticed that she was making the same mistakes she did when she was trying to learn Griffonian, like she hadn’t already learned a second language. “Twilight, what languages do you already know?”

“Other than Ponish, just Old Ponish.”

“That’s it? Didn’t you at least learn Dragon Tongue? You have a dragon.”

“Spike speaks Ponish as his first language.”

“What about making sure he has a connection with his culture? They don’t speak Ponish in the dragon lands.”

“We just use a translation spell.”

“Even in diplomatic meetings?” Translation spells were banned in official meetings given how easily an error can be made. Celestia had a whole staff of translators, and Sunset learned Griffonian, Minotausian, Zebrican, and Dragon Tongue so she could talk directly to the respective delegates. She figured it would help garner goodwill, and she didn’t exactly trust the translators to do their job properly.

“Yes, recent advancements reduced the errors down to acceptable levels, and they were unbanned. Now, they only tend to translate idioms literally and occasionally translate things weirdly, but actual mistranslations are less than one in two million words.”

“Impressive”

Sunset continued to help Twilight get the sounds right for about another hour before wrapping things up. They were getting too tired to use the thinky parts of their brains. Even though they were too tired to work, they weren’t tired enough to go to bed, so they just sat on Sunset’s couch.

“Sunset, when do you plan on coming back to Equestria?”

“When I plan to come back is irrelevant. I’m a rogue soldier. I’d be arrested before I could even leave whatever castle the mirror is in.”

“Oh, right.” Twilight looked down in thought for a moment before looking back to Sunset. “Celestia is worried about you. Every time I mention I’ve been to Earth to her, she asks if you’re alright. With your reformation, I’m sure we could work something out.”

“Sigh, I do want to go back at some point, but I’m not sure when I’ll be ready to.”

“When you are ready, Equestria will be lucky to have you back. You could rejoin the military or get a job at the castle or become the greatest inventor we’ve ever seen. Celestia knows what you can do with the knowledge you’ve gained here.”

“Twilight, I’d like to go back to visit. I’m never going back permanently.”

“What? Why?”, Twilight asked disbelievingly.

“You basically just said why. I can be a soldier, a politician, or a scientist. I don’t fit in Equestria’s rigid society. Because of my political ties and education, I was able to go straight into a command role and become a general within ten years. Despite proving myself time and time again, the other warrior commanders saw me as a decorative armor soldier, and the noble soldiers saw me as a mere commoner. Even with Celestia making it clear that I’m her student, the other nobles only ever saw me as some brat that wandered in off the streets. The only reason I’m at least partially recognized as a scientist and inventor was because of Celestia personally making sure the scientific sector utilized my findings and because I’m a unicorn. I don’t fit in anywhere. Even at home, my immediate family are all pegasi. It was so lonely. I felt more like an alien there than I do on an alien planet. But here, I have a family that understands what I’m going through. I have my girls, who have all gone through their own shit and now are the same sorta weird pony/human hybrid I am. Things aren’t perfect here, but I finally feel like I belong. I’m going to make a life for myself here, on Earth, find a mate on this planet, and settle down here.”

Twilight looked at Sunset without any action for a solid few seconds. She’s going to protest and try to convince me to return. “I understand.”

Okay, wasn’t expecting that. “‘Xcuse me?”

“I understand. My friends are why I chose to stay in Ponyville, and I get not really fitting in. When you’re smarter than just about every other pony, it’s hard to connect with them.”

“Yeah, it does make it hard.” Sunset pulled out her phone and checked the time. “We should be heading to bed. You can sleep on my couch or in one of our spare bedrooms upstairs. Take your pick.”

“I’d prefer to sleep on your couch. I mean no offense, but your family kind of scares me. There’s just something about them that’s kind of freaky.”

“Yeah, don’t worry. A lot of people have mentioned similar feelings. We tend to unnerve people. Come with me.” Sunset led Twilight to her bathroom and grabbed a new toothbrush and tube of toothpaste from under her sink and handed them to Twilight. “I’m assuming you know what to do with these.”

“What? Yes. How? I’m sure I can figure it out.”

“FYI, the toothbrush has a couple of buttons on it and a motor inside it that vibrates the bristles. It helps clean your teeth better. The button on top turns it on, and the lower button turns it off. And be careful when squeezing the toothpaste. Our human bodies are stronger than they look, and I made a huge mess the first time I tried brushing my teeth, and I was in a much smaller body then.”

“I’ll try my best.”

“Paper towels are under the sink.”, Sunset said as she exited the bathroom. She headed out to the living room and over to the stairs. She grabbed some pillows and blankets from the stair cabinets and returned to her room. She dropped the stuff off on the couch and re-entered the bathroom.

Twilight was brushing her teeth, and as expected, there was a bit of a mess. “I’ll clean it up.”, Twilight said through a mouthful of toothpaste foam.

“There’s some pillows and blankets waiting for you on the couch.” Sunset left the bathroom and elected to put her jammies on while Twilight finished up. She tossed a spare set of jammies on the couch for Twilight and grabbed the duffle bag out from her closet. They hadn’t gotten her clothes yet, that was scheduled for Sunday, but they did get her underwear. They didn’t know what style she’d like, so they just got a few different packages, and they’d figure out what to do with the styles she didn’t pick later.

Twilight came back out not long later. “Okay, everything’s cleaned.”

“Good, try these on and let me know which style’s most comfortable.” Sunset handed her the underwear.

“What’s with the secret, tiny pants?”

“Underwear, you’ve been wearing the same pair for four-ish days now. That’s gross. We’re putting together an Earth kit for you, and that starts with undies. I’m gonna brush my teeth now.” Sunset headed in to take care of business and noticed that her counter and sink were cleaner than before Twilight brushed her teeth. Did she think that was all from her? Sunset shrugged her shoulders. Eh, whatever, free cleaning.

After she was done, Sunset headed back out and checked on Twilight. Said girl was wrestling with her PJ pants to get them on. “Have you decided on a preference?”

Twilight finally got her pants on and grabbed one of the packages and her old underwear from the table. “I like these, but what should I do with these and the rest of the packages?”

“I’ll take care of that.” Sunset took the stuff from Twilight, placed the dirty undies in the hamper, the package in the bag, and grabbed the rest of the packages and placed them back into the shopping bag Rarity gave them to her in. “We’ll take you to get clothes in a couple days. In the meantime, you can borrow some of my old clothes. Do you need help with the blankets?”

“Um, yes, please.”

Sunset’s room

Date: 11th day of the 11th month of the 1120th year, time: dawn hour

*Twilight’s perspective*

Twilight sat on Sunset’s couch, not knowing what to do. Sunset was still asleep despite the sun being up. She got that she was a thestral, but she’s also a pony that should get up with the sun. Twilight was debating with herself if she should wake her up. She got up from her spot and climbed up to Sunset’s bed. Sunset had covered her head with her blanket. Her bed also smelled strongly of a predator, and Twilight had to remind herself that the predator was Sunset. She lifted up Sunset’s blankets. Despite how freaky she looked while awake, she looked almost cute at that moment. Her predatory eyes that made Twilight feel like she was being stared down by a manticore were closed, and only the very tips of her fangs were visible. For once, she wasn’t laser focused on her predatory features. She looked soft and squishy, like a foal’s toy.

“Sunset, wakeup.” Twilight lightly shook Sunset. Sunset stirred slightly and hissed. Twilight nearly fell down the stairs as she stumbled back. She caught herself on the railing and straightened herself. All the while, Sunset was still asleep. Okay, she can stay asleep.

Twilight, quickly but quietly, went back down the stairs. She still had no idea what to do and wasn’t about to try and wake Sunset up again. She looked out the window and saw the layer of snow on the ground. How do they live without weather control? That’s so dangerous. Other kingdoms outside of Equestria manage it though. It’s clearly possible.

Twilight was only getting more bored, so she decided to explore. She left Sunset’s room and headed to the back door. There were some shoes by the door, so she slipped a pair on and headed outside. The entire backyard was surrounded by a tall fence and a couple of small buildings. In the center, stood a lone tree that had lost most of its leaves. A stone path only partially covered in snow led from each of the buildings and to the weird… Twilight didn’t even know what to call it. They also had one on the front of the house, and Applejack’s place also had one, but Twilight had never seen a similar structure in Equestria.

She stepped off the wooden structure and walked down the path to look around. One of the buildings looked like a normal building, but the second one was made out of glass panels. As strange as it was, it allowed Twilight to see inside. Inside were several plants that looked like crops. Why somepo- body would have their crops inside a glass house eluded her. Maybe it’s to keep the snow off them.

She continued on to the more normal looking building and went inside. Inside was another one of those… Twilight actually never caught what they were called. I think Applejack called it a “fahn” or something like that. The word didn’t translate, and according to Sunset, she had difficulty saying or hearing certain sounds in the English alphabet, and she had a sneaking suspicion that what she heard Applejack say wasn’t actually what she said. Sunset likened her difficulties to Japanese people’s difficulties with the letter ‘L’. Japanese apparently doesn’t have that sound, so they substitute it with the ‘R’ sound. That proved to be extra difficult for Sunset’s father as the Mainer accent drops the letter ‘R’, especially at the end of words, making it even harder for him to be understood by the public.

The building looked to be some sort of workshop. There was a workbench full of tools. There’s a lot of other stuff in there as well, but Twilight couldn’t identify most of it. She got the feeling she shouldn’t be in there so left. She quickly headed back inside the house as she was starting to get too cold. She walked around the house and saw the door that’s next to the stairs. Sunset had said that the guest rooms were upstairs, so the stairs most likely led to the bedrooms. What could this door be to? Twilight opened it up, and it led to a set of stairs going down. A basement, maybe Sunset also keeps a lab.

Twilight headed down the stairs and saw a table, three machines, several cabinets, and another door. She knew she probably shouldn’t mess with Sunset’s lab equipment, but they just looked so strange. She walked over to them. Two of the machines were boxy things with what looked like controls on top and doors on the fronts. There were also some bottles, boxes, and strange white things that Twilight could only guess were meant for carrying something on top of the machines. She couldn’t read the controls so moved to the doors. She bent down and opened one up, but inside was only a tube perforated with hundreds of small holes. It was then that she got a sneaking suspicion. She stood back up and grabbed one of the bottles. She couldn’t identify the material, but it wasn’t something she’d keep something dangerous in, so she doubted Sunset would either. She unscrewed the cap and sniffed it. It was soap. She hadn’t found Sunset’s lab. She had found her cloth washer. They must be doing well for themselves if they can afford one of these, but if they have that kind of money, why not pay someone else to wash their clothes for them? That’s what most noble houses do.

Twilight put the cap back on and put the bottle back. Even with the washer and dryer being identified, that still left the third machine. It was a strange, large tube with pipes leading from it to the wall and a dial with red and blue on it. Given its proximity to the washer and deir, Twilight could only guess it was related to cleaning clothing as well. She couldn’t figure out what that could be, and since there was nothing that could be opened to look inside, she opted to leave it alone and move onto the door.

When she tried to push or pull the door open, it wouldn’t move. It didn’t feel as if it was locked though. She examined the door more closely, and it appeared to be on some sort of track. She tried sliding it from side to side, and it opened. Interesting, why would they do it like that? The door itself was more interesting than where it led to, merely another bathroom.

She moved onto the cabinets and chest. Lifting the chest open, it was filled with a bunch of brightly colored boxes. Even without being able to read them, the colors and designs made it pretty clear they were games. She moved onto one of the cabinets, and it was locked. She tried them all, and they were all locked. What could they be keeping in there?

“Twilight”

Twilight jumped and spun around with a startled yelp. Sunset was standing behind her with a predatory smile, laughing that rumbly human laugh. Even the way humans laugh was scary. Twilight placed her hand over her heart to make sure it was still beating. At least there was one normal thing about humans, most of their organs were in the right places. “Why are you laughing?"

“Because it's funny. Humans feed off of fear.” The grin on Sunset's face made it hard to tell if she's joking.

“Are you being serious?”

“Mmm, yes, sort of. Fear's only an intoxicant to us… huh, we're kind of like changelings.”

“You feed off of love?”, Twilight said disbelievingly.

“So do ponies. We both need love to be emotionally healthy.”

“What? No, we don't.”

“Yes, you do. Imagine how miserable you'd be if you were completely unloved.”

“That's not feeding off love.”

“It kind of is.”

Okay, Sunset has gone crazy. Living here would drive anypony crazy. “Fine, whatever. I have a few questions.”

“Shoot”

Why do they keep saying that as if it means yes? “Right, what's that,” Twilight pointed to the cylinder, “why do you have a washing machine, why not just pay another person to do it for you, and why are those locked?” Twilight pointed to the cabinets.

“That's a water heater. We don’t have heating runes carved into our hot water pipes, so we use that to heat up the water then pump it through the house. Humans wear a lot more clothes than ponies, so we need to do laundry more frequently, and that would quickly make paying someone else to do our laundry much more expensive than doing it ourselves. Trust me, just about everyone would pay someone else to do their laundry for them if they could. And those are locked because they have stuff in them that can go boom, mainly the ammunition for my mom's [guns].”

“That last word didn't translate.”

“A [gun] is the main weapon of humanity. It's like a combination of a cannon and a crossbow. Do you want me to show you?”

“Um, that sounds dangerous.”

“They're only fancy sticks when they aren't loaded, and we aren't stupid enough to keep them loaded. I've been handling those things for years now, and…” Sunset pointed her finger at Twilight's forehead, “you and I can shoot disintegration rays from a bone on our noggin. I think it's perfectly within acceptable risk for you to look at my fact stick.”

Twilight glared at Sunset, who merely smugly smiled at her. “Fine, though, it seems like you're either trying to kill me or traumatize me whenever I come over here.”

“That's the spirit.” Sunset quickly headed up the stairs, leaving Twilight confused. What do spirits have to do with this?

Sunset soon came down with a key ring, unlocked one of the cabinets, and pulled something out. “This originally belonged to my grandmother.” Sunset held out what looked like a minotaur crossbow but without the arms or string, a tube where the arrow would go, no cocking stirrup, and an overall more slender body.

“How does it work?”

Sunset reached back into the cabinet and pulled out what looked like a tip of a training arrowhead. “This is a [bullet]. To use this, I'd put the [bullet] in the chamber back here, close it up, aim it, and pull the trigger down here. Pulling the trigger pulls back and releases a little hammer you can see here, striking on the back of the round here which ignites the [gunpowder]. The force of the explosion created by the [gunpowder] only has one way out, but it's blocked by the [bullet], so the [bullet] gets shot out of the barrel at whatever it's aimed at. The barrel adds spin to the [bullet] so it goes straight and increases its force. I then pop the cartridge out and store it away to be refilled.” As Sunset explained it, she pointed to each part she was talking about.

“You humans sure do like your explosions.”

“Oh, we do. We very much do.” The smile on Sunset’s face made Twilight think that they’re more to that statement than she’d like to know.

“You humans are just sapient monsters, aren’t you?”

“If that’s what makes it easier for you to process our crap, sure.” Sunset put her [gun] back into the cabinet and locked it back up. “By the way, you tracked snow into the house.”

Twilight looked down and realized she hadn’t taken her shoes off. “Oh, I’m so sorry.”

“[Eh], it’s no big deal. Come on, dad’s cooking breakfast.”

Twilight followed Sunset up the stairs and put her shoes back by the door. As she turned to go to the table, she saw a cat laying on the floor near the table, a normal looking cat. Given how the Earth counterparts of the dopre, these dogs, were ferocious carnivores, she was scared of what their cats were like, but it looked normal. She still wasn’t a fan of them though. She understood they’re needed to keep rodents out of the food, and cloth in Rarity’s case, but they still couldn’t be reasoned with. She stayed away from the cat as she took her seat. Sunset’s mom filled three bowls with chunks of meat and small bits of vegetables, attracting the attention of the dogs and cat. It looked disgusting. She placed the bowls in front of the three animals, and they waited. What are they waiting for? That’s free meat. Sunset’s mom gave them a command, and they went straight for the food. So, they taught them some restraint.

Sunset’s dad brought the food, which consisted of eggs, what looked to be leftover vegetables from last night, and some strange tube shaped things. I’ve been describing a lot of things as “strange” lately. Well, they are strange. “What are those?”

“[Venison sausage], it’s meat. Would you like to try some? It’s really good, and your body can handle it.”, Sunset said. She cut a small piece and offered it to Twilight. “The animal didn’t suffer. It’s morally fine to eat.”

“What do you mean it didn’t suffer?”

“I killed it myself. One shot to the brain, it died right away.”

“Dying is suffering.”

“No, pain is suffering. Death is peace. It died quickly, so it didn’t live in pain.”

That does make sense, but the sages taught that killing is cruel and that’s why ponies and other herbivores have superior, pure souls, but they also taught that Faust put the caste system in place and that everypony is born in their position for a reason, but the counter to that is sitting right next to me. How deep do the lies go? “I’ll… try a bite.” Twilight took the piece on her own fork and popped it into her mouth. She chewed it around, making sure to fully analyze it before swallowing. The texture was chewy and felt weird in her mouth, but the flavor was nice. “I’m not a fan.”

“Okay” That was all Sunset said before she began eating.

Okay, I’m not sure what I was expecting. Maybe for her to try to convince me to start eating meat.

They continued to eat, and once they were done, Sunset helped her father clean up while her mother carried her younger sister upstairs. Once Sunset was done helping her dad, she led Twilight into her room and over to her wardrobe and began tossing clothes onto the couch. “Those are all too small for me. See if they fit you.”

Twilight began looking through the clothes, most of which were red or black, and took off her [PJs] to start trying them on.

“By the way, Applejack’s granny is getting her a border worker puppy for her birthday, so we’ll have a completely harmless, rambunctious fuzz-ball running around during the sleepover.”

“Is that another dog breed? How many are there?”

Sunset pulled out her phone and began typing on it. “Three-hundred-sixty official breeds”

“Why in Celestia’s name are there so many?”

Sunset shrugged. “All I know is that dogs are bred for their looks, specific jobs, working in different climates, obedience, friendliness, and yappiness all across the world.” Sunset put her phone away and grabbed a box from her wardrobe. “Do you want me to put your name on this?”

“No, thank you, I already have one in my backpack, along with an experiment Applejack might be interested in.”

“You brought an Equestrian apple through the portal, didn’t you?”

“Yes, I was hoping that, assuming the portal didn’t change it too much, Applejack could get to grow Equestrian apples, but with the whole oxygen issue, I’m not sure that would work.”

“It’s still worth a try.”

Twilight eventually found some warm clothes that fit her well enough, though they were still a bit baggie. A belt got the pants to fit snugly around her barrel, but all of Sunset’s shirts were made for someone with wider shoulders and a larger chest. It didn’t feel great, and they were definitely not her colors, but it would keep her from getting cold. “None of your clothes fit me well.”

“I’m not surprised. You’re human body’s a bit scrawny.”

“I am not scrawny. You’re big.”

“I’m a crasher. Without my extra pounds to help absorb the impact, I could get hurt.” Sunset patted her stomach to show off the impact absorbent nature of human fat. “Plus, I don’t like being cold.”

“So, if I understand you correctly, instead of fur to protect and insulate you, humans have fat.”

“Correct, it also stores excess calories, so if we can’t get food for a while, we have reserves.”

“Is finding food really that difficult?”

“Humans can’t just go out and graze. We can’t digest most grasses or leaves, and a lot of plants are toxic. We can eat a lot of things, but there were some points in our history where we literally could not find anything to eat for days to even weeks. That’s why being able to easily build up reserves was so important to us.” Sunset began cleaning up the clothes and folding up the blankets.

“Fascinating”

“That it is. Want to continue with your English lessons?”

“Sure” Twilight took a seat on the couch, and Sunset joined her with the English books in hand.

“Now, a good way to describe how we pronounce words in English is that it’s chemistry-like. Adding a letter can change how all the letters are pronounced. Let me show you.” Sunset pulled up a notepad with some writing on it. “This is pronounced [ou(ə)r]. It means ‘our’.” Sunset flipped to the next page. “This word is pronounced [to͝or]. It means ‘tour’. See what I mean?”

“I do. This is going to make learning English a challenge.”

“Oh, it gets better.” Sunset flipped to the next page. “Try to pronounce this word.”

“H-our”

“Close, it’s pronounced [ou(ə)r], and it means ‘hour’. This is what we call a homophone, meaning two words having the same pronunciation but different meanings.”

“And here I thought having a more simplistic alphabet would make English easier.”

“Nope, every language has aspects that make them a pain in the butt to learn. This is why I’m warning you now.”

Sunset continued working to help Twilight pronounce all the letters correctly and even taught her some basic and important words and phrases like ‘a’, ‘I’, ‘where’s the bathroom’, ‘help’, and both of their English names. A couple hours later, Sunset’s mom came in and told them to start getting ready. They cleaned up, Sunset got dressed, and they gathered up their bags.

“Ready?”, Sunset asked.

“Ready”

They headed out to the living room, and Twilight followed Sunset’s lead as she grabbed her shoes and brought them to the back door. Sunset’s parents and sister joined them shortly, and they all got their shoes on and headed out to the vehicle house.

“I realized I never asked, but what are these machines called?”, Twilight asked as they climbed into the machine.

“It's called a [car].”, Sunset answered as she helped Twilight get her seatbelt on.

Twilight was uneasy with the dog in between her and Sunset but figured Sunset could handle it if it lost control. Sunset’s mom drove them to a house across the road, and picked up the other two people from last night. They both sat in the back with Sunset’s sister.

“Oh, I just realized, I never introduced you.”, Sunset said. “Twilight, this is my aunt, The Mind, and my cousin, Kind Knowledge.”

“Um, I don’t think their names translated properly, unless “the mind”, “kind knowledge”, and “beautiful painting” are their names.”, Twilight said, earning a snicker from Sunset’s parents.

“Well, that’s what our names mean, but those aren’t our names.”, Sunset’s aunt said. Her voice was very calming, for a human voice.

“Um, here, try this.” Sunset held up her [phone] with three words typed up. “These are their names. Try to pronounce them.”

Twilight recognized that one of the names had one of the letters she had trouble with, so she decided to put that one off for last and instead start with the shortest one. “Emi”

“That’s me!”, the blue maned girl cheered.

“Anura” That’s a Ponish sounding name.

“Yeah, you got it.”, the other girl said quietly.

“Minerfa, sorry, I’m having trouble with some of your letters.”

“That’s okay. It’s close enough.”, Minerva said.

“What are your parents’ names?”

“Heh, you are not going to like my dad’s name.” After a couple seconds of typing, Sunset showed Twilight her [phone].

“Oh, horseapples. Okay, Anshonhj… Brihid.”

“I take it that ‘Z', ‘V', and 'G' aren’t in the Equestrian language.”, Anzhong said.

“Correct”, Sunset said.

“Keep trying, if I can pronounce ‘L’s, anyone can learn to pronounce any letter.”

He’s certainly a dad. “Thank you for the encouragement.”

“Okay, onto Sweet Apple acres.”, Brigid said.

Sweet Apple acres

Date: Nov 15th, time: 11:00 am

*Sunset’s perspective*

They pulled up to the curb in front of AJ’s, closely followed by Mrs. Forst’s car, who joined up with them as they left their neighborhood. The Mac Carthaighs and Twilight hopped out of their car, and Fluttershy and Pinkie hopped out of Mrs. Forst’s car and rushed over to the Mac Carthaighs as Mrs. Forst drove away.

“Hey!”, Pinkie cheered.

“You’re loud.”, Emi said.

“Sorry, I’ll try to be quieter.”, Pinkie said at a reasonable volume.

“Impressive”, Fluttershy said.

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard my Pinkie speak that quietly.”, Twilight said.

RD’s and Rarity’s respective families’ cars pulled up, and they each hopped out.

“Looks like it’s time to head inside.”, Minerva said.

The group headed inside, where they were greeted by Big Mac. Those wearing coats discarded them, presents and bags were placed where they were needed, and the girls met up with AJ.

“Happy birthday! Birthday girl!”, Pinkie cheered.

“Well, that didn’t last long.”, Fluttershy said under her breath.

“Hey, y’all.”, AJ said. The rest of the girls all gave their greetings.

“Your counterpart wishes you a happy birthaversary.”, Twilight said.

“Tell ‘er Ah said thanks. N’ ‘birthaversary’? Sounds like ya had a slight mistranslation. Tha word is ‘birthday’, as in, the day you were born.”

“Birthday, yeah, that doesn’t flow well at all in Ponish.”

“Reeyah-nahqun, birthday.”, Sunset said. “Reeyah-queyo, birthaversary.”

“Ahh, Ah hear whatcha mean. Pizza should be here soon.”

“Great, after pizza, we can have cake. I made one for each of you.”, Pinkie said.

“Pinkie, you didn’t have to. You…”, Sunset started to say but was cut off by Pinkie whipping her head around and giving her a serious face that could best be described as threateningly silly, think Joker.

“Did you get a cake on your actual birthday?”, Pinkie said in a similarly threateningly silly voice. The treateningness of it was only added by her speaking at a normal volume and excitement level, slowly and quietly by her standards.

“Um, no.”

“Then you get a cake on your make-up birthday. No, arguing.”

Sunset nodded quickly. Pinkie was legitimately scaring her at that moment.

“Glad we agree.” Pinkie’s voice and demeanor returned to their usual state, and Sunset relaxed. She looked around the group and realized the others were also stiffened by fear and giving off nervous fear energy.

No more arguing about parties with Pinkie.

“Um, what is Pinkie talking about?”, Twilight asked.

“Due to my siste’s ailing condition, my family and I didn’t really have the energy to celebrate my Earth birthday, so AJ offered to share her birthday with me this year.”

“Her birthday was tha same day as the Fall Formal.”, AJ added.

“Oh, yeah, sounds like a due over is in order.”, Twilight agreed. “But I didn’t get you a present.”

“I don’t want anything. Rarity had to talk me into accepting a present from her.”

The doorbell rang, and Granny calling out ‘pizza’ summoned everyone into the dining room. As the other girls were heading there, and AJ walked past Sunset, the latter grabbed her arm and whispered into her ear. “This act of generosity wouldn’t happen to have anything to do with earning brownie points with Rarity, would it?”

“Well, Ah mean, Ah wouldn’t have any objections if this did result in that.”

Sunset smiled at AJ. “Atta girl”

They joined everyone else at the kitchen counter, where the pizza was being laid out. “Veggie, meat lovers, and Hawaiian”, Granny said as she spread them out as Big Mac passed out plates.

“Who actually likes pineapple on their pizza?”, RD asked.

“That would be me.”, Sunset said as she grabbed a slice of each pizza.

“Ayuh, you’re an alien alright.”

Sunset merely rolled her eyes. Everyone got their pizza and drinks and sat around the table.

“Hey, Dr. Brigid, do you remember that gatorcane story ya started to tell us on the camping trip?”, AJ asked.

Twilight leaned over to Sunset and whispered into her ear. “I thought your mother was a teacher. Is she a physician?”

“No, mistranslation, humans use the same word for physician and sage. My mother would be a sage in Equestria.”

“Oh yeah, we should finish dat story. Let me start from da top. So, when Ah first came ta da US, Ah lived with me aunt in a place called Pahokee, Florida. Pahokee is located on da shore of a large lake called Lake Okeechobee. Lake Okeechobee is da goddamn most alligator-infested lake in all a’ Florida. We’re talkin’ ten thousand gators. N’ little known fact ‘bout hurricanes, dey c’n pick gators up SHARKNADO STYLE n’ drop ‘em in backyards.”

“What are gators and sharknados?”, Twilight asked.

“Think cragadiles but less rock-y and more draconic.”, Sunset answered. “And ‘Sharknado’ is the name of a horror movie where a hurricane picks large, predatory fish called sharks up from the ocean and drops them on an unsuspecting town, where they proceed to eat people.”

“Thank you, that puts into perspective how terrifying gatorcanes are. Please, continue.”

“So, it was hurricane season, da hurricane had passed, n’ everyone was comin’ out from shelter. Ah went outside ta check da damages, n’ when Ah got ta da backyard, dere was a nine foot gator back dere. Dose thin’s c’n weigh up to two-hundred pounds. Now, at dat point in mo life, everyone Ah loved was dead, n’ Ah was out a’ effs ta give. Ah wasn’t exactly concerned with stuff like self-preservation. So, Ah grabbed some duc’ tape from da garage n’ walked right ove’ ta it. It hissed at me, but Ah just shut its mouth, taped it up, n’ dragged it a mile back ta da lake by its tail. Luckily, Ah came across some a’ mo classmates along da why dere, n’ dey helped me when it came time ta untape it n’ let it go. As we were removin’ da tape, it decided ta let us know it was unhappy n’ snapped at us, so Ah grabbed it by its snout, n’ one a’ da othe’ kids grabbed it by its tail, and we flung it back inta da lake. N’ dat’s how Ah became known as da gator wessle’.”

Everyone stared at her in stunned silence, and Brigid looked around at them all. “No way that actually happened.”, Bloom said, being the first of them to speak.

“Oh, it did.” Brigid pulled out her phone and showed them a picture. “LOCAL 17-YEAR-OLD DRAGS ALLIGATOR THROUGH CITY”, the headline read. The picture below was definitely of Brigid, in the act of dragging away the alligator.

“Holy shit”, AJ said.

“Mama werewolf’s a badass.”, RD whispered past a slice of pizza.

“Ya’d be surprised wha’ a pissed off teen c’n do.”, Brigid said as she put her phone away.

“It was kind of you to take it back home.”, Fluttershy said.

“Oh, Mom, tell some more Florida stories. Maybe that will put it into perspective how normal we are for Twilight.”, Sunset said.

The gears in Twilight’s brain turned behind her eyes before her competition turned ashen… again. “I think I need an adult.”

“Didn’t you say you are an adult back in Equestria?”, RD said, pizza slice still in her mouth.

“Not the point!”

“Do you like torturing Twilight?”, Rarity asked Sunset.

“It’s cathartic, and she has the best reactions. Just look at her.”, Sunset said jokingly.

“Twilight, do ya want ta hear mo stories? Ah won’t tell ‘em if ya don’t.”, Brigid said.

“The rational part of me says no, but some strange part of me is letting my curiosity get the better of me. Tell me your stories.”

“Ooh, morbid curiosity, that’s a human trait.”, Sunset said with a cheshire grin.

“Well, Florida is home ta da shark bite, lightning strike, and meth capitals of da word.”, Brigid started.

“Meth?”, Twilight asked.

“A fucking evil, family ruining drug.”, Minerva said with venom.

“Got it.”

“Well, some guy once got high on bath salts n’ ate another guy’s face.”, Brigid continued. “Dere are dozens a’ stories about Florida man. Heck, Ah could be considered a Florida woman fer da gator thin’. Florida man c’n rage a heroic kid ta a guy tryin’ ta kill his neighbor with a machete he named ‘Kindness’ n’ callin’ it delayed abortion.”

“Note to self, name machete Kindness.”, RD said.

“I think I’m getting the picture.”, Twilight said. “You guys are relatively normal, by human standards.”

They had their fill of pizza, and Pinkie brought out the cakes. AJ's cake was dinosaur themed with them enjoying fall activities. Sunset’s had sunflowers on it. Wow, those are pretty. Pinkie put in the candles and lit them. Okay, what do we do without the song? Sunset watched AJ to see what to do next, and she just blew out her candles, so Sunset did the same. The cakes were split up amongst the party guests, and Emi did her normal routine of not bothering with a fork.

Sunset leaned over to Twilight and whispered into her ear. “By the way, what the gremlin’s doing isn’t socially acceptable here. We’re expected to at least eat with our hands. She’s only getting a pass because she’s sick.”

“Got it.”

After the cake was gone and faces were clean, certain teenagers not skilled with their hands included, the presents were brought out, and Granny Smith headed outside. Sunset opened hers and showed everyone her new jacket and was surprised by the matching boots. “Now, I understand why you wanted my shoe size too.”

AJ started opening her presents and looked confused when they were mostly dog stuff, and the gears in her head turned then her head nearly split in two with her smile. “She didn’t…” Right around then, Granny Smith came in with a brown border collie puppy in her arms. It had a red bow tied around its neck and was looking around at everyone. Granny Smith handed the puppy to AJ, who immediately started cuddling and petting it. The puppy was happily squirming, wagging its tail, and kissing AJ’s face.

“Aw, so cute. What are you going to name her?”, Pinkie asked.

AJ lifted up the dog and checked its belly. “Winona”

Sunset checked on Twilight out of the corner of her eye, and said girl was watching AJ and Winona with interest. AJ had taken off Winona’s bow and replaced it with the collar Rarity got her, which, surprisingly, wasn’t completely bedazzled nor had rhinestones on it. It was a simple, red collar. The puppy was still wagging her tail but was looking tired. AJ cradled her in her arm, and little Winona fell asleep. “Okay, that’s kinda cute.”, Twilight said.

“What’s that?”, Fluttershy asked Twilight.

“She’s afraid of dogs.”, Sunset said. “And before you ask, Spike doesn’t count because he’s sentient.”

“Really, afraid of this?”, AJ asked, referring to Winona.

Twilight responded by pointing at Kiba.

“Kiba’s a big ol’ teddy bear.”, Emi protested.

“She was so traumatized by my neighbor’s chihuahua chasing her down the block for pets that she is now terrified of dogs.”, Sunset teased.

“Really?”, AJ asked.

“A predator was chasing me. What was I supposed to do?”, Twilight asked.

“Exactly not that.”, Fluttershy said. “Running away from a predator makes you look like prey. If a predator is charging you, you need to stand your ground. That will make it rethink because you aren’t acting like prey. Slowly back away while maintaining eye contact until you’re out of eyesight.”

“I’ll keep that in mind for next time.”

“Did the chihuahua have a knife or a lighter?”, RD asked. “I mean, all chihuahuas are either angels or psychopaths, no in between. I swear, I once saw my abuela’s neighbor’s chihuahua trying to burn down its house and my abuela’s chihuahua trying to talk it down.”

“No, it didn’t have a knife or lighter.”, Sunset said.

“How would a chihuahua even hold a lighter or burn down a house?”, Bloom asked.

“It’s a joke.”

“Jokes aside, you all know how dangerous these creatures are. Why do you keep them around? Why not use a species that isn’t dangerous?”, Twilight asked.

“Because dere’s no such thing. All animals c’n be dangerous unde’ da right circumstances. If yer suggestin’ we should use a herbivore species ‘cause dey “aren’t dangerous”, y’re very wrong in dat assumption. More humans are killed by cows, horses, deer, n’ moose, all herbivores, per year dan by every predatory species combined. Ah’ve been around dogs, horses, n’ cows mo entire childhood. Dogs are much safe’ ta be around, even mo pa’s horse-sized dog, because dey don’t get scared so easily n’ deir first instinct upon bein’ scared isn’t ta kick or smash ya inta da dirt.”, Brigid explained.

“We’ve also evolved alongside dogs for thousands of years and have a special connection with them that we don't share with any other species, not even other humans.”, Anzhong added.

“What kind of connection?”, Twilight asked.

“It’s hard to explain, but dogs are a source of happiness, comfort and safety for us.”

“I’m suspicious of people who don’t like dogs, but I trust a dog when it doesn’t like a person.”, Rarity said as she started petting Winona.

“Wiser words have never been said.”, Pinkie said.

“The connection passes right through any emotional barriers we put up. Veterinarians have the highest suicide rate of any profession because watching all those animals dying eats away at them.”, Fluttershy said.

“What’s ‘suicide’?”, Twilight asked. The rest of the girls began to look uncomfortable, and some quick glances were directed at Pinkie. Sunset focused in on her, and her emotions were stable, but she wasn’t feeling jovial.

“Do ponies not ever kill themselves?”, RD asked.

“Why would we do that?” Twilight wasn’t indignant or outraged, just pure confusion. Suicide’s not a topic discussed in Equestrian in part due to how rare it is. Most ponies don’t even realize it’s something that can be done, and what suicides do happen are often intentionally misreported as a spirit attack in order to not make those in power look bad.

“Sometimes, when a person is in so much pain, the only thing they can think of to stop it is to end it all.”, Pinkie said sadly. Her chest tightened as she squeezed her eyes shut. “Excuse me.” Pinkie got up and headed outback. The rest of the girls looked at each other, wondering if they should go with her. After a couple moments, Brigid got up and followed Pinkie.

“Is she okay?”, Anura asked.

“This is a sensitive topic for her.”, Fluttershy said.

“I don’t understand what’s going on.”, Twilight said confusedly.

“Be glad you don’t.”, Sunset said darkly.

“The reason why the five of us became friends in the first place is to help us deal with the bad stuff that’s happened to us.”, RD said.

AJ leaned her head closer to the sleeping Winona. There was deep contemplation in her eyes. “I think that connection Sunset’s dad mentioned can be best summed up as unconditional love. Dogs love us with every part of their being. No matter who else is around us or what we think, our dogs love us so long as we love them. They also give us someone to love unconditionally. How much it hurts us when they’re gone is a testament to that.” A small smile creeped onto AJ’s face. “And it all started with sharing some food by a fire.”

Twilight silently looked between AJ and Winona and Anzhong and Kiba.

“Yeah, that sounds right.”, Anzhong said as he petted Kiba’s head.

“If you ask me, Twilight,” Sunset started, “from what I’ve seen of him, Spike is a dog in every way that counts, and that’s a compliment.”

A bit later, Brigid and Pinkie returned and retook their seats. Pinkie looked fine though still down, but the wet spot on Brigid’s sweater made it clear what happened. “What I miss?”, Pinkie asked with some fake cheer.

“I think I’m starting to like dogs.”, Twilight said.

“Oh good, what finally changed your mind?”

“Well, as terrifying as humans are, you’re still a very caring species, and you clearly love these creatures. If they are this important to you, they can't be bad.”

“That’s better.”, Sunset said under her breath.

“It’s getting late.”, Minerva said, bringing attention to the sleeping Emi.

“Yeah, we should get goin’.”, Brigid added.

The Mac Carthaighs, minus Sunset, packed up and got ready to leave. Sunset hugged both of her parents, still getting thrown off by the fact she’s now as tall as her dad. As she hugged Brigid, she noticed the material her mother’s sweater was made out of. “Wolf in sheep’s clothin’.”, she said as she tugged on Brigid’s sweater.

Brigid rolled her eyes and ruffled Sunset’s hair. “We’ll see ya tamorrah, ya little snot.”

“Oh, before you leave, Doctor, why do you and your husband still speak with your native accents when you’ve been in the US for so long?”, Rarity asked.

“Because we like ‘em, and because it’s funny to see people’s faces when they think Ah’m stupid because a’ it only for me ta science ‘em up a tree.”, Brigid said with a smirk.

“I have a similar reason. People underestimate me in the courtroom because they think I’m fresh off the boat, giving me an advantage.”, Anzhong said.

“Fair enough.”, Rarity said.

Sunset’s family left, and AJ’s family went off to do their own things, leaving the Rainbooms in the living room. The girls laid out their sleeping bags in a circle and used them as seats as AJ’s living room didn’t have seven seats. “Ah have somethin’ ta show ya all.”, AJ said. She grabbed a book from a bookshelf and joined the rest of them in their circle.

“That’s a beautiful book, darling.”, Rarity said.

“Thanks, it’s my mother’s spell book.”

That earned surprised looks from the rest of them. “You have one too?”, Rarity, RD, and Pinkie all asked. “You too?”, they asked each other.

“Why would your mother have a spell book?”, Twilight asked.

“She was a witch.”, AJ said.

“And you three have ones too?”, Sunset asked.

“I have two, one from my dad and one from my mom.”, Pinkie said.

“Mine’s been passed down through the women in my mom’s family for generations. It turns out we’ve been witches ever since the revolt.”, RD said.

“The revolt? Hang on, I thought your mom was from Scotland?”, Sunset asked. And what are the Everfree witches? How have I never heard of them?

“Yes and no, she was born there and spent large chunks of her childhood there because of my grandpa’s work, but both of my grandparents were American citizens, so she’s legally American but considers herself Scottish. Because she spent so much time there, she decided to stay there once she turned eighteen and spent a few years as a Scottish citizen before my grandpa got sick and my grandma died, so she had to come back and take care of him. It was during that time she met my dad in an early chatroom, he moved here, and she got pregnant with me, so she decided to stay put.”

“Oh, okay. Back on topic then.”

“My book previously belonged to my paternal grandmother. Her ancestors were Everfree witches too.”, Rarity said.

“The Everfree witches were real?”, Fluttershy asked.

“What are the Everfree witches?”, Twilight asked.

Glad she asked first.

“The Everfree witches were a group of rebels that snuck out into the Everfree to secretly train in magic to fight against their English oppressors and take back the town they and their people built.”, Pinkie said rapid fire.

“That answers my question about the witches, but now I have questions about your town’s past.”

“That requires a bit of a history lesson.”, Rarity said. “The short version is that many of our ancestors were brought here against their will and were forced to work as laborers while not being treated like real people. As you can imagine, they didn’t like that and revolted, apparently using magic to help achieve their freedom.”

“Much a tha fightin’ happened in tha Everfree, or it was used ta launch ambushes, which is how it got its name. With that forest, we will forever be free.”, AJ added.

“Oh, very interesting. Our version of the Everfree got its name because it will forever be uncontrollable. Uh, we have the ability to control things like the weather and plants in every part of Equestria except the Everfree.”, Twilight explained.

“The exact words used in its name have negative connotations.”, Sunset elaborated. “So, about your book.”

“Right” AJ opened up the book and laid it out for everyone to see. “Ah don’t understand most a’ what’s in here, but Ah can make an educated guess that these are mostly farming spells based on the illustrations.”

Sunset began looking through the pages, and AJ was correct, but those spells quickly became a lot less interesting when she found a ritual that was supposed to protect against radiation and cleanse it. There were also spells and rituals for water purification, lots of protection spells, and many others that would help someone survive a nuclear apocalypse. She had lived through the cold war. “Yeah, a lot of these look like pest control spells. Your mother looked to be a very knowledgeable witch. If she was born even a few hundred years ago, she would’ve been quite powerful.”

“How would being born earlier make her more powerful?”, Twilight asked.

“Oh, did I not tell you this? Oops.” I haven’t told her half the things I need to. “A thousand years ago, magic started disappearing from Earth. We don’t know why. The magic drain had basically completely sapped Earth’s magic by nineteen-fifty. It’s twenty-thirteen.”

“That’s truly bizarre. I’ll see what I can find in Equestria.”

“So, the four of us have spell books. Does that make us witches?”, RD asked.

“Well, you can learn to be witches. I’ve been learning to be a witch from my aunt for years.”, Sunset said.

“I mean, we can do magic. We kind of are already witches.”, Fluttershy said. “But this might be interesting.”

“Ah, for one, would like ta learn more about my mom, and Ah think Ah can do that through this.” AJ pointed to her spell book.

“I’ll be the first witch in my family in generations!”, Pinkie shouted.

Rarity, looking wholly unamused, rubbed her ear that was unfortunate enough to be right next to Pinkie. “I too wish to learn more about my heritage.”

“Okay, everyone, bring your spell books with you on testing day, and we can go over them.”, Sunset said.

“And when will that be?”, AJ asked.

“I’ll figure that out later.”

RaR ch7 Understanding humans

View Online

Sweet Apple acres

Date: Nov 15th, time: 4:00 pm

*Sunset’s perspective*

The seven Rainbooms sat around in a circle, having changed into their PJs, with a selection of games in the middle, using their sleeping bags as seats. Winona, still in AJ’s arm, started to wake up and squirm. “Okay, I’ll put ya down.” AJ let her go, and she started going around, sniffing people.

“Okay, what about Cards Against Sanity?”, RD asked.

“I don’t really wanna have ta stop every round and explain everything to Twilight then have ta rebuild her sanity afterwards.”, Sunset said. “She needs to spend a bit more time being desensitized to our madness before playing that.”

“Okay, something else then.”

Winona worked her way to Twilight and began sniffing her. Twilight, though still looking uncomfortable, petted her head. “You’re actually kind of cute.”

“What, so the poodle was a terrifying monster, but the border collie is “kinda cute”? Okay.”, Sunset snarked.

“Didn’t you say it was a chihuahua?”, Fluttershy asked.

“I’m talking about my sister’s dog.”

“Oh right, she is a cutie.”

“Okay, I think I found a suitable game.”, RD said. She held up a packet of Eins cards. “Numbers and basic symbols are easy enough to understand.”

“Sunset has taught me your counting system, but I am still getting used to counting in base ten. It would be good for me to practice.”, Twilight said. “You might need to teach me your basic symbols though.

“Counting in base ten?”

“Yes, ponies use Mino-Griffin numerals, developed by the minotaurs and griffons, back when they were close allies. Both species have a total of eight digits, so they count in base eight as opposed to humans’ base ten. We adopted their numbers as they became our first trading partners and their numbers were much more efficient than what we were previously using.”

“The pony version of counting on our fingers is: left side of the hoof, right side, back of the hoof, and first joint.”, Sunset added and did the associate motions.

The rest of the girls all looked like they just had the biggest revelation, and Rainbow even looked down at her hands. “How have I spent ten years counting on my fingers and never noticed that?”, the Latina asked.

“Because you never had to think about it. Don’t worry, Twilight and I had similar realizations.”

“Well, this game deals with multiples of two, so you should be fine.” RD cleared the circle, pulled out the cards, and started dealing them out like a professional.

“Um, AJ, I think Winona needs to go outside.”, Fluttershy said.

AJ looked over and jumped up. “Shit, thanks.” She ran over to Winona, who was in the process of squatting, and scooped her up and got her outside. The rest of them waited for her as she helped Winona find the right place to potty, came back inside, checked the spot Winona squatted, sighed in relief, and sat back down. “Thanks, Fluttershy, ya saved me a cleanup.”

Fluttershy smiled. “No problem”

They got back to the game and explained the rules and symbols to Twilight. “So, I have a plus-” Twilight started talking but was cut off by the rest of the girls.

“No!”

“What?”, she asked.

“You’re not supposed to tell us what you have, silly.”, Pinkie said. “This goes for most card games. You’re supposed to keep your cards a secret.”

“Why? Don’t humans show their cards before a game?”

The native humans looked confused, and Sunset shook her head. “No, humans consider trying to read their opponents and anticipate their next move as part of the game, so they keep their cards a secret, and that’s why Rainbow passed them out face down. Ponies show and announce their cards in most cases. It’s seen as a fair and honest game that way, and most also can’t hold them up like this, so they need to be splayed out on the table. No, we don’t play poker or similar games. Equestrian card games are played more like chess, and the rules tend to be more complicated and rely more on chance to add intrigue in lieu of secrecy.”, she explained for everyone.

“That sounds interesting. Twilight, darling, maybe you can bring one of those games over next time you visit.”, Rarity suggested.

“I think I will, but I still find it odd that secrecy and deceit is a normal part of games to you.”

“I’m not sure what’s so odd about it. It’s just a card game.”

“Um, Sunset?”

“Equestrian culture considers lying in any form to be unsavory while it’s completely normal to lie here, at least in American culture. A common American greeting is to ask someone how they’re doing, but you aren’t expecting them to answer honestly. The usual response to that question would be “fine” or some variation thereof followed by asking the other person the same question then they answer “doing fine”, and they go about their business. People take pride in their ability to lie their a… butts off here and get away with… stuff.”, Sunset explained. “In many ways humans are the opposite of ponies. Both species still share many traits, especially on the large scale, but there are many smaller things that are inverted between the two. Where ponies are a naturally peaceful species that strives to be able to better defend themselves, humans are a naturally violent species that strives to be more peaceful, and that sorta stuff.”

Twilight looked at Sunset with wide eyes, and the rest looked intrigued. “Are you being serious?”, Twilight asked.

“Yes”

“That is both interesting and terrifying. I think there’s a lot I can learn from humans.”

“I agree. I certainly have.”

The seven of them finally got to their game, and Twilight was performing well and ended up winning the first game. “One!”, she called out.

“Um… Eh, close enough.”, AJ said.

Okay kid, you had your fun. The gloves are off.

“So, how’s school going?”, Twilight asked as they started another game. Oh right, I forgot I told her to ask that.

“Eh, I got a physics exam in a couple days.”, RD said unenthusiastically.

“I thought physics was your favorite subject.”, Sunset said.

“Applied physics is my favorite subject. I don’t even mind doing the calculations, but I would prefer to be able to move around as it helps my thought process, but tests require me to sit still, so I can’t get into the zone and just do it. It’s honestly a bit embarrassing how hard it is for me to do basic math.”

“My Rainbow would not like it if I called sports ‘applied physics’.”, Twilight said.

“Your Rainbow sounds lame.”

“Um… how does what I said make her sound lame? She’s fully capable of walking.”, Twilight said confusedly.

“What? Um, Sunset.”, RD said, equally confused.

“Ah can answer this one.”, AJ cut in. “‘Lame’ means that a horse can’t walk, but it’s also come ta mean ‘boring’ for, at least Ah’d imagine, obvious reasons.”

“Okay, yeah, a horse that can’t walk does sound pretty boring.”

“Noted, but my Rainbow still isn’t lame.”, Twilight defended.

“It’s a funny joke, and I won’t hear anything to the contrary.”

“She loves physics jokes, the dumber, the better.”, Fluttershy said.

“Hey, RD, A photon checks into a hotel, where a bellhop asks where its suitcase is. The photon replies, “I didn’t bring any luggage. I’m traveling light.””, Sunset said.

RD snorted and grinned.

“I don’t get it.”, Twilight said.

“It’s a pun, a joke that takes advantage of a phenomenon in the English language called polysemy or a homophone. In this case, ‘light’ can both mean ‘visible light’ or ‘lack of weight’. Most English jokes are puns.”

“Oh, I get it now. So, you like physics, Rainbow?”

“It’s something I just get.”, RD said with a shrug. “The numbers are a pain, but the actual physics and motions I get.”

“Interesting, I would like to learn more about America’s school system. Could you all tell me about your classes?”

“Well, our school is STEAM school, science, technology, engineering, art, and math, meaning it tries to foster creativity in all those disciplines.”, Fluttershy explained.

“So, you’re all in an academic school?”

“All US primary education is academic.”, Sunset said. “The US school system is divided up into primary schooling and secondary schooling. We start our education at six and finish our primary schooling at eighteen. After that, we can choose to start working, go into the military, go to trade school, college, or whatever, and you aren’t locked into one of those for the rest of your life. My aunt went into the military to pay for her college and went into computer science.”

“Wait, so the military will pay for your academic education if you join them?”

“Ayuh”

“Ah feel like we’re missin’ somethin’. Twilight seems way too confused about this.”, AJ commented.

“Equestria has a caste system. So, ponies are only allowed to go to schools, take on jobs, and marry within their caste. For example, you’d only be allowed to learn in agrarian schools, work agrarian jobs, and marry another member of the agrarian caste. The only way to bypass these restrictions is to blackmail the right ponies or join an organization that’s been given special permission to allow ponies from outside their associated caste to join them, like the Wonderbolts, or be a noble. The nobility can do whatever they want.”

AJ’s eyes widened in surprise, and then her face twisted into anger. “That’s fucking stupid. How has there not been a revolt yet?”

“The nobility uses religion to make everypony think that’s what the creator goddess wants.”

Twilight, to her credit, had the decency to look ashamed.

“Twi, you’re a princess. You gotta do somethin’ about this. It’s inhumane… inpomane?... Whatever the pony equivalent of inhumane is. They’re having their freedom of choice taken away. It’s wrong.”, RD pleaded.

“I now realize that it is wrong, but this has been going on for hundreds of years. Even I was so indoctrinated by it that Sunset needed to convince me that it’s wrong. It won’t be an easy fix, but I’ll talk to my Celestia about it.”

“Aagh!”, AJ roared and grabbed her hair in frustration, spooking Twilight.

“What caste are the rest of our counterparts in?”, Rarity asked with trepidation.

“Well, your counterpart is a part of the laborer caste and so are Fluttershy’s and Rainbow’s. And Pinkie and Applejack are a part of the agrarian caste.”, Twilight said then got an uncomfortable look on her face. “Those are… the two lowest castes.”

“And what caste were you in, Sunset?”

“The warrior caste, which is smack dab in the middle. The order goes, agrarian, laborer, warrior, scholar, and nobility.”

“So, all the important people are at the bottom.”, Rarity said with an evil grin.

“What? No, the nobility are at the top.”, Twilight said.

“They aren’t important.”, everyone else said.

“How long do you think they’ll last without food?”, Rarity continued. The rest of the Earthlings were catching on and matched her grin, and Twilight looked confused and slightly worried.

“Most of the nobility live on the side of a rocky mountain, where farming is all but impossible, and the only way to get food up there is via a single train track or aerial carriers, both of which are controlled by the laborer caste.”, Sunset said.

“Wait, what are you girls suggesting?”, Twilight asked.

“It’s called a strike.”, Pinkie said. “Everyone in an industry or company stops working until their demands are met.”

“That… would work, but would require a lot of convincing and de-indoctrinating. I’ll keep that option as a backup.”

“It can be done. Humanity did it.”

“It sounds like I need to read up some more on you. Would this sort of thing be on your internet?”

“Ooh, be careful with that.”, Sunset said. “You might find some things that are pretty disturbing.”

“How disturbing are we talking?”

“Satanic cultists killed and ate four Russian teenagers after stabbing them six-hundred and sixty-six times.”, Rarity said. “Eins”

“How do I keep losing?”, RD said under her breath.

“They stabbed them six-hundred and sixty-six times?”, Sunset said. “That sounds exhausting.”

“They stabbed ‘em six-hundred and sixty-six times and then killed ‘em? How does stabbin’ someone that much not kill them?”, AJ asked.

“Humans are surprisingly stab resistant.”, RD pointed out. “So long as a major artery isn’t cut or they aren’t stabbed through the heart, they can live for a while after being stabbed. My mom once told me a story of a guy she picked up on the way back to the firehouse that had a knife sticking out of the top of his head. He didn’t even realize he’d been stabbed. What they’d guessed happened was someone’s knife fell from a window ledge or something and landed in the dude’s head. He’d felt something hit his head and a mild pain, but the pressure from the knife was keeping the blood in, and the pain was so mild that he thought nothing of it. My mom drove up to him and called out the ambulance window “Hey! Sir! Do you realize you’ve got a knife sticking out of your head?!”, got him in the ambulance and to the hospital where they were able to pull the knife out, fix up his head, and just send him on his way. It was a small knife but still.”

“Do you think any of them lost count?”, Pinkie asked. “Like four-hundred-thirty-two, four-hundred-thirty-three, four-hundred-thirty-three… wait shit, Dimitri, I think I fucked up. Do I start over?”

“Instead of doing all that work, they could’ve just killed three Russian teenagers and stabbed them all six times.”, Sunset pointed out. The rest of the Earthlings all nodded their heads in agreement. “Twilight?” Sunset checked on said girl and noticed her eyes were wide and her face was pale. “Um, Twilight?”

“Are you guys seriously criticizing murderers for the unnecessary effort they put into it instead of, you know, murdering people?!”

“Well, we all already know murdering is wrong, so there’s no real need to discuss that.”, Fluttershy said.

“Wait, murdering is wrong?”, Sunset asked, earning chuckles from her fellow Earthlings.

“You’re all crazy.”, Twilight pointed out.

“That’s what I’m talking about. Earth is a mess, humanity is a mess, and we’re all just trying to not lose our minds.”

“Turning the traumatizing crap we deal with into jokes keeps us out of the loonie bin.”, Pinkie said. “We call it dark humor. If you don’t make a joke out of life, life will make a joke out of you.”

Twilight looked at Pinkie with the gears turning in her head. I wish I could read her mind. I wonder what she’s thinking about. “Oh, I think I get it now. By joking about it, you’re tricking your brain into not taking it seriously, turning it into just a joke.”

“I’m not sure if that’s exactly what’s going on, but you got the right idea.”

The girls eventually wrapped up their game as Granny Smith came down and started cooking dinner. “Hey, girls, any of ya got any allergies?!”, she asked.

“Fluttershy and Twilight don’t eat meat, n’ Sunset’s allergic ta raw garlic!”, AJ hollered back.

“Who in their right mind eats raw garlic?!”

“Not eat! I was washin’ da cuttin’ board afte’ mo dad crushed some garlic n’ Ah got a rash!”, Sunset said to Granny Smith then turned back to the girls. “Unfortunately, it doesn’t get me outta any cleanup duty. Mo parents jus’ make me wear gloves when da dish involved garlic.”

“Ya really are lazy, ain’t ya?”, AJ said.

“Mo laziness has resulted in some a’ mo best inventions.”

Big Mac and Bloom came down the stairs, and they and AJ got up to help Granny Smith with the cooking. The rest of them went to the table to wait. How all four of them were able to operate in their small kitchen was a mystery to Sunset, but they were doing it. Maybe it’s the amount of food they’re making. The only time Dad lets Mom help him in the kitchen was when they hosted those Thanksgiving and Christmas parties. I wonder if they’ll start those again once Emi’s better? The Apples finished the food and brought it over to the table, along with plates and utensils. Everyone started eating, and most were talking amongst each other, but Sunset was in her own head. A lot was going on, Celestia’s warning, Emi, getting the testing done, and now the girls’ magic heritage. One thing at a time. Get the testing done first then talk to the girls about training their magic, and it’s not like I can do anything about Emi until the doctors schedule the surgery. Shit, I still have ta tell Twilight about what Celestia said, but I don’t want to scare her. Aye, Ah feel like a general again. I hated having to deal with civilians. They freak out so easily.

“Yo, Earth ta Shimmer.”

“Wha’?”

“Whatcha thinkin’ about?”, AJ asked.

“Everything”

“Sounds exhausting.”

“It is.”

They finished eating, cleaned up, and the Rainbooms went back to their circle as the rest of the Apples went back upstairs. Rainbow looked through the games for another one they could play. The night continued on with games and movies. The whole time, Sunset tried to find a way to tell Twilight about the prophecy that wouldn’t send her running for the hills. As things currently looked, she needed to gauge Twilight’s freaked out levels before telling her.

Twilight didn’t seem too interested in the movie they were watching, and neither was Sunset. It was some romance chick flick Rarity chose. Sunset tapped Twilight on the shoulder and motioned for her to follow her, which she did without hesitation. She led her out onto the patio, the full moon providing ample light, at least for Sunset.

“Wow, humans have excellent night vision.”, Twilight said.

“Compared to ponies, yeah.”

“I’ve suspected this for a while, but I just want to confirm. Are humans cathemeral?”

“The majority of humans are, yeah, but some of us are more productive during the day while others are more productive during the night.”

“Got it… So, why did you bring me out here?”

“I wanted to check and make sure our scary human craziness hasn’t driven you completely insane.”

“Oh, well, I’ve realized that you’re all just products of your environment and trying your best to survive in it. You live in a terrifying world and have adapted to it.”

“You’re half right. We don’t just live in this world. We’re a part of it. We shape it as much as it shapes us.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“Well... we are like dragons. We don’t want to destroy everything, but we are capable of doing so. That kind of power should be respected, but so long as you are not our enemy, you have no need to fear it.”

“... I see.”

“There’s another thing. Has Princess Celestia ever told you about her prophetic dreams?”

“She’d mentioned them to me.”

“Principal Celestia has them too. A couple weeks ago, she told me of one she had where the seven of us were being threatened by an unknown enemy. Though, I have a theory as to the identity of the threat.”

“Who?”

“Not a ‘who’ but a ‘what’. Celestia described the enemy as laughing like a hyena, a creature native to Africa. There are certain creatures on this planet that have the ability to switch between a human form and an animal form, and a week ago, AJ and I encountered evidence of a bear-sized hyena in the Everfree. Normal hyena’s only get to about Kiba’s height.”

“And you’re saying the only way one could get that big is if it was one of those form shifting creatures?”

“A werehyena, yes, hyena’s are known for their laughing, but unlike with humans, a hyena’s laughter is a threat. I don’t know where it is now, but it could’ve taken human form to hide.”

“What should we do then?”

“I’m currently training the girls and trying to gain better control over our powers. As for you, you either need to be doing the same or be prepared to run, and considering your inexperience with your human body and limited ability to train with it, I’d suggest the latter.”

Twilight looked out into the Apples’ backyard with a serious, contemplative look then nodded. “I don’t like the idea of abandoning you, but you’re right. I’d be more of a hindrance to the rest of you in a fight.”

She took that well. “You don’t seem to be freaking out.”

“Oh, I am totally freaking out on the inside, but we’ve taken on worse. Somebody with some animal powers should be no match for us.”

“That’s part of what has me worried. This thing shouldn’t be a threat, but Celestia believed it to be. We have no idea what this thing can do or what it’s planning.”

Now, Twilight looked nervous and let out a nervous laugh. “Oh, great.”

Sunset tried to give her a reassuring smile, but she could feel her own nerves coming through it, and fangs were probably not reassuring to a pony. Maybe this will help. “At least we have a family of werewolves on our side.”

“Werewolves?”

“Yeah, people that are able to turn into wolves, not unlike the werehyena.”

“Okay, who?”

“Well, me and my mom. Long story short, I assimilated some of my sister’s magic when I used the magic the Element of Magic gave me to save her. So now, I have my Earth parents’ magics inside me. We don’t have full access to our powers, but we’re still a couple of badasses.”

Twilight blinked a couple of times as she processed the information. “So, you and your human mother can turn into wolves.”

“We, including my sister, should be able to, but the magic drain…”

“Oh, okay… this planet just keeps getting weirder and weirder.”

“Imagine how I feel. I’m gonna have ta explain this therianthropic mess I am to any potential mates. I’m a werewolf, werepony-alien, thestral, and kitsune. Try telling all that to anyone else and not sound crazy or like a twelve-year-old. My dad’s half fox but not a werefox. That’s different.”

“Got it, and you really are a mess.”

Sunset nodded as the door behind them opened. She turned around to see who it was when she was tackled off the porch and onto the ground.

“Ha, gotcha!”, RD said.

“Rainbow! What are you doing?!”, Twilight shrieked, but the two of them ignored her, being a bit busy with other things as RD pinned Sunset and Sunset grabbed her shirt like a gi.

Sunset growled, her wolfish instincts taking over. Something swirled and bobbled within her. It felt primal. She glared up at a smirking Rainbow. Sunset scrambled her legs out from under her and bucked RD off, using her momentum to get herself back onto her feet. She could feel that warm sensation in her eyes, letting her know they’re glowing, and also in her hands, which was new. She didn’t think much into the new sensation as she got into a crouched fighting stance as Rainbow righted herself. The moment RD stood up, Sunset jumped on her and pinned her to the ground by her biceps, squeezing them tight.

“Yaghowch”, Rainbow squeaked out as she squeezed her eyes shut.

What? Wait, is she hurt? Sunset reared back and looked Rainbow over. The smell of blood became evident, and Sunset looked around for the source.

“Girls! What are you doing!”, Twilight shouted.

“Heheheh, I still got you.”, RD laughed.

“Sunset! Your hands!”

Sunset looked down at her hands, and she had claws. They weren’t massive, reached about a centimeter past her finger tips, but they had blood on the tips.

“Holy shit, that’s so cool!”, RD shouted in amazement.

Sunset shook her head to clear out the shock and looked over Rainbow’s arms. Her sleeves had five small puncture marks on each arm, corresponding with five spots of blood on each arm. She had hurt Rainbow. She had hurt Rainbow with her own claws. Shit! Shit! Shit! Sunset got off Rainbow and helped her up.

“Hey! Is everyone okay?”, AJ called out.

“Yeah! Come take a look at Sunset’s claws!”, RD shouted back.

The rest of the girls came out, and Rainbow grabbed Sunset’s hand to show them as said werewolf and Twilight were completely stunned by the situation. The rest of the girls got a good look as Sunset’s brain finally rebooted. “Enough about my claws! You’re hurt.”

“Oh, right.” Rainbow pulled her sleeve up to check the wounds only to find that they’d already completely healed with the only evidence to them ever existing being streaks and spots of semi-dried blood. “Welp, that takes care of that.”, she said as she used her sleeves to wipe up the blood.

“Seriously, Rainbow?”, Rarity asked.

“What? My shirt’s already ripped, and it’s already got blood on it. I don’t think I own a single piece of clothing that’s never had blood on it.”

“You need larger pads.”

“I use the largest pad they sell, and my blood doesn’t overflow. I’ll just wake up with a thin stream of blood going down my pad and a small spot of blood in the back of my underwear, and no, I don’t like the feeling of tampons. I’ve just resigned myself to my fate and have gotten real good at removing blood stains.”

“Sigh, fair.”

Twilight was still stunned, and her face was paling… again. Sunset grabbed her shoulder to ground her. Twilight looked at Sunset and gave her a forced smile. “I’m guessing blood isn’t a taboo subject here.”

“Not amongst the female half of the species. Remember me mentioning menstrual cycles yesterday? That’s what they’re talking about.”

“Oh… I don’t think I’m ready to learn about that.”

Sunset nodded. As the rest of the girls talked, she looked down at her claws. She flexed her fingers in an attempt to get them to go back in but no luck. “Um, I’ve got a bit of a problem here.” The rest of the girls turned to Sunset, and she held up her hands to display the problem.

“Okay, how do werewolf characters on TV de-wolf?”, Pinkie asked.

“Well, they tend to wolf-out when they’re stressed, so maybe some self calming techniques would work.”, Fluttershy suggested.

I don’t feel stressed out, but my claws are out. Maybe I’m still freaked out from hurting Rainbow. Eh, it’s not like it can hurt. Given that she’d never performed the kuji with claws and didn’t want to risk jabbing herself, Sunset opted for a simpler breathing exercise. She closed her eyes and took slow, steady breaths as she opened and closed her hand. She could feel her claws against her palm when she closed her hand. She continued the exercise until she felt her claws retract. She looked down at her hands. Her claws were indeed back in. She could also feel that her eyes had stopped glowing. “I was not expecting that to work.”

“I guess you have some of your werewolf powers.”, Twilight said.

“It could also be my kitsune bits. A lot of the powers overlap.”

“Does this mean our magic’s growin’ stronger?”, AJ asked.

“Yes… yes, it does.”

AJ stared at Sunset with a serious, contemplative look. “Ah think we should head back inside. Ah’m surprised we haven’t already woken somebody up.”

The seven of them followed AJ back inside and sat back down on their sleeping bags.

“Rainbow, why did you attack Sunset?”, Twilight asked.

“Because I thought it’d be funny.”, RD answered nonchalantly.

“You thought it’d be funny to attack your friend?”, Twilight said in horror.

“It’s not like I was trying to hurt her. I just wanted to spar with her.” Rainbow looked at Sunset with a confused and ‘please answer this’ look.

“It’s a human thing. Training together is a bonding exercise for us. It’s a trait we share with pegasi and thestrals.”, Sunset explained to Twilight.

“‘Spar’ can also mean ‘close friend’.”, Pinkie added. Huh, interesting.

“Also, remember what I said about humans “gently bullying” our friends? That’s similar. A form of verbal sparring, if you will.”

“That’s completely crazy! Friends don’t treat each other like that!”, Twilight shouted, outraged.

“Hey, keep yer voice down.”, AJ said in a calming but firm tone.

“What’s so crazy about it?”, RD asked. “We get to sharpen our wits and skills with each other. We can’t really do that with anyone but our close friends.”

“Twilight, I asked you to keep an open mind. That doesn’t just apply to our magic. This is Earth, not Equestria, and we aren’t ponies. We don’t do things like ponies. We don’t think like ponies. I’ve spent the last few months learning about human friendships, and what we do isn’t crazy.”, Sunset explained.

Twilight looked around the circle then shook her head. “I’m going to sleep.”

Twilight climbed into her sleeping bag as the rest of the girls looked around, giving each other ‘WTF’ and angry looks. The mood was thoroughly spoiled with the rest of the girls all hurt and annoyed. AJ got up and turned off the lights and TV. The rest of the girls got the message and climbed into their bags.

Sunset tried to fall asleep but even keeping her eyes closed proved to be a challenge. Surprisingly, she wasn’t tired. She stared out the window to pass the time, mainly up at the full moon. It was a beautiful thing. The burdens of the day forgotten by the freedom of the night. At least, that’s what’s supposed to happen. Her stressaholic brain wouldn’t let that be. She thought over the last couple of days and what Twilight had been saying. It was all stuff she was used to hearing and was able to brush off, but it’d clearly hurt everyone else. Time got away from her, and next thing she knew, Rarity was tapping on her arm.

“Hey, come on.”, Rarity whispered. Sunset got up and, along with the rest of the girls, followed Rarity and AJ out into the trees.

“Since none of us can sleep, we need to talk.”, AJ quietly said as they leaned on trees and sat around in a loose circle.

“Yeah, what the fuck was up with Twilight?”, Rainbow whispered angrily. “Sunset, why the fuck did she say those things?”

“Sigh, that’s hard to explain.”

“Sounds like bigotry to me.”, Pinkie said, equally as angry as Rainbow. “Not that hard.”

Sunset covered her face as the other girls’ emotions added to her own, making it hard to brush them away.

“I’m not sure if I want to be friends with someone that straight up admonishes the way we show affection.”, Rarity said. “What kind of “princess of friendship” is she?”

“The princess of pony friendship, not any other species’ friendship.”, Sunset said coldly.

“Maybe she just needs some more time.”, Fluttershy suggested. She was hurt but not angry like the others. “She’s only spent less than a week on Earth, and we got her to give dogs a chance. Maybe, with some more time, she’ll learn to understand our ways of friendship.”

“Ah’m keen on givin’ her a chance, but there also needs to be a cut-off point where we say ‘no more’. Ah’m not lettin’ what happened ta Granny happen ta us.” A lot of complicated, coiled pain came off of AJ as she said that last part, and it got Sunset to look over at her. She was keeping something in, something that caused her a lot of anger and sadness.

“Are you okay?”, Sunset asked.

“Yeah, Ah’m fine. It’s not tha time fer that.”

“I don’t want to cut Twilight off.”, RD said sadly. “I want her to be the friend we knew during the formal.”

“She doesn’t seem to listen to me about human friendship matters, but maybe you guys can convince her.”, Sunset said.

“You want us to roughhouse in front of her?”, RD said with a devilish grin.

“Something like that. About your cut-off, AJ, let’s set it after tomorrow, when we have a better idea of Twilight’s thought process, and we’ve had a chance to cool down.”

“Alright”, AJ said. “Sigh, Ah still don’t feel ready ta go ta bed. Ah feel too full of energy.” The rest of the girls expressed similar sentiments. “So, what now?”

“Well, it’s a full moon.”, RD pointed out. She looked at Sunset with a grin that made the latter girl suspicious. “You feel any primal urge to howl at it, Sunset?” Her tone and grin made it clear she remembered what Sunset had said about faoladhs and was just making a stupid joke.

Sunset rolled her eyes, and so did a couple of the other girls. She was initially going to just ‘hardy-har-har’ her but then a much eviler idea came to her. “Well, yes, but not to howl at the moon.” Sunset closed her eyes, letting that primal energy swirl and bobble. A warm, powerful sensation surged through her body, and her claws popped out. She snapped open her glowing red eyes, and Rainbow’s eyes went wide as she quickly realized she fucked up.

“Keep the noise down. People are tryin’ ta sleep.”, AJ said.

“Got it.”, RD and Sunset said.

Sunset snarled at Rainbow, showing off her fangs. Rainbow, being one of the ones leaning up against a tree, was able to quickly bolt. Sunset jumped up and started chasing her through the yard. Rainbow let out quiet, little laughs as she ran. They were adorable, and hearing them made Sunset feel happy and laugh a bit herself while still trying to keep up the visage of a savage werewolf. The other girls were also quietly laughing at their antics.

Sunset eventually managed to catch up to Rainbow and grab her. She lifted her up, causing her to yelp in surprise, and hoisted her above her head like Tarzan and presented her to the other girls. She would’ve done the Tarzan yell if they weren’t worried about waking people.

“What are you doing?”, Twilight asked in alarm.

Sunset spun around, still holding Rainbow up. Twilight was on the porch, looking at them with wide eyes. Before her brain could come up with a proper response, Sunset’s mouth came up with it’s own response. “Your mom.” Ahh, crud.

Twilight gave Sunset a ‘what does that have to do with anything’ confused look as she lacked the cultural context.

“Pff-ha, heheheh, you had that one prepared, didn’t you?”, RD asked.

“No, I did not. I just so happened to have inherited my bio-mom’s mouth.” Sunset put RD down as the rest of the Rainbooms joined the two of them. “I’m sorry, Twilight, did we wake you?”

“Well, yes, but what’s going on? And why weren’t any of you stopping it?”, Twilight asked. “Sunset, that’s not how we treat our friends.”

“Yeesh, Twi, we were just playing.”, RD said. “Do you not have tag in Equestria?”

“I don’t know what that is.”

“It’s a game where one person chases the other players.”

“And do you normally do… whatever that was in this game?”

“That’s irrelevant. We were both having fun, and you aren’t our parents, so stop acting like it.”, RD said firmly, startling Twilight.

“I’m not trying to act like your parents.”, Twilight said as if she was hurt. Is she really playing that card or…? Sunset focused on Twilight, and she’s not acting. Really? Has no one ever told her off before?

“No, you’re just telling us how we express our love is wrong.”, Rarity said.

“But bullying people is wrong. That’s why everyone hated Sunset.”, Twilight said confusedly.

“My ‘gently bullying’ comment was a joke.”, Pinkie said. “There are topics that are okay to make jokes about and topics that are not okay to make jokes about. We only make jokes about and tease each other over the okay topics. That’s what separates what we do from actual bullying.”

Twilight just stood there, looking at them with gears turning in her head.

After a moment, AJ stepped forward. “Look, we aren’t tired yet, so we’re going to hang out over there. You can join us, if ya wish.” AJ corralled them back over to the trees, leaving Twilight to her thoughts.

The six of them retook their spots under the trees, but none of them said anything. None of them were in the mood to chat. Sunset repeated the breathing exercise to get her claws back in then laid down in the grass. It was cold and damp from yesterday’s snow. The air was still, and everything was quiet. The moon light lit everything, and it was strangely energizing. Is that why we’re having trouble sleeping? The silence was broken by the sound of grassy footsteps. Everyone looked up towards the house. Twilight walked over to them, still looking down and confused, and sat down in an empty spot. Sunset sat up, and everyone looked at Twilight, not saying anything.

“Is that really how you show your love, by making fun of each other and being physical?”, she asked.

“The goal of our jokes is to get the other person to laugh with us, not to laugh at them.”, Pinkie said. “Like I said, some topics are okay to joke about, others aren’t.”

“And yeah, some of us show our love through being physical with each other.”, RD added.

“How do ponies show their love?”, Fluttershy asked.

“By helping each other and giving gifts and hugging each other. What you guys do honestly sounds like you’re being mean to each other.”, Twilight said.

“We help each other, give gifts, and hug too, and the teasin’ and type of playin’ ya’ve seen us do can be a form a’ bullying if done by someone that’s not a close friend because it’s somethin’ done only by close friends. Distortin’ somethin’ so intimate is what makes bullying so hurtful.”, AJ explained.

Twilight’s eyes widened like she was having a ‘eureka’ moment. “That makes sense, but I still don’t understand why you’d see these things as a form of bonding. It’s just so bizarre, so…”

“Alien”, Rarity finished. “You’re on an alien planet, Twilight, and hanging out with a bunch of aliens.”

“I guess, since you’re alternate versions of my friends, I expected you to act the same as them. I’m sorry.”

“We still want to be your friends, Twilight, but what you’ve been saying has been really hurtful.”, Fluttershy said.

“I… I don’t fully understand. Why was what I said so hurtful?”

“All six of us can trace back our heritage to cultures that were heavily damaged by the ‘I’m right and everyone else is wrong’ mentality you displayed.”, Rarity started. “Our ancestors were enslaved, their homes and property were taken from them, and they were forbidden to practice their beliefs and forced to practice the colonizers beliefs. That’s why what you said was so hurtful.”

Twilight looked confused by Rarity’s words. To her, Faust and Cracken were very real and created the word and pony kind. The way other species’ gods were explained was that they were also created by Faust and Cracken and charged with creating and guiding those species. In her mind, there was only one pantheon for all of Equoes and forcing others to abandon their gods went against Faust’s plan. Looks like I’m needed. I just have to do it without shattering her reality.

“Humanity doesn’t have gods, so they made stories up to explain the world around them and why bad things happen to them. As humans migrated across Earth, those stories evolved, changed, or stopped being told and new stories took their place. These stories were told as fact, and people believed in them whole-heartedly. Those in power within those stories abused that fact and twisted the stories to give themselves and their kin even more power. This took many forms, but in the Abrahamic religions, just one of the forms it took was to increase their numbers and eliminate other threats to their power by telling their members that anyone that didn’t believe in their god would be sent to Hell and that they needed to convert everyone else to their religion, resulting in the ‘I’m right, everyone else is wrong’ mentality. That is what Rarity meant. People with that mentality did horrible things to our ancestors, the slaughter of my clan being only the tip of the iceberg. Does this make it clear why your words hurt us?” Sunset could feel her agitation rising and took a breather to calm herself.

Twilight’s eyes went wide again, and she covered her mouth in shock. “That’s horrible. It’s all so horrible. I can’t even imagine.” Twilight lowered her hands. “I need to think this all over. This is a lot.”

“Take all the time you need.”

“I’m going to head back to bed. I’m sorry.” Twilight got up and headed back to the house.

The rest of the girls watched her go back inside then looked at Sunset with looks she could best describe as ‘we know what you did but want more answers’. “What are you hiding from Twilight?”, RD asked.

“Hff, you’re good.”, Sunset said with a smirk before she shifted her face to a serious expression. “Equestria is a very religious society. Even a scientist like her fully believes in the gods she worships. Six years ago, I was also a believer, until I learned the truth. I was told that the gods I worshiped weren’t gods at all by a pony I thought was the mortal form of one of my gods. Everything I went through and done wasn’t a part of some greater plan. My world and sanity came crashing down around me, and I spiraled into the bully you all knew me as. I don’t want the same for Twilight. She needs to learn the truth some day, but I sure ain’t gonna be the one ta tell ‘er.”

“Ah can sympathize with that.”, AJ said as she laid down in the grass, putting her Stetson over her face. “Disillusionment sure ain’t a good feelin’.”

“What’s your story?”

“Ah used ta be Irish Catholic, but after ma parents died, Ah felt betrayed n’ angry. A god that would let that happen was not one Ah wanted ta worship, so Ah stopped, stopped goin’ ta church, stopped givin’ grace, all that. Ah came ta term with the fact that my parents’ death was just an unfortunate accident with no greater meaning behind it. Granny wasn’t too happy about it, especially when Bloom complained that she had ta go ta church while Ah didn’t, but accepted ma decision n’ jus’ got tha neighbors ta watch me n’ Bloom while she n’ Big Mac go ta church.”

“Yeah, I have a similar story.”, RD said. “My parents are agnostic but still identify as Roman Catholic and Jewish. When they had me, they agreed that they wouldn’t force me into either religion but would bring me to church and synagogue and let me choose which religion I wanted to follow, if either. Now, I knew I was gay pretty early, and the religious leaders would both give ‘gay bad’ sermons, which I didn’t like. So, I came out to my parents and told them I don’t want to keep going to either place for the aforementioned reason… and because it ate up my weekends.”

“So, are you atheist?”, Sunset asked.

“I’d say I’m agnostic, but I do lean more towards the atheist side of the spectrum.”

“My family believes that church is unnecessary for true believers and that organized religion is inherently corrupt and so don’t go, but I’m completely atheist.”, Pinkie said. “I’m living proof that God doesn’t exist.” Pinkie pulled a cupcake out from her hair to emphasize her point. “Anybody want one?”

The rest of the girls kind of just blinked at Pinkie with AJ and Sunset even sitting up to make sure they weren’t hallucinating. “No, thank you.”, Rarity said.

“Suit yourself.”, Pinkie said with a shrug before shoving the whole cupcake in her mouth and putting the liner back in her hair.

Rarity and Sunset, being the only other girls with curly hair, looked at each other with ‘you saw that too?’ faces. Seeing someone with straight hair do that would be strange enough, but seeing another curly haired girl do that just made them blue screen.

“What time is it?”, Fluttershy asked.

Rainbow pulled out her phone and checked the time. “One am”

“One? How am Ah still not tired?”, AJ asked, annoyed. “Ugh, Ah’m gonna be exhausted in tha mornin’.”

“I know I was joking about this earlier, but what if the full moon has something to do with it? I’ve heard that witchcraft is tied to the moon. Maybe it can be energizing us and keeping us awake.”

“Hecate was the goddess of magic, witchcraft, the night, moon, ghosts and necromancy in Greek mythology, so Rainbow might be onto something.”, Sunset said. “Speaking of Hecate, the Festival of Hecate is on the thirtieth. My aunt, being a witch, is a follower of hers, and we celebrate that day by volunteering at soup kitchens or shelters. I was wondering if you guys might want to join us.”

“That sounds like a nice holiday. I’d like to hear more about it.”, Rarity said.

“Well, Hecate was a goddess that didn’t follow the norm. She never married nor had children. She was a protector, especially of those that had been shunned by society. We honor her by helping others that have been neglected or abandoned.”

“I like it. I think I will join you.”

“Ya can count me in too.”, AJ said quickly. Sunset gave her a knowing look, which she ignored.

“Is it a requirement of being a witch?”, RD asked.

“No, it’s just a nice thing to do.”, Sunset answered.

“I’ll see if I’m free that day.”

The rest of the girls echoed similar sentiments as Rainbow. They continued talking and shooting off various hypotheses as to why they couldn’t sleep, but so far, Rainbow’s full moon explanation made the most sense. Their magic was the only thing different about them that could cause it. They ate and drank the same stuff as AJ’s family and Twilight, they haven’t done anything different recently, and all six of them were experiencing the same problem.

They joked around and played quietly until the sun started to rise. Sunset’s instinctual reaction was to hide in the tree’s shadow, earning some snickers from RD. “What, are you worried you’ll burn ta ash?”, she remarked.

Sunset hissed at Rainbow. “It’s instinct.”, she growled.

Rainbow merely grinned as they all headed inside. They tried to be as quiet as possible to avoid waking Twilight. Her being woken up earlier proved she wasn’t a heavy sleeper. The six of them moved to the dining table. Sunset, Rarity, and RD started communicating in sign language, the latter of which was getting reasonably good at. AJ grabbed a quiet board game, and they played until Twilight woke up.

Bleary-eyed, Twilight stumbled up and looked over to them. “What time did you get up?”

“We didn’t. We stayed up all night.”, AJ said.

“Seriously?” Twilight started to walk over to the table before stopping. “I need to go to the bathroom.” She headed straight for the bathroom, and the six of them waited for her return. When she came out of the bathroom, much more awake, she joined them at the table. “So, you all seriously stayed up all night?”

“Yeah, we’re theorizin’ that it has ta do with the full moon interactin’ with our magic. Apparently, Earth magic is intertwined with tha moon, accordin’ ta Sunset’s aunt.”

“But I wasn’t affected.”

“Well, your human body basically goes into stasis when you go back through the portal, so you haven’t magically matured as much as us.”, Sunset said.

“Huh, interesting.” Twilight looked uncomfortable for a moment before collecting herself. “Girls, I’m sorry I said your ways were wrong. I don’t want to be like the people that hurt your ancestors. I guess, since you’re counterparts of my Equestrian friends, I subconsciously expected you to be exactly the same as them, but I contemplated over it last night. As Rarity said, you’re aliens with alien minds that won’t think like Equoesians. I’m ready to really have an open mind regarding your world and people.”

“Thank you”, Rarity said.

“Back to our magic insomnia, I still don’t feel tired, even with the moon having set.”, RD said.

“At least we won’t have ta worry about trudgin’ through the mall as a bunch a’ half asleep zombies.”, Fluttershy commented.

“I wonder if my grandfather has any insight.”, Sunset muttered.

“Why would your grandfather have insight?”, Twilight asked.

“Because the dude fucked a magic fox spirit.”, RD said.

“Could you not say it like that?”, Sunset chided.

Rainbow stuck her tongue out, and Sunset was tempted to bite it off. “Suck my blood, vampire girl.”

“A play on ‘suck my dong’, I take it?”

“Ayuh”

“Um, what’s a vampire?”, Twilight asked.

“Do you know what my old nickname in the military was?”, Sunset asked.

“Yeah, it was General Shimmer, the blood eating fiend.”

“Well, humans have a word for that, vampire. Vampires are parasitic folklore monsters that are said to feed on human blood.”

“Folklore, so, they aren’t real?”

“Yeah, don’t worry, we aren’t at risk of getting our blood drained.”

Winona woke up and came over to them, and AJ took her outside. “Hey, could you start cleanin’ up? Granny is gonna start makin’ breakfast soon.”, she said as she headed out the back door.

“Oh, hey, I just thought of something. Reverse vampires, they survive by eating garlic and drinking holy water, the sun heals them, they become immortal if you stake them through the heart, and every human on the planet is trying to drink their blood.”, Pinkie said.

“Well… that’s something.”, Sunset said, somewhat perplexed.

“Bish, you just described Jesus.”, Rainbow said.

“Oh yeah”, Pinkie said.

“Who’s Jesus?”, Twilight asked.

“That’s complicated. We’ll tell you later.”, Sunset said.

They began cleaning up and relayed the ‘Jesus is a reverse vampire’ thing to AJ when she came back in. “Well, that explains why crosses hurt them.”, she commented. Granny Smith came down the stairs, followed by Big Mac, and headed to the kitchen. The girls started getting ready for the day, Sunset putting on her new jacket and shoes, and AJ did some chores while Granny Smith cooked. When they got done getting ready, Bloom was sitting at the table, and Granny Smith and Big Mac were placing the food on the table, so the girls all quickly took their seats, and everyone started eating.

“Sunset, I wanted to ask you about something you said yesterday.”, Twilight said.

“Shoot”

“You said that humans are a naturally violent species that strives for peace. What makes humans naturally violent?”

“Well, that’s a somewhat complicated question since we don’t fully understand our own psyche, but I’d say the best way to explain it would be our response to something we don’t understand. Humans are scared of things we don’t understand. There’s a chance that what we don’t understand can hurt us, and we want to avoid that. There are two responses people generally have. We either try to learn more about it or perceive it as a threat and try to destroy it.”

“That is very interesting.”

They finished breakfast and cleaned up, Granny Smith took Bloom and Winona across the street, and Pinkie’s mom pulled up to the curb and came inside. The two parentals touched base when Granny Smith came back then she and Big Mac left.

“Are thy ready to leave?”, Mrs. Pie asked.

“Yup”, Pinkie cheerfully said.

“Let us wait a bit to allow the church traffic to pass.”

They waited for about thirty minutes then got underway. Pinkie’s mom drove them to the mall, and they headed to a clothing shop. As expected, Rarity dragged Twilight through the store, holding anything she thinks looks good up to Twilight and either putting it back or laying the article over her arm. The rest of them were standing clear out of her way. Before long, she’d amassed a large, heavy looking pile, and she was holding it easily. It eventually got to the point they couldn’t see Rarity’s head behind it all.

“Could you hold on to this for me, darling? I’m gonna get you a fitting room.”, Rarity asked Twilight.

“Yeah, sure.”

Rarity handed off the clothes to Twilight, who did that thing where you underestimate something’s weight but quickly adjust before dropping the thing. Rarity went off to the fitting rooms, and Twilight looked back at the other five with a questioning look before following Rarity.

“That looks like it’s gonna take a while.”, Fluttershy said. The rest of them got the gist, and they all went off to do their own things while they waited.

Sunset had never been to the mall before, so she was looking around at everything. It was just like what she’d seen on TV with the shops and food stalls and things in the center to distract from the fact the whole place is the manifestation of the greed that will be the ultimate doom of humanity and it being huge. It was still early, so there weren’t that many people, perfectly fine for her. She ended up finding a sushi restaurant with a ‘server wanted’ sign in the window. She stepped inside, and the place smelled good, and the dining area was clean.

“Hello, would you like a table?”, the hostess asked.

“Um, no, I’m here to inquire about the job opening.”

“Okay, let me take you to the boss.” The hostess led Sunset to an office in the back where a woman sat behind a desk with a plaque reading ‘Boss’ on the front. “Mrs. Pond, this young lady is here about the server job.”

“Alright, let her in.”, Mrs. Pond said. Sunset walked past the hostess into the office, and the hostess left to presumably go back to her station. Mrs. Pond was a middle-aged Japanese/white lady with blue and silver hair, purple eyes, and a cook’s uniform on. “Please, sit. What’s your name?” There wasn’t a hint of an accent in her voice, but that didn’t tell Sunset much. Jiraiya no longer had an accent either.

Sunset sat down and tried to get a read on Mrs. Pond, but she seemed to be emotionally neutral, a bit odd but nothing she hadn’t seen before. “Sunset Shimmer”

“Hello, Ms. Shimmer, I’m Koi Pond. Do you have a resume with you?”

“Um, no.” Sunset put some nervousness into her voice, portraying herself as an unsure of herself little girl. Mrs. Pond will either take pity on her and try to help or underestimate her if she tries anything slimy.

“Is this your first time applying for a job?”

“Yeah”

“Alright” Mrs. Pond opened up a drawer and pulled out a piece of paper. “Go home and fill this out with your parents. If you’re under sixteen, you’ll need to have your school sign off saying that you can work.”

Sunset took the paper and examined it. “Okay” Sunset stood up, folded up the paper, and stuffed it in a pocket. “Thank you for your time.”, she said with a bow. She straightened up and took one last look at Mrs. Pond as she prepared to leave. She was surprised but wasn’t weirded out like those unfamiliar with Japanese customs tend to be when she bowed. Sunset left the office and resumed walking around.

Some time later, she’d received a text from Rarity.

Hey, we’re done. Where are you all?

Taking a stroll. I’m on my way back.

The rest of the girls gave similar answers, so Sunset didn’t bother and just started to head back. She stopped by a map to figure out where she was and hopefully find a better way back then just retracing her steps. She committed the mall’s layout to memory then headed back to the clothes shop. When she got back, the rest of the girls had returned, and Rarity and Twilight had a much smaller pile of clothes. “Is that what she wants?”

“Yes”, Rarity said proudly then started going on about the clothes like she was trying to sell them herself. It all sounded Greek to Sunset.

“Will we be able to afford it all?”, Sunset asked when she was done.

“Oh, my father gave me his card to use.”

Okay, I’ll just give my parents back the money then.

Rarity paid for and packed up the clothes, and they were on their way.

“Hey, Sunset.”, Twilight asked as they were leaving the store.

“Ayuh”

“Celestia asked me to report everything I learn about humans, and I’m heading straight to Canterlot to tell her everything I learned, but Luna is worried about the potential threat humans pose. How do I convince her that humans aren’t a threat to Equestria?”

“Ahh, you need the military general and human expert. Well, I can tell you a few neat facts about humans.”

“Thank you. I would also like to talk to Celesta about the caste system. Could you tell me more about how America’s system works?”

“Absolutely”

“And, before we leave, let’s get Twilight into better fitting clothes.”, Rarity said, tugging slightly on the oversized shoulder of Twi’s borrowed shirt.

Outside CHS

Date: 12th day of the 11th month of the 1120th year, time: 1:00 pm

*Twilight’s perspective*

“So, Fluttershy will hang onto my bag.”, Twilight said to make sure she remembers. She now wore her own, much better fitting winter clothes. They kept her warm as snowflakes fell around them.

“And do you remember where I live?”, Fluttershy asked.

“Down the street, corner house across from the middle school.”

“Good”

“Okay, I’ll see you next time, and I’ll try to make it soon.”

They all said their ‘goodbye’s, and Twilight stepped through the portal. The squishing of going from Earth to Equoes was a lot less pleasant than the stretching of Equoes to Earth, but at least she was no longer tossed like a ball when she came out. Going back and forth from quadrupedal and bipedal felt really weird, but she quickly readjusted. Twilight took the Learning English books Sunset gave her out of her bag and placed them on her shelves for later.

“Spike! You here?!”, she called out before internally kicking herself. That’s not how we speak here.

There was no answer from Spike. He was probably off with Rarity again. Twilight left a note for him and, wanting to get some practice with her wings in, took flight for Canterlot. It was a long flight for her, but she got to Canterlot Castle in the expected time and headed straight to the throne room. Celestia and Luna sat on their thrones inside, an intimidating sight to be sure, but ever since she met with their human counterparts, they were less intimidating in comparison. Something about their counterparts was just more intimidating but in a calm way. She couldn’t say what, but she knew it wasn’t that they were predators. That was a different feeling.

Celestia stood up with a smile on her face. “Hello, Twilight.”

“Hello, Celestia, I have a report on humanity, as you’ve requested.” Twilight walked closer to Celestia and Luna, and they came down from their thrones.

“Does hoomahns pose a threat to Equestria?”, Luna asked immediately.

“No, they do not, so long as we don’t show ourselves as a threat to them. Humans think we’re cute and, upon first contact, would likely want to become allies with us.” Let’s hope that works and I don’t have to mention the rest of the stuff Sunset said.

“Hm, sounds like a good species to open diplomatic relations with. Maybe we could set up embassies in each other’s lands.”, Celestia suggested.

“I, for one, am not convinced they don’t pose a threat. Who is to say our “cute” is enough to stop them from invading?”, Luna said.

“Earth’s and Equoes’ atmospheres are also very different. Earth has less than half the oxygen Equoes does, so humans would need specialized breathing equipment to survive here, and so would we on Earth. That would make invading us rather difficult, and that, unfortunately, also means we wouldn’t be able to set up embassies on each other’s planets.”, Twilight said.

“Oh”, both sisters said.

“I also wanted to talk to you about the caste system. The human country of [America] doesn’t have a caste system, and they are far more advanced than us.”

Both sisters looked confused. “If they don’t have a caste system, what do they have?”, Celestia asked.

“Sunset calls it a class system. Your position in it is determined by how much money one makes, and anyone is allowed to work any job they’re able to do, including joining the military and government.”

“What do you mean “government”, and how do they get soldiers without a warrior caste?”, Celestia asked.

“There are several ways, but most join to protect their country, for the benefits, family tradition, or because they were forced in because of a war. The country Sunset currently lives in also has a strong warrior culture. If the country’s ever invaded, everyone that can hold a weapon is expected to help defend it and their families. As far as the government goes, their government officials are elected by the people, including their leader which they call their president.”

“They elect their country’s leader?”, Luna asked in alarm. “What madness is this? What makes these people qualified to lead?”

“The fact that they are the same as the people they’re leading. The only three requirements to run for president are that the applicant must be a natural-born citizen of America, at least 35 years old, and have been a resident of the country for at least fourteen years. I didn’t have a chance to learn everything about their government, but everything that would be done by the noble caste is done by people that were elected. They don’t have gods to choose their leaders for them, so they themselves have to choose them.”

“They don’t have gods?”, Celestia asked.

“Yes, they really don’t. They made up stories about gods to explain the world around them before they could scientifically and to give themselves comfort.”

Celestia looked contemplative and was quiet.

“Sunset speculates that the ability for farmer’s kids to grow up and go into academics is why [America] is so much more advanced than us despite not having magic like ours. Those kids know what their parents need to have better crops and have a chance to improve the agriculture. Improving agriculture means that less of their citizens are needed to produce the same amount of food which means more of their citizens can go into other professions, increasing the chance of major breakthroughs.”

“Very interesting.”

“It’s fascinating. I think we can learn a lot from humans. We can follow their example and abolish the caste system as they did and, hopefully, reach the same technological level as them.”

“We can consider this and discuss it more once you learn more about their governing system. What else did you learn?”

“Oh, yes, human friendship is even different. It isn’t radically different, but they have different ways of expressing their love. It took me a while to even recognize it as love. It may not sound like friendship and completely alien to you, but aliens are exactly what we’re dealing with. I should also prefix this by saying that humans are an omnivorous predator race.” Celestia and Luna both looked surprised but said nothing, so Twilight continued. “For the most part, humans express their love the same as ponies, but the peak of human friendship that is only done by close family and the closest of friends can be best summed up as ‘only I’m allowed to make fun of them’. Humans enjoy making jokes and play fighting and will make jokes about and play fight with other humans, but only their close family and the closest of friends know what topics are okay to joke about and are allowed to do so and are the only ones they play fight with. If anyone else makes fun of or actually tries to fight someone, their close family and friends are the first to defend them.”

“Very interesting indeed.”, Celestia said in her ever wise voice.

Luna remained quiet, and the look on her face was slightly alarming. She seemed to be examining every bit of Twilight while thinking deeply. Twilight wanted to back away but stayed put as, according to the book Pride of Court Decorum, one should not show any sort of fear in any political setting. There was also an odd feeling of defiance that helped with that, and she puffed up her chest. Where is this coming from?

“Are you sure they don’t pose a threat?”, Luna asked.

Okay, guess it’s time for the rest. Here it goes. “If we play our cards right, they won’t be, and we’ll gain a powerful ally. However, if they become our enemy, we won’t survive. Humanity is a war-like people that is capable of destruction beyond what we can imagine, but it’s because of their capacity for destruction that they desire peace, which they are slowly succeeding at. Earth is currently experiencing the most peaceful time in their history, but their past has led them to create a weapon called an atomic bomb. Sunset didn’t go into any specifics, but she said that, the first and only time they were used in war, a small sun was temporarily created. The heat of the blast reached that of the sun, the force of the blast is powerful enough to destroy cities the size of Manehattan or Canterlot instantly, and the [radiation], the energy that causes sunburns, can leave the affected area uninhabitable for years. They have weapons to rival Celestia’s full power, and they have thousands of them.”

Both sisters leaned back on their haunches with shock evident on their faces. “Sister”, Luna said.

“I know. We can’t let the humans become our enemy under any circumstances. Twilight, how many humans know about us and the portal?”, Celestia asked.

“I’m not sure, but I doubt Sunset would let anyone know about it.”

“Hm, I believe you’re correct. She likely understands the situation better than any of us.” Celestia straightened out and looked serious and regal once again. “Twilight, learn everything you can about humans. I suspect it’s only a matter of time before the greater human populous learns about us, and we must become their allies.”

“Understood”

Celestia relaxed and smiled. “You’ve been doing a good job as a princess.”

“Thank you”, Twilight said with pride.

Outside CHS

Date: Nov 16th, time: 1:00 pm

*Sunset’s perspective*

The girls watched Twilight pass through the portal as the snow was coming down on them. Fluttershy had Twilight’s bag. It had everything except her wallet and phone in it. She kept the two items on her in case of emergency. They’d disappear and reappear with her clothes anyways. The girls split up and headed off in their various directions. Sunset headed straight home. She had something to show her parents. She would be running home if it wasn’t snowing.

When she got home, she found Brigid sleeping on the couch. She dropped her bag and snuck up to her. She popped her claws out and got her eyes glowing and pounced on her, landing on her chest and stomach.

Brigid woke up with a wheeze and looked at Sunset with an annoyed glare. “Sunset… wha’s up with yer eyes?”

Sunset merely smiled at her and held up her hands. “Look”

“Claws?”

“Yeah, I got them last night.”

Brigid took one of Sunset’s hands in her own and examined her claws. She put her hand over her mouth in that ‘oh dear’ way.

“What’s wrong? I thought you’d be happy.”

“A-Ah don’t know how ta feel.” Brigid let go of Sunset’s hand and pulled her into a hug.

Sunset wasn’t sure what to make of it. She thought her mother would be elated by the news. “Mom, do you not want me to have your powers?”

“No, it’s not dat. Ah’m still scared by ma powers n’ all dat’s goin’ on related ta it.”

“Your magic is a part of you as much as any other body part. Fearing it is only fearing yourself. Whether you want it or not, we can’t change it, so we have to accept it and learn to live with it or live in misery.”

“Hm, where’d ya hear dat?”

“Words of wisdom from my bio-dad.”

“Ah, dat makes sense.”

Brigid hadn’t let go of the hug, so Sunset decided to snuggle into it and get some overdue sleep. She was woken up by Brigid getting up, but she was being carried and so was waking up slowly.

“Anzhong, take a look at this.” Brigid took Sunset’s hand, and Anzhong felt her claws.

“Sunset?”

Sunset finally woke up and looked over to Anzhong. “I got them last night. I was roughhousing with Rainbow, and they popped out.”

“Oh boy, I’m glad you don’t get spooked easily. I’ll need to teach you palm strikes. Nobody got hurt?”

“That would be a good idea, and not badly, just some scrapes that quickly healed.”

Brigid put Sunset down, and she retracted her claws and went back to the couch to go back to sleep. She only managed to lie down when Emi and Anura came loudly bounding down the stairs. Agh, screw it. Sunset got up and went over to the kitchen while Anura laid out a bunch of papers on the dining table.

“Aunt Brigid! Look at what I drew!”

“Oh, wow, dose look amazin’.”

“Sunset, look.”

Sunset walked back around to the table and looked at her drawings. There were twenty-four of them in total. Twenty-three of them were of various wolves, one had wings and another was a robot, and the remaining one was a werewolf gladiator. They were unrefined, but they were excellent for a nine-year-old’s drawings. “You have some talent there. What are they?”

“They’re my super wolves.” Anura pointed to the gladiator werewolf. “That’s Alpha. He’s the leader.” She then pointed to a blue, muscular wolf. “That’s Beta. She has super strength. That’s Gamma. She’s inspired by Toxicon from the Power Ponies and has all his powers.” Gamma had dark green fur with bright green eyes and teeth and tube-like things of the same bright green coming out on her fur. Sunset had read the R-rated Power Ponies comic that Toxicon debuted in. His name is a bit misleading, and his powers are used very differently in the show given that he wields a radiation-like energy that can melt or vaporize people and things, and he does exactly that in the comic. “That’s Delta. She has wind power.” Delta was a pinkish-white and slim with feathers along her head and back. “That’s Epsilon. He has electricity powers.” Epsilon was also slim and had electric blue fur with yellow lightning bolts. “That’s Zeta. She’s a war-machine with technology powers.” Zeta was a definitely highly weaponized, blueish-silver machine wolf, kinda like Metal Garurumon but with more weapons. “This is Eta. He has super speed.” Eta looked similar to Epsilon but with lighter blue fur and black lightning patterns. “That’s Theta. He has intangibility.” Theta looked like a purple ghost with translucent legs. “This is Iota. She’s my favorite because she’s small and cute, and she can shrink to become micro sized.” Iota was fairly normal looking, looking like a chihuahua-sized, midnight blue wolf. “This is Kappa. He has water powers.” Kappa was one of the more frightening looking ones as he looked like a wolf-shaped kelpie, black, swampy fur and pure white eyes that stared into your soul, with a turtle shell on its back. Damn, that’s a good one. “This is Lambda. She has sun powers.” Lambda was the opposite of Kappa. She was angelic looking with white and gold fur. “That’s Mu. He can shoot particle beams from his mouth that can disintegrate stuff.” Mu’s fairly normal looking, looking like a red wolf, with the exception of a glowing throat. “That’s Nu. She has moon powers.” Nu looked similar to Lambda but with blue and black fur. “This is Xi. She has ritual magic and her tattoos glow purple when she uses her powers.” Xi was old looking with gray fur and looked like she had cataracts. Her fur had black markings that looked like spiritual tattoos and jewelry. “This is Omicron. She can teleport and fly.” Omicron was the one with wings and also looked spacy with star patterned, purple fur. “This is Pi. She has fire power.” Pi looked like your typical fire wolf but with green flames. “This is Rho. He has ice magic.” Similar to Pi, Rho looked like your typical ice wolf but with purple ice. “Here’s Sigma. She’s cool. She can mix any chemicals she wants in her stomach then spit them out.” Sigma kinda looked like a furry wolf version of Gutrot from Ben 10 but with the biohazard symbol on her shoulders.

“Ew, that’s gross.”, Emi said.

“It is, and I love it. Where was I? Oh, this is Tau. He has sound powers.” Tau was green with purple tech lines, had speakers for shoulders, and large, bat-like ears. “This is Upsilon. He has earth powers.” Upsilon looked like a wolf made out of rocks and mud. “This is Phi. She has shield powers. She can put up large barriers around an entire city.” Phi was covered head to toe in silver and gold armor with classic shield shaped shoulder guards, and what little fur she showed was black. “Chi here has healing powers. I modeled him after Grandpa.” Chi indeed looks like Jiraiya with gray, spiky fur, silver eyes, markings around his eyes that looked like Jiraiya’s gold rimmed glasses, and medical crosses on the shoulders. “Psi has psychic powers and can boost others’ abilities.” Psi looked similar to Xi but with purple fur. “Omega is the largest wolf. She’s a walking natural disaster.” The picture had a little stick figure to emphasize her size. She was over three times the size of the stick figure. Omega was black with green highlights and had a porcupine-like spiky mane, a massive, lizard-like tail that looked like it could crush a car, a bony, knife-like horn, and scaly, spiky, bony armor along her back and on her front legs.

“Wow, those are impressive, and you came up with them all on your own?”, Sunset asked.

“Ayuh”, Anura said proudly. Their attention was taken by the front door opening and Minerva coming in. “Mom! Look at what I made!” Anura dragged her mom over and explained her creations to her.

“These are wonderful. You could become an artist when you grow up.”, Minerva said.

“Ah hate ta break dis up, but we need ta set da table.”

“Alright”, Anura said. She and Minerva gathered up the drawings and moved them somewhere else.

She has such a powerful imagination. She could be such a powerful witch one day.

Ms. Lance-Hart’s office

Date: Nov 17th, time: 3:15 pm

*Sunset’s perspective*

“Have you blacked out since then?”, Ms. Lance-Hart asked.

“I did nearly black out after the whole demon thing when I realized how much I was bleeding.”

“What kept you from blacking out that time?”

“Through a combination of different meditation techniques, I managed to get it under control.”

“Good job. Are you still doing that?”

“Yes, I realized how little control I really have over my mind or how much control I lost over the last six years, I’m not sure which it is, and I’m now trying to gain control over it.”

“No one can ever fully control their minds. Can you control the digestion of your food? Can you control the fact you need food?”

“I could when I had magic. Through the use of magic items, I could stop myself from needing to eat and keep my digested food in my stomach through the use of a spell.”

“It seems you grew up being able to control much more than you can now. I’m guessing it felt nice, even comforting.”

Sunset stared at Ms. Lance-Hart as she decoded her meaning. “You’re saying that my attempt to control the student body was me trying to regain the control I lost coming here and compensate for the sense of powerlessness I felt when Emi got sick.”

“Well, I only meant the first part, but you’ve identified more of the contributing factors than I could.”

“So, what, you want me to give up control and accept that I’m powerless?”

“Have you ever watched Kung Fu Panda?”

“No, it seemed silly.”

“I would suggest you watch it. It and its sequel are excellent movies. But the reason I bring it up is because of a scene where two of the characters discuss control, whether it is an illusion or not, using a peach tree. You may be able to control where you plant the seed of the peach tree, but you cannot control what that seed grows into or when it blossoms or when it bears fruit.”

“I used to be able to control all that.”

“But you no longer can.”

“And you want me to accept the situation I’m in and adapt.”

“Bingo, maybe you can regain that control some day, but as it stands, we all just have to go with the flow, like the ocean.”

“You actually sound like my hydromancy teacher. She used to tell me how I was exerting too much control over the water and just had to let it flow. But I’m a pyromancer. If I ever lost control over my fire, I could cause some serious damage or hurt my allies.”

“Maybe you need to think more like a hydromancer.”

“I still suck at hydromancy, but I’ll try.”

The section eventually wrapped up, and Sunset had to be on her way, but if there was one thing that barely got any easier, it was trying to go against the flow of the hall crowd. The downside of people not avoiding you like the plague is that it’s a lot harder to get through the halls. Sunset shimmied along the wall to get to her destination. By the time she got to her door, the crowd around it had dissipated, making it much easier to get into the classroom.

“Hello, can I help you?”, Mr. Steel asked. He was in the back of the classroom, organizing the supplies.

“Yes, I need to build some casings for some machines I’m building. I have the blueprints for what I need.” Sunset pulled the plans out of her backpack and laid them out on one of the tables.

Mr. Steel came over and looked them over. “Is this for a school project?”

“Eh, sorta. Principal Celestia asked me to do some testing to figure this magic stuff out, so I need to build a couple a’ machines.”

“Did she now?”, he said in a poorly veiled condescending tone.

His tone set Sunset on edge, and she had to restrain herself from growling at him, but she couldn’t keep her eyes from glowing. “She did.”

Mr. Steel made that startled ‘wtf’ face. “Oh, okay. Um, bring me the materials, and I can help you put this together.”

“Thank you.” Sunset packed her stuff back up and headed out. Only after leaving was she able to calm down enough to return her eyes to normal. “Fucking adults.”

Katon family backyard

Date: same day, time: 5:45 pm

*Sunset’s perspective*

“See what I’m doing?”, Anzhong asked. He held his hand in a claw position.

“Yeah”

“This is the way practitioners of tiger style kung fu hold their hands. They strike using the heel of their palm. Watch.” Anzhong turned to the tree and struck it, keeping his hand there for a few seconds so Sunset could really look at it before pulling back. “You try now.”

Sunset mimicked Anzhong’s form then he checked it and gave her the ‘okay’, and she struck the tree as hard as she could. It felt quite a bit different than a normal punch. Maybe it’s just because she wasn’t used to it, but the resulting pain was more stinky than blunt. It also hurt more, but that was to be expected. “Ow”

“And that is why most styles prefer a punch to a palm strike.”

“Maybe Mom could get me some weighted gloves with palm heel protection.”

“Hm, you mean like your wrist guards?”

“Something like that but more flexible. Those things are uncomfortable.”

“You’ll have to ask her about that.”

“Yeah… Dad, how do I let go of control?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, Ms. Lance-Hart told me that the reason for the crap I did at school is because I have an unhealthy need for control and need to learn how to let go and go with the flow. How do I do that?”

“Hm, try to strike me.”

“Okay”

Using the palm strike style, Sunset struck at Anzhong’s left shoulder, which he dodged by twisting clockwise. She tried again with his right shoulder, and he twisted counter-clockwise. She went straight down the center and aimed for an uppercut. Anzhong dodged by rolling backwards and hopping back to his feet. Uuugh, screw this. Sunset lunged to grab him, but he rolled under her arm and tripped her on his way back up, sending Sunset face first into the snow and leaves.

She rolled onto her back, sat up, and looked up at her father. “Okay, what was that about?”

“Remember when I was teaching you to block? I told you to be unmoving, like the mountain. It is now time I teach you to flow like water, and a part of that is accepting how little we control and drawing power from that. Water can not control where it goes. It is subject to currents and waves. Yet, it is a mighty force of our world. I can not control you, so I must flow with you to dodge your strikes.”

“I see, but did you have to trip me up to make your point?”

“That… was an accident. But… I let my body flow with my movements, and it resulted in an effective take down. In my life, I have found that simply letting events happen instead of trying to control or prevent them will result in fortunate outcomes. I let the universe guide me, and I ended up sitting at your mother’s table many years ago.”

“Sigh, that’s not going to be an easy thing for me to implement.”

“Neither was it for me. Now, get up. We can train more after dinner.”

Sunset nodded, more to herself, and hopped to her feet. Flow as water, fucking water, why does it have to be water philosophy? She brushed herself off and followed Anzhong inside. He headed to the kitchen while Sunset grabbed her job application form from her room. Brigid soon came down the stairs with Emi. “Mom, can you help me with this?”

Sunset handed the form over, and Brigid looked it over. “Ahh, y’re lookin’ ta get a job. Okay, let’s sit down n’ look dis ove’.”

They went over to the table, Brigid placed Emi on her seat, and the two of them looked over the form. “Have ya gotten permission from yer teache’s?”

“Not yet. I figured that they’d be more likely ta say yes if I show up with an otherwise completed form.”

“Okay, wha’ job are gettin’?”

“Server at a sushi place, I figured that being fluent in Japanese might give me a leg up.”

“Alright, we… let me get a pen.” Brigid got up to grab a pen from the junk drawer and returned to the table. “We c’n add dat. Now, Ah think ya c’n fill this out yerself.” Brigid handed the pen to Sunset.

Sunset took the pen and looked over the form. Stuff like ‘name’ and ‘address’ were easy, but then came the rest of it. “I guess I can’t put down ‘military vet’ in job history.”

“Heh, no, jus’ put ‘N/A’ or ‘none’ down.”

“Okay, should I put ‘student’ down for education?”

“Yeah”

“I heard that, with the right wording, you can make something as simple as changing a lightbulb sound way more impressive.”, Emi said.

“Let’s keep dat in our back pocket fer late’ jobs.”

“What’s this about measurements?”, Sunset asked.

“It’s so dey c’n order yer uniform.”

“Make sure to wrap that up soon. Dinner’s almost ready.”, Anzhong announced.

“Okay”

Sunset finished filling out the form the best she could, putting ‘good sense of balance, good memory, and personable’ down for ‘capabilities’. She gathered everything up and hurried to wash up as Anzhong started serving the food. There’s no way I’ll be able to earn enough from this job to pay back Mom and Dad, but it’s a start.

CHS band room

Date: Nov 20th, time: 3:05 pm

*Sunset’s perspective*

“Is everyone excited for Thanksgiving? Because I’m super, super excited!”, Pinkie cheered as she hopped around the room.

“Ya bet. Good food, family, best holiday if ya ask me.”, AJ said.

“Oh boy, I’m going to have put on five pounds by the time New Year hits.”, Rarity said.

“And you’ll still look lovely.”, Fluttershy said.

“Of course I will.”

Sunset and Rainbow gave each other knowing looks as the rest of the girls yammered on about the holiday. “Your mom working that day?”, Sunset asked.

“Ayuh, your grandfather working that day?”

“Ayuh, dude never takes the holidays off. His papa brain won’t let him.”

“Aye”

“What are you two talking about?”, Pinkie asked, popping up between them.

“Medical worker kid stuff.”

“Like what?”

“Oh, y’know, oil burns, kitchens catching on fire, that kinda stuff.”, Sunset said.

“Oh, I guess this isn’t as great of a time for you two.”

“Oh, I forgot. Your grandfather works in the ER.”, Rarity said.

“Yup, I’ve maybe spent one Thanksgiving with him in my five years on this Earth, or maybe that was Christmas.” Sunset remembered the song she wrote and pulled out her phone to refresh herself on it.

“Yeah, my mom’s getting no sleep that night.”, RD added.

“Ah guess tha holiday season isn’t so great for you.”, AJ said.

“Oh, not just the holiday season, every holiday that involves cooking or fire or explosives in any way is not a great time for our families.”

“Yeah, I even wrote a “12 Days of Christmas” parody song about it, it’s so bad. It’s not a great song, but I find it funny. Wanna hear it?”, Sunset asked. The rest of the girls nodded, so Sunset stood up with her guitar and started playing. “Okay, here goes “9 Days of Burns”.

On New Year's Day, my true love came to me
With both eyebrows missing

On Chinese New Year, my true love came to me
With three fewer fingers, and
Both eyebrows missing

On Juneteenth, my true love came to me
With only one working eye
Three fewer fingers, and
Both eyebrows missing

On the Fourth of July, my true love came to me
With half his hair gone
Only one working eye
Three fewer fingers, and
Both eyebrows missing

On Guy Fawkes Day, my true love came to me
With an amputated foot
Half his hair gone
Only one working eye
Three fewer fingers, and
Both eyebrows missing

On Thanksgiving, my true love came to me
With a front covered in skin grafts
An amputated foot
Half his hair gone
Only one working eye
Three fewer fingers, and
Both eyebrows missing

On Christmas Eve, my true love came to me
With a hand wrapped in bandages
A front covered in skin grafts
An amputated foot
Half his hair gone
Only one working eye
Three fewer fingers, and
Both eyebrows missing

On Christmas Day, my true love came to me
With a face covered in ash
A hand wrapped in bandages
A front covered in skin grafts
An amputated foot
Half his hair gone
Only one working eye
Three fewer fingers, and
Both eyebrows missing

On New Year’s Eve, I went to see my true love in the ICU
With an oxygen tube down his throat
A face covered in ash
A hand wrapped in bandages
A front covered in skin grafts
An amputated foot
Half his hair gone
Only one working eye
Three fewer fingers, and
Both eyebrows missing”

Sunset looked around the room to see a range of disturbed faces on the girls, except for RD, who was laughing her butt off. “Oh man, that is wonderfully dark.”, RD wheezed out.

“Poor true love”, AJ said. “You need therapy,” AJ looked at the cackling RD, “both of you.”

“I know.”, Sunset said. “I’m the one that has to live in my head, and let me tell you, it ain’t a fun place.”

“Let’s get to playing something happier.”, Fluttershy said. “I wanna get the image of Mr. True Love out of my head.”

Sunset smirked to herself as the rest of the girls got into position. She’s too cute and maybe too innocent. I hope she keeps it.

CHS basement

Date: Nov 26th, time: 4:00 pm

*Sunset’s perspective*

“Okay, so that was a bust.”, Sunset said as she straightened out her hair. She had no idea what that rainbow crap she was blasted with was, but it makes an annoyingly good hair gel. Even with her attempts to fix her hair, she still looked like a mad scientist. “Let’s move onto the practical tests.”

“Okay, what will that entail?”, AJ asked.

“Testing our physical capabilities and testing for any specialized magical abilities we might’ve gained from our pony magic.”

“Specialized magical abilities?”, RD asked.

“Yeah, unicorns can cast spells, earth ponies have enhanced strength, a connection to the earth, and some psychic powers, and pegasi can fly and have the ability to manipulate the weather.”

“Whoa, okay. How are we going to do that, mainly the weather thing?”

“Well, we aren’t going to test that. I don’t think you can do that yet, but I do wanna see if you could walk on clouds, and we’ll test that using the pool.”

“Wait, we can walk on clouds and water?”, Fluttershy asked.

“Potentially, yes. Wanna go test it?”

The girls dropped their instruments and rushed past Sunset. Sunset grabbed a clipboard, and they all hurried down the halls to the pool room. Rainbow started pulling everything out of her pockets and took off her shoes, socks, and outerwear. “Is there anything special I need ta do?”

“I don’t think so. Are you sure you don’t wanna change into a swimsuit first?”

“Eh, it’s fine, and I don’t have one today.” Rainbow flew over the water and slowly lowered herself down. She extended her legs and landed on the water. She stopped flapping, and she stood on the water. “Holy crap”

Fluttershy gingerly stepped out onto the water and joined Rainbow when she didn’t sink. “Wow”

“I so want to do this in front of a bunch of Christians. I’ll wear white robes and scare the crap out of them.”

The rest of the girls laughed. Sunset was 90% sure she was just joking. Water walking, positive. She jotted that down. “Come on, we have more to test.”

Fluttershy and Rainbow hopped out of the pool, and RD gathered up her stuff. Sunset led them upstairs to the weights room. It’s normally locked when there wasn’t a teacher in their to keep stupid kids from doing stupid stuff with the weights, but a lock pick and a general lack of fucks to give got them in.

“I’m going to have you all test your limits on various machines then pony-down and do the same in your human form, sound good?”

The girls nodded. Sunset led them over to the lat pulldown machine, and they gathered up into a pseudo-line. The first in line was AJ, so at least the absolute maximum could be determined right away.

“Okay, how much do you know you can lift?”

“Ah dunno. Ah never used one a’ these machines before.”

“Okay, I guess we’re going backwards then.” Sunset set the machine to its max weight of 300 lbs.

AJ stepped up and, with little noticeable effort, managed to lift the whole thing.

“Okay, that’s good.” Sunset jotted it down as AJ put down the weight.

“Phew, how much was that?”

Rainbow came over and gawked at the weight. “Three hundred, damn.”

“Our magic’s really that powerful?”, AJ said in disbelief.

“You do have earth pony magic and were already the physically strongest of us before we got magic.”, Sunset said. “Next up.”

One by one, the girls tested their strength. None of them came close to AJ, but each of them showed impressive strength. Pinkie had the second highest scores at 250, then RD and Rarity at 230, and Fluttershy was the weakest at 200.

“Very good. Now, everyone pony-down and try to lift your weights.”

“Aren’t you going to try, darling?”

“No, we’re testing Equestrian magic. I have other magics that will affect my results, and I’m not even ponied-up.”

“Aw, come on.”, Pinkie complained. “You don’t have to record it. We wanna see werewolf magic at work.” The rest of the girls nodded and murmured in agreement.

“You really wanna see my werewolf magic?”

“Yeah, werewolves are cool.”, RD said. “Having a werewolf friend is almost as cool as having a wolf as a pet.”

“Wolves don’t make good pets.”, Fluttershy said.

“I know. Wolves are still awesome though.”

“Okay, I’ll do it.” Sunset got into position and wolfed up as much as she could. They wanted to see her werewolf magic; they were going to see it. She set the machine to its max weight and began lifting it. She had to strain a lot with much more grunting than AJ, but she was able to lift it. She dropped the weights and turned to her friends.

“Boy, am I glad you didn’t have that power in middle school.”, Pinkie said.

“I think it was better for everyone.” Sunset shifted back and stepped out of the way. “Okay now”

The girls all ponied-down and, in the same order, tried to lift their weights. They were all able to lift the same amount, but it took more effort to do. Their movements were also different, stiffer, but it wasn’t like they were abnormally stiff. Sunset looked back on her memories and realized their movements were more fluid when they were ponied-up. It wasn’t an unnatural fluidity or glaringly obvious, but comparing the same movements showed a difference.

“Very good, did you feel a difference between your two lifts?”

“Yeah, my body felt colder the second time.”, RD said. “Like how, when you first wake up in the morning, your body had dropped a couple of degrees overnight and your muscles are stiff. Or maybe like how, when you’re in the middle of a run, your body’s warm and your muscles are working. That’s how it felt when I was ponied-up.”

“That sounds about right.”, Rarity said. The rest of the girls gave similar sentiments.

“Okay, sounds interesting.” And similar to how I feel when wolfed out. “I think I’ve experienced something similar. My guess would be that our magic being pumped into our muscles warms them up, priming them for exertion.”

“That does make sense.”, RD commented.

“What’s the next test?”, Pinkie asked.

“Next, I want to test earth pony magic. Let’s head outside.” Everyone got their outerwear on, and Sunset led them outside and into the snowy forest. “Now, earth ponies are able to make plants grow with their magic. AJ…”

AJ found a little branch with a single fall leaf on it and put her hand next to it. She closed her eyes and concentrated.

“What’s supposed to be happening?”, Rarity asked.

Before Sunset could answer, the branch dropped the old leaf and sprouted two new green leaves. “That’s all that’s gonna happen.”, AJ said.

“That’s still very impressive.” Sunset noted it down.

“There’s no way I can do that.”, Pinkie said. “I’m not a tree girl.”

“That’s okay. Let’s head back inside.”

The girls hurried back to the door, RD getting there first, and she tried to open it. “Um, it’s locked.”

Sunset slipped past her and used her clipboard to shimmy it open. “Don’t tell the principals.”

Rainbow was clearly surprised but nodded.

Sunset let everyone inside, and they went back to the lab.

“So, how are we going to test our powers?”, Rarity asked.

“I’m not sure. I’ve tried casting spells before, but all I got was a headache. Let’s take a look at your spell books.”

Pinkie, AJ, RD, and Rarity pulled their books out of their bags and laid them out on a table Sunset brought over.

“Would you guys mind if I scan these?”

“That would actually be a good idea.”, Pinkie said. “These are family heirlooms, and I don’t want them to get damaged, and knowing us, they would get damaged.” AJ, RD, and Rarity nodded their agreement.

Sunset took the books into the control room, which had a scanner, for some reason, and began scanning each of the pages onto her computer. After a boring amount of time, she brought the books back out and returned them to their owners. “Sorry that took so long. I’ll email you all copies when I get home.”

“I wanna try making some potions. I found some that look cool.”, RD said.

“Did you bring the components?”

“No, I was hoping you might have some. Where am I supposed to get eye of newt?”

Oh, she’s gonna be so disappointed. “I have eye of newt at my house, along with just about everything else we might need, and if I don’t have it, my aunt will.”

The girls all got excited and would’ve been wagging their tails if they were wolves, except for Pinkie. She gave Sunset a knowing look.

“Yeah! Let’s go make potions!”, RD cheered.

The girls gathered up their stuff, and Sunset led them to her house. “Okay, what are the ingredients?”

Rainbow laid her book out on the counter and began reading off the ingredients, and Sunset gathered the ingredients. “What is all this?”, RD asked.

“The ingredients for your spell.”

“Mustard seed and holly leaves?”

“Otherwise known as eye of newt and wool of bat in ye olden times.”

“Wait… this is just cooking!” Rainbow flipped through her book. “Is being a witch just cooking?!”

“Brewing potions is ninety percent cooking.”

“Ma mom being a witch now makes a lot more sense.”, AJ said. “There wouldn’t happen ta be a potion fer bein’ in two places at once? Bloom has been complainin’ that Ah’m not spendin’ enough time with her anymore.”

“That’s pretty advanced spell casting. Haven’t you tried explaining that you’re training to protect her?”

“Did that work with your sister?”

“Ayuh, she asked me to train her as soon as her powers come in.”

“Sigh, Ah’ll try that. Ah do still wanna cook up a potion.” AJ pulled out her book and showed Sunset the page she flipped to. “Maybe this one.”

“Accelerated plant growth, easy-peasy, let’s get started.”

Twilight’s Castle, Portal room

Date: 23rd day of the 11th month of the 1120th year, time: 1st hour AMR

*Twilight’s perspective*

“Humans can survive deadly injuries and fight even with BROKEN BONES!”, Twilight read from one of the books on humans. “Humans are insane, but they aren’t that insane.”

“What’s this about broken bones?”, a tired Spike asked from the door.

“Oh, just a preposterous claim by the author… then again, this is the same species that drops miniature suns on each other. All check with Sunset.”

“Miniature suns?”

“It’s not important. Go ahead to bed.”

“Alright” Spike yawned and left the library.

Twilight went back to the books. “There’s no way they can’t feel pain, but why would this book say they can’t? Maybe humans were too alien for them to recognize their pain.” She looked at the journal sitting on a shelf near the portal and debated on whether or not to write Sunset. “If I got the time zones right, it’s the middle of the night over there. I’ll write my questions down and ask her tomorrow.” She summoned a notepad and pen from another room and began writing every question about humans she could think of. “Then again, Sunset is a thestral. That means she’s nocturnal. She might be awake, and if she’s not, it shouldn’t be an issue.”

Twilight levitated the journal over and open and began writing. “Sunset, when you can, I have some questions about humans. One of my books says that humans can survive deadly injuries and continue fighting with broken bones and can’t feel pain. Is this true?” She closed up the journal and set it aside with a yawn. “I should head to bed myself.”

Twilight set her books aside and left, taking the journal with her. The castle turned the lights off behind her as she walked and turned lights on as needed. She got to her room, placing the journal on her side table as she climbed into bed. Before long, she was asleep.

Twilight was awoken by the morning light and the light of the buzzing journal. She shook away the sleep and levitated the journal over and open. “The easiest question to answer would be the pain thing. Humans have a hormone that our bodies can release while under stress called [adrenaline]. It does many things, but the most pertinent of those is blocking out pain. So the answer is, sometimes. This pain blocking can also allow us to continue fighting if gravely injured, like having a broken bone. As for the surviving deadly wounds thing, that varies greatly, but I can safely say that we aren’t easy to kill.”, it read.

“Seriously?!”, Twilight shouted in mild panic. She pulled a pen out from her side table drawer and started writing. “Please tell me you’re messing with me.”

“Nope, humans can also heal from broken legs. I fractured my leg once, and Rainbow managed to break all four of her limbs over her middle school career.”

“And you still have them?!”, Twilight said out loud. She felt a bit queasy as she remembered what happens when a pony breaks their leg. Due to the tension they’re under, the bone gets ripped apart into hundreds of pieces and damages the surrounding tissue.

“Let me guess, queasy? You day walkers have such weak stomachs.”

“And you nightlings have something wrong with you.”, she wrote. I hope that’s right. This is how humans tease each other, right?

“Ha! We are children of the darkness. Your greatest fears are our strength. By the way, my surgery is scheduled for [December] 6th, which is eight days from today. I’ll be high off my flank on meds, but I’d like it if you were there.”

Oh, thank Mother of Destiny. “Of course I’ll come.”

“Thank you”

Twilight closed the book and brought it back to the library, placing it back in its place. “Now, I need to cancel some plans. They’ll understand.”

Canterville Soup Kitchen

Date: Nov 30th, time: 6:00 pm

*Pinkie’s perspective*

Pinkie hopped out of her father’s car and hurried over to her friends, who were unloading boxes from Rarity’s mom’s minivan. “What’s all that?”

“Oh, this is just some food.”, Rarity said.

“Some?”, Pinkie said with a raised eyebrow. The entire back of the van was filled with boxes.

“This holiday is about giving to the less fortunate.”

“They’re rich. What do you expect?”, RD said.

Pinkie joined them in taking the food inside with the help of RD’s and Pinkie’s dads and Rarity’s mom. Inside the kitchen, Sunset’s family was cooking. Once all the food was inside, they all joined in on the cooking. It was a bit difficult working with so many people in the kitchen, but everyone was assigned tasks, and they stuck to them. That made things go smoother. Pinkie ended up serving food, and she got a look at the people in the dining area, including all the kids. There were elderly looking people, middle aged people, vets in their camo, parents with their kids, and lone kids.

A boy around Pinkie’s age came up, and she shot him a smile. “Hi, we got some toasty mashed sweet potatoes ta warm ya up.”

“Thanks”, he said without emotion.

“Aw, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing” The boy took his food and left without another word.

“That’s Skylar, a trans woman.”, Sunset said, coming up behind Pinkie with more food. “She was kicked out after her parents caught her with her boyfriend.”

“Oh… that’s sad.”

“A lot of homeless teens have similar stories. America is better than Equestria at some things, but the way, what you call, “queer people” are treated is not one of them.” Sunset went back into the kitchen.

Pinkie watched her go then quickly put her happy face back on. If she could do anything for them, it was be a beacon of light and laughter. “Hi, I’m Pinkie. What’s your name?”, she cheerfully said to the next person in line.

The older man’s expression perked up from the default expression he had just a second ago. “Hello, Pinkie, I’m Jack.”

“Nice to meet you, Jack. We got some toasty mashed sweet potatoes. They’re sure ta warm ya up.”

“Heh, sure. You’re an excellent saleswoman.”, he said with a smile.

Pinkie chuckled and served him his food. She did similar with everyone else in line, earning smiles from most of them. Being able to bring smiles to their faces made her happy, but the fact that all she did was give them the basic dignity of asking for their names made her sad. At least she could bring them that little bit of happiness.

They worked late into the night to feed everyone, and when they were finally done, Pinkie was emotionally drained. All those people, forgotten and abandoned by the society that was supposed to support and protect them. It was disheartening to see. She sat on her car’s tailgate as the adults talked amongst themselves. She just wanted to go home and lie down for a while.

“You okay?”, Fluttershy asked.

“Emotionally tired. Our government doesn’t see those people as human.”

Fluttershy could only sigh and rub Pinkie’s shoulder. Sunset’s family was packing up to go, and since Fluttershy came with them, she had to go too.

The adults finished talking, and Dad walked over to where Pinkie was sitting. Pinkie stood up and hugged him. “Thank you”

“For what?”

“For never kicking me out.”

“God made and molded thy exactly as he saw fit. Who am I to abandon one of his creations?”

“You know I don’t believe in that.”

“I know thy does not believe, but I do.”

Twilight’s Castle, Portal room

Date: 1st day of the 12th month of the 1120th year, time: 1st hour ASR

*Twilight’s perspective*

“So, you’re going over there to support your friend in her recovery. Are you also going to help track down whoever cursed her sister?”, Rainbow asked.

“What? No, there’s no curse. Cancer, in their world, isn’t a curse. Sunset explained to me that it’s a malfunction of the body. We won’t be tracking anyone down.”, Twilight explained. She looked up at Rainbow, who was flying over the rest of her friends. They were there to see her off. Given that she had to cancel all their plans for today, they knew it was serious.

“Oh, I suppose that’s good.”

“Make sure to give them both our well wishes.”, Rarity said. The rest of the girls nodded their affirmation.

“We should be going.”, Spike said.

“Sorry, Spike, but dogs aren’t allowed in hospitals. It’s just going to be me.”

“Oh”, Spike said dejectedly.

“You can hang out with me again, Spiky Wicky.”, Rarity said.

“Okay” Spike practically had hearts in his eyes.

Twilight shook her head. It’s not going to happen, Spike. “Okay, I’m off then.”

“Bye”, they all said.

Twilight stepped through the portal and stepped out on the other side. She was wearing the same clothes she was when she left. A blessing given that there was now an inch of snow on the ground. The sky was clear, and the day was bright with the sun high. She looked back down at the ground to start walking only to be practically blinded. Why is the snow so bright? She squinted to try and see where she was going. It was difficult to see, but she could see well enough to get to Fluttershy’s.

She reached Fluttershy’s place and knocked loudly. Mrs. Shy answered. Right, they’re all still children. “Hello”

“You must be Twilight. Come in. Fluttershy’s in her room.”

“Thank you.” Twilight hurried inside so as to not let all the warm air out. She looked down the hall and realized she had a tiny problem. “Um, which one is Fluttershy’s?”

“Second door to your right.”

“Thank you.” Twilight walked over to the indicated door and knocked.

Fluttershy answered and smiled. “Hi”

“Hi” Twilight stepped inside. “So, when will we be heading to the hospital?”

“In a little bit. How was your walk? Not too cold, I hope.”

“No, but the sun reflecting off the snow was very bright. I guess humans are more photosensitive than ponies in general.”

“Interesting” Fluttershy walked over to her closet and pulled out a set of eye-armor. “Here, these will help.”

Twilight took the armor and examined it. “Huh, you wouldn’t be someone I’d expect to have this.” Though, some earth ponies, and Vinal, do wear these as fashion statements.

“Why not? I’m sure everyone has at least one pair of sunglasses. Snow blindness can be a real issue.”

“Sunglasses?”

“Yeah, what about it?”

“Oh, I just thought this was eye-armor.”

“Ha, no, they are shatter resistant, but they aren’t safety glasses.”

“Oh, okay.” Twilight folded them up and looked for a good place to put them where they wouldn’t get damaged.

“Try hanging them from your shirt.”

“What?” Twilight looked down at them again then realized what she meant. “Oh, okay.”

“Are you hungry? We’ll be spending a while at the hospital, and hospital food’s expensive.”

“No, I just had breakfast.”, Twilight said as she hung her sunglasses on her shirt.

“Okay”

They didn’t have to wait long to get going. Fluttershy’s mom came and got them, and they all piled into the car. They picked Pinkie up from her house then they went to the hospital.

When they arrived, AJ and Granny Smith were also arriving. “Hi, Mrs. Forst.”, AJ said.

“Hello, Applejack.”, Mrs. Shy said.

Forst?

“Hey, Twi. Hey, Fluttershy. Hey, Pinkie.”

“Hi”, Fluttershy said.

“Hey! AJ!”, Pinkie excitedly cheered.

They headed inside and over to some sort of guide.

“Where did Sunset say they’d be?”, Pinkie asked.

“Children’s ward”, Fluttershy answered.

“Okay, sixth floor.”, AJ said.

They headed over to a… well… Twilight had no idea how to even start describing it other than a metallic part of the wall. AJ pushed a button and one of the metal sections opened up to reveal a small room. Everyone else went inside, so Twilight followed. The wall closed behind them, and AJ pressed another button. Then it felt like the room was moving.

“Are we moving?”, Twilight asked.

“Do you not have elevators in Equestria?”, Fluttershy asked.

“I don’t think so. What do they do?”

“They provide transportation between floors of a building.”, AJ explained.

It was at that point the wall opened again, and they all stepped out. They were indeed in a different part of the hospital. Granny Smith led them to a waiting room. Rainbow and her mother and Rarity and her mother, along with Sunset’s family, were already there.

Pinkie bounded over to Sunset’s parents. “Hi, Dr. Brigid, is Sunset still in surgery?”

“Yes, she is. It shouldn’t be much longer.”, Dr. Brigid said.

“Okie dokie” Pinkie bounced back over to the girls, and they all sat around each other.

They sat in relative silence as they waited. Aside from Pinkie humming or doing the typical stuff a po…person with that much energy does when sitting for a long time and the occasional ‘how much longer?’ from many of them, they weren’t doing much talking. She couldn’t say anything for her friends, but Twilight was nervous. Sure, America’s an advanced alien civilization, but they don’t have magic. How would they deal with it if something goes wrong?

A medical worker came into the weighting room and went over to Sunset’s parents. The television and general noise made it hard to hear what they were saying, but the message became clear when Sunset’s family got up to follow the worker and motioned the girls to follow them. Granny Smith and the other girls’ mothers stayed in the waiting room given that ten visitors was already a lot. The worker led them to a room and let them in. Inside were Sunset and Emi laying on beds, a female medical worker attending to Emi, who was asleep, and a male, older one was with Sunset. The worker attending to Sunset was being weirdly affectionate with her, holding her hand and stroking her head. The older medical worker motioned them over, and Sunset’s family went in first.

“How are you doing?”, Dr. Brigid asked.

“Mmm, juice.”, Sunset mumbled.

“Dad, could you?”, Mr. Katon asked.

“Yeah, be right back.”, the older worker said. He exited the room and walked down the hall.

Dad? Oh, that explains the affection.

“How are you feeling?”, Minerva asked Sunset.

“Uuuuuu”

“Got it.”

Dr. Brigid, Mr. Katon, and Anura moved to check on Emi, and Minerva made room for the girls. The girls moved in around Sunset’s front and the foot of the bed. She was laying on her side, limiting the space they had. She also had her eyes closed.

“Hey, Sunset, we’re all here.”, Fluttershy said.

Sunset’s grandfather came back in with a box with an apple on it and put it on the tray attached to Sunset’s bed. “Your juice is right here.”

Why is it in a small box?

“Thank you” Sunset mumbled something unintelligible.

“What was that?”

Sunset didn’t answer.

“I think she might be asleep.”, Pinkie said.

“I’m not asleep…” Sunset opened her eyes and looked over to Pinkie. “Why is your hair bubble gum?”

“Send to Tartarus, she really is out of it.”, RD said.

“How long will she be like this?”, AJ asked.

“That depends.”, Sunset’s grandfather started. He looked around the room quickly then went to close the door. The worker attending to Emi was gone, so he’s likely trying to keep anyone that's not ‘in the know’ out of the know. “It already varies a lot amongst humans, and I’ve never treated a werewolf-pony-fox before. She could recover in a few minutes, or it could take a day. In short, I have no idea.”

“I’m leaning towards ‘a few minutes’.”, Sunset said in a much more coherent voice. “I’m still groggy and sore but more like the brownie just kicked in and I just got slammed by something pointy.” She sat up and grabbed her juice.

“The brownie just kicked in”, what does that mean?

“Do you need more pain medication?”

“No, it’s mild enough.” Sunset removed a straw from the back and stabbed it into the top of the box. “How’s Emi doing?”

“She’s doing just fine.”, Dr. Brigid said.

Sunset motioned for them to move, and they all understood. Everyone moved out of the way so she could see Emi. Sunset looked Emi over then stared at the central line in her arm that led up to the bag of her marrow. To someone looking in, it was a ghostly sight with a pale, little girl hooked up to medical equipment, but the smile on Sunset’s face told a different story. It was the end of a long fight, the end of a nightmare.

Such alien creatures that think and live so differently from us yet are still so similar, truly terrifying and truly marvelous. Ponies and humans could truly benefit from each other and maybe even bring a new era to both.

RaR ch8 Anon-a-Miss

View Online

CHS, Lily’s locker

Date: Dec 9th, time: 8:20 am

*Lily’s perspective*

Sunset Shimmer, Sunset Shimmer, that’s all people are talking about. Rarity let slip yesterday that Sunset’s sister has cancer and a transplant was finally okayed for her and that Sunset would be the doner. That attention whore probably told her to tell people that. I bet she doesn’t even have a sister. I’ve never seen her or even heard her talk about her.

“There’s still some post-op stuff and checks the doctors are gonna do ta make sure it’s really gone, but yeah, Emi’s cancer free.”, Sunset said to a group of… of… students. ‘Students’ that’s the word.

Their lockers were down the hall from each other, so she could hear everything Sunset said. Just look at her. She’s basking in the attention, and “Emi” is such a fake name. She doesn’t even look like she just got an organ taken out. I know you’re planning something. You’re always planning something. Before she could figure it out, another headache struck. She quickly grabbed her pills and water bottle and quickly took a dose. She pressed her head into her arm to help with the pain and the dizziness. As soon as the pressure got down to a manageable level, she put everything back. Damn, nearly out again. Okay, gotta go to the… to the… what was I just thinking about? Right right, meds, gotta get more.

Lily closed up her locker and began walking to class. She ran into Daisy on the way, and she ignored her as they walked.

“Hey, Lily.” ... “Come on, Lily. Say something.” … “What the hell’s up with you. Your behavior is getting worse, and you’ve been behaving like a big baby.”

Lily turned her nose up and hurried up her walk. She wanted nothing to do with any of her family. Her parents sided with Sunset, and Daisy sided with their parents.

“Why are you so obsessed with Sunset, of all people? You two barely even spoke before you suddenly decided that you hate her.”

“Because I…” Why do I hate her? All she remembered was sitting across from her during lunch back in middle school and then suddenly feeling a deep hatred for her. It made no sense, but her memory has been bad for a couple of years, so maybe she just didn’t remember what Sunset had done. Whatever, she has it coming. “I hate her, that’s why.”

“That’s not a reason.”

Lily ignored her sister and continued to class. Getting through the day was hard. Despite all the meds Dr. Baethan had her on, she still had trouble focusing and remembering anything in class. She kept zoning out, and it felt like her brain was in a fog. She knew she was doing horribly on everything, which only made her more anxious and made her depressive symptoms worse. It was a major relief when the bell rang and she could go home.

The sound of Sunset’s friends talking sparked her interest, and she hid behind a corner to listen in.

“Come on, we want to go ice skating.”, Sweetie Belle said.

“I’m sorry, but we have to train.”, Rarity said.

“You guys are always trainin’.”, Bloom complained.

“That thing in tha woods is gonna try ta eat us, n’ we need ta be prepared for when it ties.”, AJ explained.

“This is totally uncool.”, Scootaloo said with a huff.

“It is what it is, Squirt. We’re the only ones with magic, so we have ta deal with it.”, RD said.

“Come on, we need to get going.”, Sunset said.

The three older sisters said their goodbyes, and six sets of footsteps walked away. Three sets of smaller footsteps walked towards Lily. I hear opportunity knocking.

The three walked in front of her, and Lily took the opportunity. “Hello, girls.”

The three of them jumped and looked at her with some fear or worry in their eyes. “Hi”, Bloom said.

“Sounds like Sunset’s taking your sisters away from you. It’s her fault they have magic, and now she’s making them train to use powers they never asked for. Doesn’t that make you mad? I can fix that for you.” And hurt Sunset in the process.

The three looked between each other then back at Lily. “We should go.”, Bloom said. All three girls scampered off in a hurry, but her seeds were sown. They just needed time to grow. I’ll slip my email in her locker tomorrow. I’ll just follow her to it, a simple enough plan.

Lily headed outside and got on the bus with Daisy. She kept her eyes on the road to keep from getting nauseous. She missed the days before she got car sick so easily, but Dr. Baethan says she needs to take the meds and just deal with the side effects. They got dropped off at home and went about the rest of their day. Before Lily goes to bed, she has to take her night pills. They’re less than her morning pills but still a good few. It was a pain, but she’d been taking them since middle school so was used to it.

“There’s something wrong with her!”, Daisy shouted. “That’s not my sister anymore.”

Lily turned her attention fully to the conversation.

“Sigh, we can schedule another appointment with Dr. Baethan.”, Dad said.

“No! He’s the one that put her on all that crap!”

“We don’t have the money to see anyone else.”, Mom explained. “Our insurance will only pay if we visit doctors contracted with them.”

“Ugh, that’s so stupid. Who decided it would work like that, a bunch a’ billionaires that couldn’t care less about us?!” Daisy stomped back to the girls’ room and slammed the door.

There’s no way I’m ever going back to him. He’s the only person I hate more than Sunset.

CHS cafeteria

Date: Dec 10th, time: 12:00 pm

*Sunset’s perspective*

“So, yeah, my sister’s gonna be okay.”, Sunset said to the umpteenth student to ask about her.

“Good, but man, no wonder you were such a bitch.”, the student then walked away.

“Don’t take that as an excuse! I was still a bitch!” Sunset turned her attention from the kid to Rarity and glared at her. “I’m still mad you let that slip.”

“Sorry, I didn’t realize it was supposed to go in the ‘top secret’ box. Why were you even trying to keep it a secret?”

“For the same reason I’m keeping the ET stuff secret. I don’t want the attention. There’s also the fact that it’s private medical information. I also didn’t want everyone to think I was making excuses for myself. Those were all purely my actions, and I don’t want people attributing them to my sister’s condition.”

“Give it a couple more days. Everyone will have moved on by then.”, Pinkie said. “Speaking of the future, what’s everyone’s plans for Christmas?”

Everyone gave various answers that were either ‘family dinner’, ‘traveling to see family’, or ‘winter getaway’.

“Sounds like most a’ us ain’t gonna around durin’ Christmas.”, AJ said.

“That’s nothing new.”, RD said. “I’m a bit jealous of you, Fluttershy. You get to spend a week on beaches while I’m LA bound.”

“I wish I was going to LA.”, Rarity said. “Hollywood, the stars, Beverly Hills, Rodeo Drive, I’ve always wanted to go.”

“I’m not going anywhere near any of that. My family lives in the Pacoima neighborhood.”

“I’ve never heard of it.”

“Exactly, famous people never go there. The only relevance it had ended in the nineties.”

“Hey, Rare, I’d recommend staying away from freshwater bodies.”, Sunset said.

“Oh, I know. We aren’t going anywhere near any alligators.”

“Oh, no, the gators are the least of your problems. I was talking about the brain-eating amoebas.”

“The what?”, Rarity deadpanned.

“Yeah, warm freshwater is the perfect breeding ground for them. If you plan on rinsing your sinuses, make sure you boil the water first. That’s how it reaches your brain, up your nose.”

The look of mild, panicked horror on Rarity’s face was enjoyable enough that it made up for the last few days of unwanted attention.

“Are ya bein’ serious or just messin’ with her?”, AJ asked.

“Oh, she’s being one-hundred percent serious.”, Fluttershy answered.

“I kinda wanna do something together before Christmas.”, Pinkie said.

“Let me guess, a sleepover.”

“Oh, that’s perfect. The week leading up to Christmas, we spend a night at each of our houses. How does that sound?”

“Um, you do remember how small my place is, right?”, RD asked.

“We made it work in the past.”

“Yeah, when we were smaller and there were fewer of us.”

“I’m sure we can still do it, and a couple of us could sleep in your room, if necessary.”

“True… okay, I’m in.”

Pinkie looked at the rest of the girls. They all either gave ‘okay’s or ‘I’ll ask my parents’. “Great, sounds like we have a plan.”

The day went on, and Sunset had to deal with kids asking about her sister every passing period. It was both sweet that they cared and annoying that she had to deal with people more than she was intending and they were taking up so much of her limited time. The plan was that she would come back to school like nothing happened and recover in peace, but nope, that got defenestrated. Defenestrated, what a fun word, almost as fun as Backpfeifengesicht. At least I know which one of us is actually the gossip, and this wasn’t life shattering, but it will need to be corrected. In hindsight, it should’ve been obvious, but Rainbow’s boisterous attitude concealed Rarity’s more subtle history of gossiping. It takes time to change a part of yourself, but we don’t have that luxury.

As soon as classes let out for the day, Sunset hurried down to Celestia’s office. “Hello, Principal Celestia.”

“Yes, Sunset, come in.”

Sunset took a seat across from Celestia and pulled out her job application. “I need you to approve or do whatever it is the state wants in order for me to get a job.”

“You want to get a job?”

“My grades are good, and I have plenty of free time on my hands.”

“Why do you want a job?”

“I’m pretty sure the answer’s self evident. Look, whatever you’re doing right now, I’ve been around for thirty years, I’ve been in my home country’s military. I should be able to get a civilian job.”

“Fair enough, I’ll approve your application.”

Sunset handed over her application, and Celestia looked over then signed it. Sunset took it back and stood. “Thank you” She left the office and headed to the band room. One more thing done, now just twenty more things ta do. Aye yai yai

Shellie River Park

Date: Dec 15th, time: 7:00 am

*Jiraiya’s perspective*

Christmas is coming up, it’s freezing out, and we’re down three nurses. We’re screwed. With my luck, some new arsonist that hates Christmas will show up. Huh, Fire Grinch, no, Burning Grinch…

“Hey, Earth to Jiraiya.”, Torta said.

“Huh, sorry, I got lost in thought.”

“What were you thinking about?”

Jiraiya looked out over the park. From their bench, he could see a frozen lake families would start skating on soon, acres of snow covered grass and trees, and houses across the street. There had to be hundreds of houses in the neighborhood that surrounds the park, hundreds of families. How many of them will see the new year? “Christmas isn’t a good time for me. People are dumb and reckless, accidents happen, and people end up in the ICU.”

“Oh, I guess this is ze busy season for everyone. Well, you’re off work right now. Time for ze doctor to take a break.”

“You’re right, but it’s not just the doctor getting antsy. The father in me is also on edge.” Jiraiya took a moment to breathe as memories of traumatized little kids sitting in the weighting room flashed in his mind. “There are always kids, every year.”

“Well, if it’s an inevitability, why fret? There’s nothing you can do to prevent it, so constantly thinking about it will only wound you up.”

“I suppose… Fair warning, this happens every year.”

Jiraiya was no psychic, but he’d been around the block a few times, several of which were with a trickster spirit. He knew enough to tell when someone was being devious, and Torta had a devious look to her. “Y’know, I’m starting to get a bit cold.”, she said as she leaned in closer to Jiraiya.

“Aren’t you Russians supposed to be immune to the cold?”

Torta glared at him.

Jiraiya got the hint and decided to play along. “Perhaps we should wrap this up and go somewhere warmer.”

“Warmer, you say? Any specific place in mind?”

“I was thinking my apartment.”

“Hm, that sounds nice.”

They stood up and took each other’s arms. I almost forgot how this feels. It feels so good.

Everfree Forest

Date: same day, time: 5:30 pm

*Rarity’s perspective*

“Where exactly are we goin’?”, Dr. Brigid asked Sunset.

“To the training grounds.”

The girls hiked further into the forest with Sunset leading. They all, minus Sunset, had flashlights or headlamps to light the way since the trees blocked the moon. Pinkie’s plan to have each of them sleep over at each other’s places had the unintended advantage of gathering them together during the full moon, and they were able to take advantage of Sunset’s turn to actually get out there. Good thing Sunset’s parents are so lenient. There’s no way mom and dad would ever let me do this. Even though Dr. Brigid knows they can handle themselves, she still came along so the rest of their parents wouldn’t scream at her if they ever found out.

“How far in are dese trainin’ grounds?”

“We don’t exactly want randos stumbling across us while we’re witching.”

“Rainbow! C’n ya see enough ta do dat safely?!”, Dr. Brigid asked, quickly turning her attention to Rainbow.

Rainbow was doing what they’ve come to expect the fly-girl to do, flying around and weaving through the trees. “I can see well enough.”

“Ah c’n barely see, n’ Ah’m a werewolf. N’ last time Ah checked, ya ain’t a thestral.”, she countered.

“At least she’s going slowly.”, Sunset remarked.

They reached the training grounds, and Rainbow landed.

“Dese are da trainin’ grounds?”

“There are markers up in the trees, and the spacing of the trees themselves are perfect for flight training.”, Sunset elaborated.

“Ah see.” Dr. Brigid walked off to the side of the training grounds and took a seat under a tree.

The six girls gathered together in a circle. The moon broke through the trees and provided them with some needed light.

“AJ, remember when we were testing your earth pony magic?”, Sunset asked.

“Yeah, ya want me ta try it again?”

“Yes, I mostly wanna see if we can do more under the full moon.”

“I wanna see how fast I can fly. I’ll stay above the trees.”, RD said.

“Alright, but be careful.”

“Yeah yeah, I’ll be careful, Mom.”

“I’m just trying to keep you safe. I’m the reason you have these powers, so I’m responsible for you.”

“Alright, alright” Rainbow lifted off at full speed up into the heavens.

“I’ll keep an eye on her.”, Fluttershy said then quickly flew after her.

AJ headed over to the trees, and Sunset headed over to her mother, leaving Rarity and Pinkie alone. Both of them looked at each other with similar questioning looks. Neither of them did much on testing day. What could they do? Rarity couldn’t cast spells, and psychic abilities didn’t exactly have an on/off switch.

“I’m gonna walk around, try to get my Pinkie sense tingling.” Pinkie skipped off, leaving just Rarity.

Rarity looked around. AJ was communing with the trees, RD and Fluttershy were out of sight, and Sunset was doing something with her mother watching. I might as well. Rarity walked over to them and looked at what Sunset was doing. She was drawing in a notebook. “What are you doing?”

“Oh, Rarity, I’m drawing spell circles. They’re the only way I can cast spells. Do you want me to teach you?”

Rarity sat down and nodded.

“Alright, look this over.” Sunset handed over the notebook. On the open page was a circle with the word ‘ice’ written inside with another circle inside with a star inside of it. “The trick to these is knowing what you want. This is an ice spell. Imagine what shape you want it to take then place your hand on the circle.”

Rarity nodded and closed her eyes to think. She imagined a diamond sculpture, like her symbol, and placed her hand on the circle. Her hand heated up, and she could feel her blood and magic pulsing in it. The paper shifted under her hand, causing her to pull away, and she opened her eyes just in time to see it form into the shape of her symbol while turning into ice. It stood on its tip for a split second then flopped forward. Sunset picked it up and handed it to Rarity. Rarity took off one of her gloves to really feel it. The logical part of her mind was still in disbelief that it was real. She ran her fingers over its surface. It was cold and smoothe like fancy bar ice, and it melted under the heat of her fingers. It was real and really made out of ice. She had really made a six inch, diamond ice sculpture.

“Wow”

“Dat’s really pretty.”

“It seems like you have a knack for ice magic.”, Sunset commented.

“I just made an ice sculpture.”, Rarity said in disbelief.

“You did. Ready to learn how to draw the circle yourself?”

Rarity nodded, and Sunset explained the process. It was pretty simple, and she was quickly able to make her own. Sunset let her use the notebook and watched as she made ever more elaborate ice sculptures, making swans, their other friends’ symbols, fulgurites, and whatever else she could think of.

“This is incredible. What else can I do?”

“Just about anything. Though, you’ll only be able to do things that large under a full moon, at least until we gain better control over our magic. The fireballs I can make normally are much smaller than what I’ve made tonight.”

“Show me.”

Sunset took the book back and drew a fire spell and casted it. The resulting fireball was at least the size of a grapefruit. It could’ve been bigger. Sunset held it in her hand, but she showed no sign of pain, nor was her glove catching on fire.

“Isn’t it hot?”

“It is, but my aura’s protecting me, and I have it extended to cover my clothes. It’s something our bodies do automatically when we’re doing magic.”

“Our bodies automatically put up a magic shield?”, Rarity said with a raised eyebrow.

“No, it’s always up. It just hardens against the type of magic we’re using, and we have naturally greater resistance to magics we have an affinity for.”

“Weird”

“Not really. Remember, magic’s nothing new ta humans, and this ability is essential ta magic usage lest we suffer the effects of our own magic.”

“Okay, does this mean you’re fireproof?”

“Fire and heat resistant, I can still be burned.”

“Does it also work for non-magical sources?”

“Yes”

“Hey!”, AJ called out. All three of them looked up to see AJ approaching. She came over to them and sat down with something in her hand. “Take a look at this.” AJ opened up her hand to reveal a little seedling. “Ah broke this branch off a tree n’ managed ta make it viable with ma magic.”

“Dat’s incredible.”, Dr. Brigid said in amazement.

“Yeah, this will be very helpful on tha farm.”

“I feel safe in saying that the effects of the full moon lets us access more of our magic.”, Sunset said. “Speaking of us, where is the other half of us?”

“Ah saw Pinkie bouncin’ around the forest.”

“She said she wanted to get her Pinkie sense tingling.”, Rarity explained.

“I wish I could read that girl’s mind. Ya gotta wonder what’s going on up there.”, Sunset mused.

“Ah feel like ya’d get diabetes jus’ from readin’ dat girl’s mind.”, Dr. Brigid said.

Before the conversation could go any further, Rainbow and Fluttershy landed. “Hey! Guys! Look at how fast I can fly!”, RD shouted as she ran over to them. She held out her phone that was opened to the stopwatch app, reading 10 minutes. “That’s how long it took me to get to the bay and back.”

“Impressive, dat would put ya at sixty miles per hour.”

“Eh, I could probably go faster. I didn’t feel like I was going at my max speed.”

“What kept you from going faster?”, Sunset asked.

“I didn’t feel safe going much faster, and I felt like I was going at my max sustainable speed. Would calling it a ‘jog’ be correct?... Oh, cruising speed, that’s it. What would be the flying version of ‘sprinting’?”

“Well, the closest English translation for the Ponish word I can think of would be ‘full speed flight’.”

“Aren’t you guys cold?”, Fluttershy asked.

“I’m half Russian. Cold is meaningless to me.”, Rarity said smugly.

“She’s also an ice magic user, so that helps.”, Sunset added. “I, for one, wish I had my fur.”

“We should probably wrap thin’s up.” Dr. Brigid stood up, prompting Sunset and Rarity to stand as well. “Now, where’s Ms. Suga’?”

“I’ll look for her.” RD flew off then turned back around. “Which way did she go?”

AJ pointed her in the direction she last saw Pinkie, and RD flew off into the forest.

“We can get goin’. They know tha way back.”, AJ said.

“Ah don’t feel comfortable with dat. Dey c’n’t call if dere’s a problem.”

“Ahh, good point.”

“What do you mean? We aren’t that far in.”, Rarity asked.

“Nobody knows why, but no wireless signals work once ya get like a quarter a’ a mile inta da Everfree, radios, satellite phones, no signal can pass through dese trees.”

“I’d bet it has something ta do with all the spiritual energy this place has everywhere.”, Sunset said.

“Wha’ do ya mean?”, Dr. Brigid asked, taking the words right out of the rest of their mouths.

“Rainbow might be able to explain it better since her powers are primarily spirit based, but to me, this place has a lot of background white “noise”, for lack of a better descriptor. It limits my sensing range and makes it hard to pick up on small details, and spiritual energy is said to interfere with electronics and wireless signals.”

“Weird, but it makes sense with all the legends surrounding this forest.”, Rarity said.

Their conversation was once again interrupted by Rainbow landing, this time carrying Pinkie.

“Good, we were waitin’ on you, and Ah’m cold.”, AJ said. She wrapped her arms around herself.

“Did you get your Pinkie sense tingling?”, Sunset asked.

“Talking while walking, Ah’m cold.”

At AJ urging, they got underway out of the forest.

“To answer your question,” Pinkie said, “yes and no, it got activated a lot. I have a pounding headache.”

“Mo fella might be able ta teach ya ta shut out da noise.”

“Your fella?”

“Mo husband, he uses his sensin’ abilities as a replacement fer his sight, but dat means his is… ove’ developed. He knows how ta pull his in.”

“I use a similar technique to sneak up on you.”, Sunset said. “It’s like plugging your nose, but I’m pretty bad at it.”

“Dat’s because y’re too anxious.”

“I’ll add that to my list of issues.”

“I’ve only had the over activation problem here, but if we’re going to be spending more time here, that might be something I should learn. Ooh, we can all have ninja lessons with Sunset and her dad.”

“Remember last time we all tried that?”, AJ asked.

“I think you might like the more physical aspects.”, RD said. “I certainly enjoyed that part more.”

“You nearly hit your head on a brick last time.”, Sunset remarked.

“It was still more fun than meditating.”

“Ah’ll think about it.”, AJ said.

Katon family home

Date: same day, time: 7:30 pm

*Sunset’s perspective*

The Rainbooms entertained themselves in Sunset’s room, but Sunset herself wasn’t in there. Instead, she walked over to the living room, where Anzhong and Brigid were “watching” TV. Sunset carried a notebook with a fire spell prepared.

“Hey, Mom, could you cast this spell?”

“Ya want me ta cast a spell?”

“Yes, just imagine energy flowing from your body into the circle and imagine a fireball.”

“Okay, Ah’ll do mo best.” Brigid placed her hand on the spell, and it erupted into blue flames. A massive, basketball sized blue fireball rose from the page, and it was hot. Even with her fire affinity, Sunset had to take a step back because of the heat, and Anzhong scooted to the other side of the sofa. Brigid clearly had a fire magic affinity, maybe even sun magic, and a lot of it. Luckily, it only lasted as long as a normal fireball. “Wow, neat. So, ya don’t need ta be a witch ta use spell circles?”

“No, but you do need to have magic of some kind.” So, faoladh magic isn’t why my fireballs have turned red. That can only mean my demon transformation has altered my magic. This is unprecedented. As excited as Sunset was to make such a discovery, the potential implications also worried her.

Lily & Daisy’s bedroom

Date: same day, time: 6:00 pm

*Lily’s perspective*

Lily sat on her bed with her laptop on her lap. Since it was nearing Christmas break, the teachers were giving out light homework, except for Ms. Harshwhinny. She was giving out double homework. “Ms. Harshwhinny is a bitch.”

“For once, I agree.”, Daisy said from her bunk.

An email notification popped up on her laptop. Applebloom, a nickname in line with her sister’s, and she’s finally accepted my offer.

//Applejack ditched me to hang at Sunset’s again. We have a lot of planning to do for our trip, and she’s going to be hanging out with her “coven” all week. She never used to spend this much time with her friends. I want her back.//

A coven? Well, what else do you call a group of… of… damn it! Whatever, Sunset had a habit of collecting embarrassing secrets. Time to make it look like she’s gone back to her old ways. //Glad you’ve finally come to see sense. We need to show your sister and her friends that Sunset hasn’t changed. We need some embarrassing information about your sister.//

//Why do we need that? Don’t you have proof that Sunset hasn’t changed.//

//Sunset likes spreading that kind of information. I’ll make it look like she’s the one that disseminated it. Unfortunately, I don’t have the evidence I need to prove to your sister that she hasn’t changed. Sunset is very good at manipulating people, including your sister. She will require more than I have to be convinced.//

//Are you sure? Applejack’s really good at telling when people are lying. I think it has something to do with her being a witch.//

Applejack is a witch? I’ll deal with that info later. //She might not be exactly lying to your sister. You can manipulate people while still being completely honest. That just goes to show Sunset’s skill, and how dangerous she is.//

//Alright, Applejack has a childhood nickname, Piggly Wiggly. She’s super embarrassed by it.//

//Does Sunset know of this nickname?//

//No chance, not even Rarity knows of that nickname.//

//This won’t work if Sunset doesn’t know about it.//

//I can fix that.//

//Do it then. I’ll take care of the rest.//

Now then, how to make it look like Sunset’s doing?

Pinkie’s room

Date: Dec 16th, time: 8:00 pm

*Sunset’s perspective*

“Ew! Pinkie! That’s gross!”, Rarity shouted as Pinkie chased with a booger.

“Fear the booger! The booger germs must spread!”

“Will one of you stop her!”

The rest of the girls were too busy laughing their asses off to even respond. Seeing that the rest of them were useless, Rarity grabbed Pinkie’s arm and wrist and flipped her onto her bed.

“Oof, okay, you win. I surrender.”

“You’re all useless.”, Rarity said with a huff.

The rest of them took a moment to compose themselves, then they all resumed what they were previously doing.

“Ugh, Pinkie, go wash your hands.”, RD said.

“What, you scared?” Pinkie waggled her booger finger at RD.

“Watch it, or I’ll bite that finger off. I heard it would be like biting through a carrot.”

Pinkie pulled her finger back and got up to leave the room. “I’ll be right back.”

AJ, Sunset, and RD were about to restart their game when AJ got a call. “Hello”

“Hey, AJ, just checking in on ya.”, Bloom said.

“Oh, Ah’m doin’ fine.”

“Okay, see ya in tha mornin’, Piggly Wiggly.”

AJ’s face went red, and she ended the call.

“Piggly Wiggly?”, Sunset asked.

“Wait, what?”, RD asked.

“Ya heard that!?”

“Werewolf and thestral hearing.” Sunset wiggled her ears for emphasis. “What kind of nickname is ‘Piggly Wiggly’?”

AJ’s face got even redder, and she looked like she wanted to crawl under the bed. “Uh, when Ah was a baby, Ah played with tha pigs in tha pigpen, so Granny started callin’ me that. But please don’t tell anyone about it. It’s super embarrassin’.”

“Ooh, AJ asking me ta keep a secret. What has the world come to?”

“Yeah yeah, ha ha.”

Sunset smirked as she thought of a way to mess with another one of her friends. “You hear that, Rarity? No gossiping.”

“What, me? I would never tell a secret. Well, except I might tell Amethyst and Lyra… oh and maybe Muffins.”, Rarity said with a smirk then got serious. “I am sorry I let that slip.”

Sunset brushed her off and returned to her game.

“Your secret is safe with me.”, Fluttershy said.

“I won’t tell anyone… other than Pinkie Pie.” RD jumped up and moved towards the door.

“Oh, no ya don’t.” AJ jumped up and tackled Rainbow to the floor.

“Ow, okay okay, I was only joking.”

“Ah didn’t find it funny.”

“Hey! Are we going to play are not? I’m tired of all these interruptions.”, Sunset said to break up the fight.

“Alright, we’re comin’.”

That’s better.

Lily & Daisy’s bedroom

Date: same day, time: 8:00 pm

*Lily’s perspective*

By lunchtime tomorrow, Applejack will be the week’s laughing stalk. Anon-a-Miss, a name fitting the president Sunset’s other aliases set, and color coding to match her. Lily put the finishing touches on the profile and activated it. And now for my… Sunny’s first post.

“Lily, what are you doing?”, Mom asked.

Lily quickly closed the window, switching to the homework window. “Homework”

“Getting it out of the way before Christmas, good thinking.”

“Yeah, Ms. Harshwinny gave everyone extra homework.”

“Really? What a killjoy.”

“Yeah, I should really get back to it.”

“Alright, I’ll leave ya to it.” Mom left the room.

Lily reopened the window and got back to work. You’re done for, Sunset Shimmer.

Outside CHS

Date: Dec 17th, time: 8:05 am

*Applejack’s perspective*

“Okay, so tonight is Fluttershy’s night.”, Pinkie said.

The Rainbooms sat around and on the Wondercolt statue. The school’s snow removal service was diligent, so they weren’t sitting in a snow pile.

“We should stop by the convenience store to pick snacks.”, Fluttershy said.

“We can do someone else tonight, if you need more time to prepare.”

“That’s not the problem. My brother will eat any snacks in the house, even hidden in my room.”

“That’s… something to unpack.”

“Looks like he doesn’t give a shit about any sort of boundaries.”, Sunset said with venom.

“He’s only twelve.”, Fluttershy defended.

“A, that six foot freak is twelve?! He has chin stubble. And B, my nine-year-old sister doesn’t do that. How is that kind of behavior tolerated in your house?”

“Her parents are too big a’ pussies ta properly discipline him.”, RD said.

“That’s pathetic. He’s going to end up as a man-child because no punishment was ever enforced.”

“Ugh, I know.”, Fluttershy groaned.

A couple of students walked past them as they were heading to the building. AJ’s magically enhanced hearing allowed her to hear snippets of their conversation, and a couple of words caught her attention. Did they just say ‘Piggly Wiggly’?

AJ sprang up, alerting the rest of them. “We need to head inside.”

“What, the southerner cold again?”, RD quipped, but a glare from AJ shut her up. “Yeah, okay, we’re coming.”

The rest of them hopped up, and they hurried inside. There were about a dozen students milling about the lobby and a few more in the immediate halls. One of the students looked over at them then started laughing. “Yo! What’s up, Piggly Wiggly!” That got the attention of the rest of the kids, and they all started laughing.

It got out! How? AJ’s blood started to boil along with her magic. Before even she had fully processed it, she was across the room and had the kid by his shirt. “Where did you hear that name?”, she growled in his face.

“On-on Instabook, he-here.” The boy pulled out his phone and opened the app.

AJ took the phone and let the boy go. The rest of the girls crept up behind AJ and peered over her shoulders. “Who is this Anon-a-Miss? How did they…?” AJ turned around to face her friends. “We need to talk.”

“Um, can I have my phone back?”

AJ shoved the phone back into the kid’s hands then led the girls to the library and into the stacks. The moment they were deep enough, AJ spun around and gave each of the girls a death stair. “How did this get out?”, she said through gritted teeth.

“Hey, don’t look at me.”, Pinkie defended. “I’ve kept it a secret for ten years. I’m not about to spill it now… or I guess ‘wasn’t’.”

“You know?”, AJ asked in surprise.

“Duh, I know everything about all my friends. I wouldn’t be a very good party planner if I didn’t.”

The rest of the girls looked between each other, and their faces said what they were all thinking. What else does she know?

“I don’t mean to sound accusatory,” Fluttershy said, “but the profile used Sunset’s colors, and ‘Anon-a-Miss’ is the kind of name you would use.”

“Yeah, it was designed to obviously look like it’s me. Someone’s trying to frame me. I’m frankly insulted by how badly they bastardized my MO.”

“That still doesn’t answer how they learned about the name.”, RD pointed out.

“Tha only people that should know it are us six and ma immediate family.”, AJ said.

“Maybe Granny let it slip.”, Rarity suggested. “Her memory is going. So, she might’ve told it to the wrong person, and they spread it.”

“Somebody that hates me enough to want to destroy my relationships.”, Sunset added. “Which could be just about anyone.”

“We can narrow it down to just the female students. Boys don’t do psychological manipulation and attacks.”

“Good point”

“Okay, Ah’ll talk ta Granny.”, AJ said.

“After school, there’s less than ten minutes before class.”, Fluttershy added.

“Alright, after school.”

CHS halls

Date: same day, time: 8:25 pm

*Lily’s perspective*

If my calculations are correct, the Rainbooms’ friendship should be imploding. Lily watched the library doors from behind a far corner. The bell was soon to sound, so the girls had to come out soon.

“Um, Lily Valley.”

“Ahh, Applebloom.” Lily turned around to not only see Bloom but also her two other friends. “I see you’ve brought your friends. Have they come to see our way?”

“Um, yeah, they want their sisters back too.”

“Very good. Now, watch. They should all hate Sunset by the time they leave the library.”

Lily turned back to the doors just in time to see the Rainbooms come out, but they were still together. They didn’t even look angry at each other. Applejack was definitely angry, but it looked to be at basically everyone besides her friends, particularly Sunset. As a matter of fact, she looked ready to pummel a kid that hollered something at her, probably calling her by her nickname. It was Sunset that had to step in between them, and looked to be intimidating the kid. They were too far away to be heard, but the kid looked uncomfortable in an ‘embarrassed’ way then quickly left. Drat

“It would appear it wasn’t enough.”

“You said this would get them to hate Sunset and we’d have our sisters back.”, Bloom complained.

“It would seem your sisters need more proof. What else are your sisters’ embarrassed about?”

“Ha, shows what you know. Rainbow Dash is too awesome to have anything to be embarrassed about.”, Scootaloo boasted.

“Oh, but quite the contrary, Rainbow’s pride gives her plenty to be embarrassed by.”

Scootaloo huffed and crossed her arms.

“Meet me after school. I’ll give you some spy equipment.”

“Spy equipment, like cameras?”, Sweetie Belle asked.

“Mini cameras, hidden microphones, that sorta stuff.”

“Why do you have those?”

“I’ve been preparing for this for months. I’ve gathered everything I could possibly need to take down Sunset. Place the cameras and microphones in your sisters’ rooms, and I’ll take it from there.”

The bell rang, and the girls ran off towards the junior high. Lily began quickly walking to her class, but her mind was solely focused on the plan. They must’ve realized it was a frame job. That’s the only explanation. That means they’ll be looking at the people around them. I’ll need to make sure they don’t catch onto the girls, which will happen faster if Anon-a-Miss only posts about them. I know what I need to do.

CHS stacks

Date: Dec 18th, time: 3:00 pm

*Sunset’s perspective*

So, Granny Smith hasn’t told anyone about AJ’s nickname. None of us did. That means only Big Mac and Bloom could’ve let it slip, and Big Mac barely speaks. Would Bloom really betray her sister like that?

The Rainbooms sat at the tables in their little hideaway, trying to figure out who Anon-a-Miss was. Rarity was cyber sleuthing, Sunset was working on a list of suspects, and the rest of the girls were brainstorming and discussing theories on who it could be.

“Look at what you-know-who posted last night. It explains that lunch fiasco.”, Rarity said. She turned her laptop around so the rest of them could see.

“Wow, Forest Thunder’s been cheating on Maple with Molly since sixth grade?”, Fluttershy asked.

“Oh yeah, he has.”, Sunset said. The rest of the girls turned to look at Sunset with a mixture of suspicion and confusion. “Hey, I used to collect dirt on people like it was gold. How do you think I got him to shut up yesterday?”

“I mean, yeah, but you see how bad this makes you look.”, RD said.

“That’s exactly what Anon-a-Miss wants. Whoever she is, she’s trying to frame me into looking like I relapsed. We have to protect my good name… well, we gotta protect my name.”

“Let’s just keep searching.”, Rarity said. “You saw the fight Maple and Molly got into. This might actually pose a real problem if it’s not nipped in the bud.”

“Okay, then how could she have learned of this?”, AJ asked.

“It’s actually pretty easy when you’re minding other people’s business.”, Sunset said. “A master of stealth Forest Thunder is not. You can learn a lot from just staying quiet and listening.”

“Alright, that’s one mystery solved.”

Rarity went back to her laptop, and Sunset retreated back into her mind as the rest of the girls continued talking. Hopefully, they could figure it out before Christmas.

Lily & Daisy’s bedroom

Date: same day, time: 9:00 pm

*Lily’s perspective*

Lily looked over the video and listened to the recording of the girls’ sleepover for what would be the best way to embarrass any of them. She had her earbuds in so Daisy wouldn’t hear, and considering it looked like she would be doing it for a while, that was important. The girls weren’t doing anything interesting. It was just normal sleepover stuff, until Pinkie attempted a stage dive. Well, that was a spectacular crash.

“Hey, Rarity, what’s all this? Ah’ve never ya wear any a’ these.”, AJ commented.

“And you never shall. Those are… not my best works.”

“I’ll say.”, RD said, holding up a blue and white polka dot dress with fringe on the shoulders and skirt. It could best be described as the unholy love child of ‘cowboy’ and ‘60s suburban mom’.

“Which is why they’re in my closet of shame.”

“I personally think they look kinda fun.”, Fluttershy said.

“Ooh, I know. We should play dress-up.”, Pinkie cheered.

And that was exactly what they did. In theory, this would be perfect ammo, if only she could figure out how to make Sunset look responsible. That’s when Sunset started taking pictures. Hello. Lily paused the video and looked over the scene, switching between the cameras. She smiled as she realized that Sunset was standing right next to one of the cameras but not in sight of it. I just found my ammo.

CHS halls

Date: Dec 19th, time: 12:00 pm

*Rarity’s perspective*

The bell rang, and students poured out of their classrooms, half of which were heading to the cafeteria, including the Rainbooms. Rarity exited her classroom and hurried to meet her friends and get some food. As she walked through the halls, some students she passed started snickering. Rarity looked herself over in case she was having a wardrobe malfunction, but there was nothing. That’s weird.

Rarity’s path was blocked by Photo Finish running up to her. “Rarity, you need to look at zis.” Photo handed Rarity her phone, and her heart nearly stopped when she saw it.

There was the Anon-a-Miss page with pictures of her and her friends in her awful outfits along with the caption “What was Rarity on when she made these?”. How? This isn’t… She then remembered that Sunset was taking pictures the night before, including these pictures. She wouldn’t… yet. “Thank you for showing me this.”

Rarity handed the phone back and ran to the cafeteria. She was the first to arrive at the doors so pulled out her phone and opened Anon-a-Miss’ page. The rest of the girls, minus Sunset, started showing up, and Rarity showed them the page. They all had similar looks on their faces as Rarity herself.

“Let me guess, Anon-a-Miss. What’d she post this time?”, Sunset asked as she approached. The rest of them turned to face her, causing Sunset to stop in her tracks. “What’s wrong?”

“Sunset,” Rarity asked, “did you lose your phone?”

“Um, no. Why?”

Rarity answered by showing Sunset her phone screen.

Sunset’s eyes went wide as she processed what she was seeing. She reached for her own phone and looked between it and Rarity’s like she was trying to process something that should be impossible. “That’s not… I didn’t…”

“Sunset, you do realize how this looks?”

“I do, but I-I didn’t post those.”

“Then how did this happen?”

“I don’t know.”

Rarity looked Sunset over with both her eyes and her sixth sense. They both told her that Sunset wasn’t lying and was genuinely confused and even scared. Rarity looked at AJ, silently asking her if Sunset’s lying. AJ shook her head. Rarity wanted to believe Sunset, but the evidence was too strong. The idea that she might somehow be able to trick their sixth senses popped into her head. She is far more skilled with her abilities than any of them, and she has stated she can manipulate her aura, though that was just to hide herself, and she is a good actress. Did she really do this?

“We trusted you.”, Rainbow said.

The fear signals Sunset gave off increased and were now accompanied by pain. Her eyes went wide as she silently pleaded with them. It all twisted Rarity’s heart. She wanted to hug her, but that doubt stopped her. It was a painful battle between her heart and her head.

Rainbow grabbed Rarity’s arm, and the five of them entered the cafeteria. Rarity looked back to Sunset as the doors closed behind them, and the look on her face could best be described as that of a kicked puppy.

Outside the cafeteria

Date: same day, time: 12:05 pm

*Lily’s perspective*

Lily had followed Rarity to the cafeteria, watched the five of them disown Sunset, and was now watching her hated enemy silently breaking down. Sunset stood there for several moments before running off to somewhere that wasn’t the cafeteria.

Lily’s joy was cut short by another pounding, dizzying migraine. She barely managed to get to a water fountain and get her meds. It was so hard to stay up right.

“Hey, you okay?”, a voice she recognized as Flash’s asked.

“I’m fine.”, she snarled.

“No, you’re not. Let me help you sit down.”

She really wasn’t in a position to argue, and he helped her not collapse to the floor.

“Do you need anything?”

“No, go away.”

“Alright” Flash continued to the cafeteria, leaving Lily alone.

She waited for her meds to kick in before getting up. With the pain at a manageable level, she was able to think again as she headed into the cafeteria herself. The CMC will be happy to learn that the plan worked. Hm, but if I stop now, they might grow suspicious, and I want to truly destroy Sunset’s reputation. Well, I still have so much dirt on everyone. There’s no reason for me to stop.

CHS halls

Date: same day, time: 12:05 pm

*Sunset’s perspective*

They-they abandoned me, disowned me. I don’t have a pack anymore. “We trusted you.” Sunset ran through the halls at speeds the track team would envy, but she did not run for sport or even fun. No, there was something raging inside her that she was struggling to contain. She had to get away from the humans before she lost control.

She ran outside and to the Everfree. Simply getting out into the forest calmed the maelstrom somewhat, but it wasn’t enough. She ran until she could no longer see the school through the trees and finally let go. With nothing holding it back, her magic surged through her body, and she fell to her hands and knees in the snow. Claws erupted from her hands and feet to rip apart anything and everything, her teeth elongated and sharpened into the weapons of an apex predator, her eyes shifted into slitted, red glowing harbingers of death, and her body continued to change. Her ears grew long and pointed but otherwise stayed in place, and the fine hairs that covered her human body thickened and grew until they covered her in a thick blanket like her old pony fur but colored the crimson red and soft gold of her hair.

She did not have the luxury of examining her new form as the inner wolf she now was expressing was still raging. Sunset let out a deep, pain-filled roar into the forest, causing birds to scatter from the trees and all else to go quiet, but the rage and pain in her heart was not sated. She had to take her anger out on something, and the unfortunate foliage was the closest thing. Her claws ripped through the bark of the trees, revealing the creamy sapwood underneath. Smaller plants were completely destroyed, reduced to sticks and goop. All while Sunset grunted and roared and ran around in the snow.

A hand was placed on her back, and Sunset spun around to swipe and roar at whoever dared touch her. Her clawed swipe stopped in mid air and her roar caught in her throat when she saw it was Meg, and she was left breathing heavily and unmoving.

Meg was startled by the sight of her monstrous form but was unperturbed. Meg had not grown as much as Sunset over the last few years and was left nearly half a foot shorter than the werewolf. Despite the fact that any sane person would be running the other way, Meg stood strong and cupped Sunset’s face in her hands. She started mouthing something, and it took Sunset a couple repeats to understand what. “You’re okay.” Meg started rubbing Sunset’s furry cheek, and Sunset leaned into the petting, lowering her swiping hand to her side as she let out a pitiful whine.

Sunset lowered herself to the ground, and Meg followed and hugged her. Sunset grabbed onto her like a life preserver. To the wolf, she was just that. She wasn’t sad enough to cry but still felt like crap. Meg kept hugging Sunset until the latter pulled away some minutes later. She still didn’t feel good but no longer felt like ripping everything in sight to shreds.

Meg pulled her arms back and started signing. “Cute fluffy”

Sunset smiled at her.

“What are you?”

Sunset started to sign then realized she wasn’t sure what the correct sign was. Ahh, fuck it. “I Irish breed man wolf.”

Meg’s eyes went wide, and then she got really excited.

“No tell anyone. My mom no want people know. Mom worry people get scared and hurt us.”

Meg nodded and put her finger to her mouth in the ‘shush’ gesture.

“Thank you”

Sunset looked herself over more thoroughly. Comparing her hair to her fur, she realized what she thought was gold was actually amber, like her old fur. She pulled out her phone to look at her face. The majority of her fur was crimson, but there were also gold and amber parts that replaced the typically lighter brown and cream colors seen on wolves. Her hands were also black, and likely so were her feet, like a fox. She put her phone away and felt her own fur. It was remarkably similar to her pony fur with a water-resistant outer coat and a soft, warm undercoat.

“You hungry?”, Meg asked.

Sunset snapped back to attention and remembered she hadn’t eaten, but her appetite was more distant in her mind. The wolf didn’t want food. It wanted its pack. The wolf urged her to howl for her pack, but she pushed it down. It would do nothing. What she needed was fuel to think. She performed the Kuji-in and managed to calm down enough to retake her human form, but she still felt… off. The two of them got up and headed back to the school. Whatever it takes, I’m going to find Anon-a-Miss and make her pay for what she did.

CHS band room

Date: same day, time: 3:00 pm

*Meg’s perspective*

To say lunch had been rushed would not be incorrect. They had gotten there in time to get food, but they basically had to shovel the food into their mouths before heading off to class. Sunset, despite no longer rampaging, still acted off, not her normal, confident self. She had relayed the story, describing the girls as her “pack”. The photos are pretty damning evidence, but there was still reasonable doubt in her mind. Sunset may be the source of the photos, but there’s no evidence that she’s the one that posted them, and there are ways a third party could’ve gotten their hands on those photos, and Sunset did give a good defence. The investigation is not over. That’s why she now stood in front of the remaining Rainbooms, all of whom looked just as miserable as Sunset.

“Do you really believe Sunset is guilty?”, Meg signed.

Rarity, being the most experienced signer of the five, stepped forward to represent them. “No, but evidence is too strong.” Rarity started to explain the photos, but Meg cut her off.

“Sunset told me everything, but you all know better. It is too obviously Sunset. I saw what Sunset used to do. If Sunset want cause chaos, Sunset would have made page you themed.”

Rarity talked to the rest of the girls then turned back to Meg. “We do not want believe Sunset is guilty, but we can not deny evidence. And Sunset might have made page Sunset themed to frame someone else for framing Sunset.”

“Does that make sense with what was posted?”

Rarity paused, talked with the rest of the girls, then turned back to Meg and shook her head. “We do not know what to believe. We would gladly take Sunset back if there was any tangible proof of innocence.”

Meg nodded, turned on her heels, and power walked out of there. She couldn’t stand the idea of wrongful prosecution, especially against her friends. This “Anon-a-Miss” was going down.

Katon family living room

Date: same day, time: 5:30 pm

*Brigid’s perspective*

Brigid sat across from Sunset and Meg, the former of whom was covered in fur. Her fur was mostly wolf-like, but there were also more foxlike traits such as black “paws”. Her ears, still located on the side of her head, were also the longer and pointier ears of a fox. She also had full on paw pads. It was an odd sight to see, but it resonated with something deep within her own being that brought her comfort and pride. However, the news of what happened earlier very much did not bring her comfort.

“At least ya didn’t hurt anyone.”, Brigid said while also translating it into ASL so Meg wasn’t left out.

“I came uncomfortably close to hurting somebody. If I hadn’t gotten away in time, I think I might’ve lashed out at the other students. I also nearly struck Meg and only stopped because it was her.”, Sunset said and signed. Her voice had become more growly, like sound recordings of a canid species mimicking human words were overlaid over her own voice. It reminded Brigid of her own grandmother, mother, and herself.

“I am flattered.”, Meg signed.

Emi climbed up Sunset and started messing with her cheek tufts. “I can’t wait until I can do this.”

“It is certainly useful in the cold.”, Sunset said.

“As for yer pack, it’s clear dat da loss a’ ‘em has affected ya.”

“It’s unlike anything I’ve ever felt before. It’s like there’s something physically wrong with me. Maybe there is something physically wrong. It’s hard to put into words.”

“Ya don’t have ta. We should be figurin’ out how ta get ‘em back.”

“Rainbooms want her back too. Any evidence to her innocence will get Rainbooms back.”, Meg signed.

“So, I just need to prove those pictures weren’t posted by me, simple.”, Sunset said sarcastically.

“Or prove that you didn’t take those pictures in the first place. Just because the pictures are similar, doesn’t mean they are the same.”, Minerva said. She, Anzhong, and Anura were watching from the side but mostly left this werewolf issue to the werewolves. It’s still so weird ta think a’ maself like dat.

“There weren’t any other people there. This was in Rarity’s bedroom. Ugh, whatever’s going on with me is making it hard to think critically.”, Sunset said as she rubbed her face. “I’m going to lie down for a while.” Sunset got up, placing Emi on the couch, and headed to her room.

“I’m going to make dinner.” Anzhong walked off to the kitchen.

Brigid gave Minerva a look, and she took the girls away. The big bad werewolf turned her attention to the remaining girl. Meg grew nervous. It probably just hit her that she was sitting across from a mythical monster. “You can not tell anyone about us.”, Brigid signed.

“I know. I not tell anyone.”

Brigid nodded. “Are you staying for dinner?”

“No, Mom is picking me up soon.”

There was a knock at the door, and Brigid let Meg know that her mother was there. Meg waved, then headed to the door.

So, losin’ a pack causes werewolves physical and psychological issues beyond emotional distress. A lot a’ thin’s make a lot more sense now.

Sunset’s room

Date: same day, time: 6:00 pm

*Sunset’s perspective*

They never loved you. They’ve just been looking for an excuse to get rid of you.

Sunset clamped her pillow over her ears to block out the demon, but obviously, it didn’t work. No, that’s not true. I can’t let Anon-a-Miss win. I won’t let her win. She repeated that to herself as much as she could, but that day’s events gave her demon too much power. Why won’t you shut up?

“Sunset”, Brigid called out.

“Up here.”, Sunset said without any energy.

Brigid’s heavy footsteps stomped up the stairs and over to Sunset’s bed. “Hey, dinne’ will be ready soon.”

Sunset wasn’t sure if she was hungry enough to eat or not. Her emotions made her not want to eat, but her body made its needs well known. “Okay”

Brigid sat down on Sunset’s bed and pulled the young taxonomical nightmare into her arms. Being in her arms soothed Sunset’s aching significantly, but it didn’t stop it. Brigid began stroking her cheek, brushing out the little tuft of fur that’d been messed up from Sunset lying on it.

“Dose girls still love ya. Someone has taken advantage a’ dat love ta hurt ya in ways dey could never do alone.”

The demon couldn’t argue with that. She didn’t kick her out as soon as she had her bone marrow, as it was so tried to convince her she would. Although she couldn’t use her powers, Brigid still smelled like a wolf, and her wolf wouldn’t stand for their mother being slandered like that or the demon’s bull. Sunset buried her head in her mother’s warm body as the two forces duked it out inside her mind. How am I ever supposed to make peace with that thing? It’s pure evil. It’s everything wrong and bad about me.

Sunset opened her eyes and looked down at her shirt. It had her cutie mark printed onto it. For the longest time, she just thought it was a strangely stylized setting sun, but a few months into her time on Earth, she realized that the symbol in the center is actually a taijitu, a symbol unique to Earth. She doesn’t much like the word ‘destiny’ anymore, but that’s the best word she had. Though not in the divine sense, her destiny has always been intertwined with this planet. Maybe it’s not a sun at all.

Sunset studied her symbol again. Even though it looked like the taijitu, it was missing the dots that were half the point of it. But then there were the flames. The red and gold flames ran along the tomoe of opposite colors. Maybe the flames are stand-ins for the dots. Maybe it’s a taijitu stylized into a setting sun. Maybe it is my destiny to find balance between the light and darkness in my heart. But I can’t do it alone. I need my girls.

Rainbow’s bedroom

Date: Dec 20th, time: 3:00 pm

*Rainbow’s perspective*

“Ugh, I’m going to be the laughing stock on Monday.” Rainbow sat on her bed with Anon-a-Miss’ page open on her laptop. Her current agenda was figuring out Anon-a-Miss’ agenda. If it was Sunset, she wanted to know what happened to make her relapse and why she was spilling all her secrets. If it wasn’t Sunset, she wanted to find proof that was the case.

As it currently stood, she mentally removed Sunset from the whole equation. She was trying to figure out why this person was doing all this and who they were, not letting her mindset cloud her judgment. It was something she learned when her mother was complaining about arson investigators. They look for signs of arson, not if it was arson. That mindset clouds their judgment, leading to false arrests when there was no crime.

She now looked at what was posted earlier that day. It was a picture of her C- math quiz from Friday, and that bothered her. Not only was one of her failings put on public display, Anon-a-Miss would’ve had to break into her locker to get the photo. She didn’t know if Sunset knew how to break into lockers or not, but it wouldn’t surprise her if she did. However, there was also the possibility that Anon-a-Miss learned or knew her code, and there was only one other person that knew it.

*Knock knock knock* “Hey, Rainbow, Scootaloo is here.”, Mom said.

Scootaloo ran in past Mom and over to Rainbow’s bed. “Hey, Rainbow, wanna go to the skate park?”

Rainbow looked Scootaloo over with emotionless eyes. Her powers were similar to Sunset’s, just more geared towards the dead. In theory, she should be able to use them more like Sunset. She hoped she might be able to gain some insight from Scootaloo, if she had something to do with Anon-a-Miss.

“Rainbow Dash?”

“Sorry, I’m busy.”

“What? Come on, we always go there during the weekend.”

“I said I’m busy.”, Rainbow said in a sterner tone. She might’ve let some of her agitation over the whole situation and suspicion slip through.

“Oh, okay.”, Scoots said sadly and slunk out of RD’s room.

Mom watched her leave then turned her attention back to Rainbow. “Are you okay?”

“No, I’m not, but I can’t really talk about it. You wouldn’t understand.”

“Oh, try me.”

“Do you have wings?”

Mom looked confused then understood, and her eyes became downcast. “Alright, I’ll leave you to deal with it.” Mom closed the door behind her as she left.

And there’s the downside to magic. We can’t fully relate to the rest of humanity anymore. Rainbow turned her attention back down to her laptop. If Scootaloo is involved in this, then the rest of the crusaders must also be involved. So, what motivation would the girls have to do this?

Shellie River Park

Date: Dec 21st, time: 2:00 pm

*Bloom’s perspective*

The CMC sat at a picnic table in the park close to Sweetie Belle’s house. It was the only place they felt they could talk openly without somebody they knew overhearing them. The table they sat at was far away from basically anything else, and the snow would make sure their voices didn’t travel.

None of them felt good. They betrayed their sister’s trust, and it didn’t even get them what they wanted. All three of their sisters still weren’t spending time with them. As a matter of fact, they were spending even less time with them. They normally were able to play with their sisters during the weekend, but they all barely left the rooms since they came back from school on Friday.

“We’ve made a huge mistake.”, Sweetie Belle said. “And I still feel weird about the cameras.”

“Ah wish Ah’d never agreed ta help Lily.”, Bloom said.

“I wish you hadn’t talked me into it. Rainbow Dash is going to hate me.”, Scootaloo said. “She’s never going to trust me with anything personal ever again.”

“All ya did was tell Lily she’s embarrassed about her math skills.”

“She trusted me because she thought I was loyal enough to keep her secret. This is your fault, y’know!”

“Hey, hey, we can’t start turning on each other now.”, Sweetie Belle said. “We need to work together to fix this, and you agreed to your part, Scootaloo.”

Scootaloo crossed her arms and huffed.

“Applejack says honesty is tha best policy. Maybe, if we come clean, they’ll be more forgiving.”, Bloom said.

“Sigh, you’re probably right.”

“Tomorrow at school, Ah’ll tell Sunset what we did.”

CHS bathroom

Date: Dec 22nd, time: 3:00 pm

*Sunset’s perspective*

There is much to learn about being a faoladh, but there aren’t exactly a lot of reputable sources to learn from, so Sunset and her family have to learn by experiencing things themselves, and over the past weekend, Sunset learned just how much being exiled from the pack hurts. It’s not even just emotional pain. There’s something going on inside her body, with her magic, that was difficult to describe. The best she could do was say that her inner wolf was throwing a tantrum, though not as violent as the one on Friday. She felt overly warm and was far more irritable than normal and had been in a low mood since that day.

She splashed water on her face to try and calm herself. A night and two days of trying to figure out who Anon-a-Miss really is on top of getting kicked out of her pack left her mentally drained and slow to recover. Meg rubbed and gave her shoulder a gentle pat. Her presence settled the beast somewhat and made it possible for Sunset to think.

Anon-a-Miss has continued to post over the weekend, including Rainbow’s C- in math and more of the other students’ secrets, secrets that Sunset knew. Unfortunately, knowledge of the Rainbooms little conversation about Sunset being the anonymous poster had gotten around, and kids tend to remember who knows their most embarrassing secrets. At least, each time she posted, the suspect pool got narrowed down. There was no way that someone that made that page was conniving enough to post about themselves to throw off suspicion, but they also couldn’t be a complete idiot. Her current list was: Sweetie Drops, Bloom, Trixi, Octavia Melody, and Lily Valley.

Meg tapped Sunset on the shoulder and shoved her phone into her face with Instapage. Okay, scratch Octavia. Sunset nodded, and Meg put her phone away. She was at the bottom of my suspect list anyway.

The two of them left the bathroom, and Sunset was back to being on the receiving end of some pretty nasty looks. This she could deal with, but Meg was also receiving the stink-eye. She didn’t deserve that, so Sunset put herself between her and anyone that so much looked at her with unkindness. Her deafness was a boon in this scenario, considering the pissed off mumblings of the other students, but Sunset heard them all.

As they walked through the halls and the crowd thinned out, Sunset spotted Trixi at the snack vending machine. She might be Anon-a-Miss. The wolf got riled up, and Sunset’s blood started to boil. She clenched her fits only for her claws to pop out and jab her palms. Blood dripped down her fingers and onto the floor, but she didn’t care. Sunset marched over to her and forcefully turned her towards her. Trixi looked like she was about to say something but shut her mouth when she saw Sunset’s glowing eyes and fang-filled snarl.

“Did you do this? Are you Anon-a-Miss?”

Trixi recomposed herself, presenting a confident demeanor even though Sunset could still sense that she’s scared. “I’m not Anon-a-Miss, but I am glad that she knocked you six down a notch. You deserve it for everything you’ve done, and I’m including your band stealing the semi-finals win from mine. I hope your entire friend group dissolves by the time this is over.”

Sunset lost what little control she still had and pushed Trixi to the ground, hard. She raised her claw to slash at her, but a weight on her arm stopped her. She turned to look, giving Trixi a chance to scramble away, and Meg was holding her arm back, well, at least trying to. In reality, the girl was hanging off her arm, and her feet were several inches off the ground. Meg was barely 120 pounds. Sunset was able to hold her up with ease. The comedy of the situation distracted Sunset from her rage and made her chuckle. She went back to human and lowered Meg back down.

“Okay?”, Meg asked.

“Yes, okay.” Ugh, the only other person that believes I’m not Anon-a-Miss hates us, great.

Sunset led Meg to the library and up to the stacks. She needed to get away from other people. They sat at the tables, and Sunset pulled out her journal. Meg was a tremendous help, but she needed more and someone that could understand her other side. “Hey, Twilight, there is something terrible going on here.” Sunset told Twilight everything, including her losing control over her wolf.

“That’s horrible. I wish I could offer you help, but I don’t know enough about your world, let alone your technology.”

The glow from the book caught Meg’s attention, and she looked like a monkey that was just shown a magic trick when the words started appearing. “Is that magic?”

“Yes, I talk with Magic Alien.”

Meg got really excited and started bouncing in her seat. “Tell Magic Alien friend I say hi.”

Sunset nodded. “I know. I’m more asking for support than advice. And Meg, the friend that’s helping me, says hi.”

“Let her know I say hi too.”

Sunset relayed the message to Meg.

“As far as support goes,” Twilight continued, “stay strong, be yourself, and be with your family.”

“The girls are my family. They’re my pack.”

“Then keep fighting for them. I know you’ll prove your innocence. You’re too stubborn to let anything else happen.”

“Thank you.” Sunset closed up the journal and let out a tired sigh. Keep fighting. That’s what you do. Sunset put her journal away and pulled out her laptop, which had Anon-a-Miss’ page open on it. The pictures were still up there, but no matter how much she stared at them, she couldn’t figure out how they had been taken off her phone. They weren’t saved to her cloud account, so they would’ve needed to come off her phone, but that’s impossible.

Meg tapped Sunset on the shoulder and pointed at one of the pictures.

Sunset looked at the picture but wasn’t sure what Meg was trying to say. “What?”

Meg grabbed Sunset’s phone from her pocket, got Sunset to unlock it for her, then opened up the sleepover pictures, and held Sunset’s phone up next to her computer screen.

“I still not get it.”

Meg pointed between the pictures, specifically the space between the foot of Rarity’s bed and the wall.

“There’s a difference.”, Sunset said aloud.

Meg then pointed at a spot on the right edge. Sunset looked closer at that spot and saw a little red dot, only a few pixels large. Meg grabbed some of Sunset’s red hair and brought up to that red dot. They were the same color.

“If my hair is there in the picture, that means the camera that took these pictures wasn’t mine. Aunt Minerva was right. Given the angles, the camera would’ve been behind my left side, but I was standing up against Rarity’s dresser, and the only thing to the left of me were… shelves.” Oh, shit. A cold chill ran down Sunset’s spine as she realized what happened. She quickly began packing up her things, startling Meg. Meg shook her arm to get her attention. “Thank you, need go.”, Sunset signed before running out of the library, nearly bumping into Bloom as she turned to go down the hall.

Sunset quickly became thankful that werewolves are the super hybrid of Earth’s two apex pursuit predators as she ran out of the school and all the way to Rarity’s house. Rarity didn’t live as far away as AJ or RD, but it did take her nearly an hour to get there. Canterville’s crappy pedestrian infrastructure didn’t help.

Sunset rang the doorbell, and Mrs. Alba opened the door. “Hi, I need to see Rarity.” Sunset slipped past Mrs. Alba and hurried up the stairs and into Rarity’s room. Rarity nearly jumped out of her bed when Sunset ran in, but she didn’t care and started searching for the camera.

“Sunset, what are you doing?!”

“Proving I’m not Anon-a-Miss!” The pictures looked to have been taken at about the same height, so since I was holding my phone at my eye level… Sunset searched the shelf for any sign of a camera. A slight indent in a cardboard tissue box caught her attention. The box was a glossy black, not a bad place to hide a camera. Sunset looked into the indent and was greeted by the sight of glass. She popped out her claws and ripped the box open, revealing the camera fully. She grabbed it and turned around to show it to Rarity, who was now standing behind her.

“Oh, my god.”

“I’m not Anon-a-Miss.”

Rarity wordlessly nodded with a growing look of horror on her face. “Help me search for more.”

Rarity’s house

Date: same day, time: 4:30 pm

*Rainbow’s perspective*

Applejack, Applebloom, Pinkie, Fluttershy, Scootaloo, and Rainbow Dash all stepped out of their transportations and walked up to Rarity’s front door. The message she sent didn’t have much information in it other than telling them all to get to her house yesterday. They all understood the urgency and hurried to get there, and the pipsqueaks tagged along. AJ rang the doorbell, and Mrs. Alba let them in soon after. They all headed upstairs, and Applebloom and Scootaloo headed to Sweetie Belle’s room while the rest of them went into Rarity’s room. Needless to say, the Rainbooms were quite surprised to see Sunset in there.

A flurry of emotions swelled in Rainbow’s heart, some anger but mostly sadness and hurt. She’d grown to truly care about Sunset, maybe even love her.

“What are ya doin’ here, Sunset?”, AJ asked in a flat tone. Rainbow was no empath, obviously, but it was clear to anyone with working eyes that her tone was flat because she didn’t know what emotion to put into her words, none of them did.

Sunset answered by pointing to a small collection of small, black things on Rarity’s bed. “I’m not Anon-a-Miss, and here’s your proof.”

“What are those?”, Fluttershy asked.

“Hidden cameras,” Rarity answered, “somebody recorded our entire sleepover here and who knows what else.”

“Those weren’t photos. They were still frames from a video with audio.”, Sunset added.

“Hold on, so, Anon-a-Miss bugged Rarity’s room and watched us for hours.”, RD said. She couldn’t put what she was feeling into words and could only describe it as ‘giyack’. How would someone even get in here to plant those?

“Hurray for Sunset not being Anon-a-Miss! But giyack for us being creeped on.”, Pinkie cheered.

“Ah’m sorry we accused ya of being Anon-a-Miss. Ah hope ya can forgive us.”, AJ said. Pinkie and Fluttershy echoed similar sentiments.

Rarity moved over to stand with the rest of them. “I’m sorry too. As the one to first accuse you, I take most of the blame.”

Rainbow felt a wave of relief that Sunset hadn’t betrayed them and then guilt for abandoning her. “Yeah, some element of loyalty I am. Next time, I’m trusting my instincts more.”

Sunset’s expression went from stoic to unbelievably happy. “I’m just happy to have you all back. You’re my pack, my family.” Sunset did her best to wrap them all up into a hug, and the rest of them quickly helped her with it.

Something pulsed in Rainbow’s chest. She used the meditation techniques she learned to focus in on it. It was a ball of warm energy, similar to her magic but distinctly not. Five strings emitted from the ball. She focused on one of the strings, the strongest one. It felt like Fluttershy, the same feeling she felt when standing next to her. She checked the rest of the strings, and they felt like the rest of the girls. They seemed to lead to each of them, like they were all connected by them. Sunset’s string was also slightly different from the rest. Rainbow didn’t know why or how, but it was different, more powerful in a way but of equal strength to the strings that weren’t Fluttershy’s.

“What’s that?”, Rarity asked.

The girls all pulled apart, and Rainbow saw what Rarity was most likely asking about. Sunset was covered in red fur. “Well, I seem to be able to access more of my wolfiness as time goes on.”

“Fluffy mode”, Pinkie said with quiet excitement.

“Aw, you look adorable.”, Fluttershy said. “Can I pet you?”

“Maybe later.” Sunset shook her head, and the fur went away. “Um, did any of you feel anything weird when…”

“A ball of energy appearing in our chests when we were hugging,” RD said, “yeah.”

“What was that?”, Pinkie asked.

“Well, it feels like werewolf magic.”, Sunset said. She seemed a bit wary or unsure about something.

“Wait, is this a pack bond thing?”, Rarity asked.

“You watch The Teenage Life of Werewolves?”

“It’s a good show.”, Rarity defended.

“Okay, well, yeah, that’s my theory.”

“Honestly, with how weird our lives have gotten recently, this barely trips the bizarro meter.”, AJ said. “We can deal with it later. Right now, we need ta find out who Anon-a-Miss really is.”

“We might be able ta help with that.”

The reunited Rainbooms turned to see the CMC standing in the doorway, looking rather guilty.

“You three are Anon-a-Miss, aren’t you.”, RD said.

“Are you seriously accusing our sisters of doing all this?”, Rarity asked angrily.

“I’ve had them on my radar since our talk with Granny Smith, and Scootaloo was the only one that knew just how much my lack of math skills bothered me and my locker combo. And who else could’ve planted those cameras without setting off your alarm bells or your house’s actual alarms?”

Rarity thought about it for a moment then nodded. “Sigh, you’re right. Ugh, but I wish you weren’t.”

“We aren’t actually Anon-a-Miss. We just worked for her.”, Sweetie Belle said.

“Worked for”. All the girls perked up at this. They knew the implications.

“Then who is she?”, Sunset said.

“Lily Valley”

“Lily Valley? Does she really hate you enough to do all this?”, Fluttershy asked Sunset.

“Yeah, she does, but I can’t figure out why. I didn’t start doing crap to her or her sister until she started doing crap to me. Either way, I’ll take care of her and the footage, but it’ll have to be after Christmas. I don’t think she’ll actually do anything with it that would get the cops involved.”

“I say we should confront her at school, in front of everyone.”, Rarity said.

Sunset nodded her approval.

“As for you three.”

“We know, and we are truly sorry.”, Bloom started. “I was jealous Applejack was spending so much time with you instead of me and our family. I wanted to make you look bad so she would spend more time with me, like before she got her magic.” Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo gave similar apologies.

Rainbow looked at AJ and Rarity. They were all still angry but also understood. They all looked to Sunset.

“I’m going to extend the same forgiveness I was given to you.”, she said. “I understand where you’re coming from. I have an older sister too, my biological sister. When I was about your age, we weren’t able to spend as much time together as we used to, and I felt lonely too.” Sunset looked to the three older sisters.

The three of them looked between each other and silently came to a conclusion. “You broke our trust.”, Rarity said. “We’ll try to spend more time with you, but our thrust is something you’ll need to earn back.”

“And Sunset’s our family too, and we are going to spend time with her.”, RD added.

“Ya’ll also have ta tell tha principals of both school about your involvement with Anon-a-Miss.”

“We understand.”, the three girls said.

“Are there any other hidden cameras?”, Pinkie asked seriously.

“No, I was the only one that set them up.”, Sweetie Belle said.

“Good, now, you three, out. We have to discuss damage control.”, Rarity said. She ushered them out and closed the door behind them. “Alright, we won’t be able to confront Lily for two weeks, but I feel like we should do something to put the kibosh on it.”

“Well, now that we know who it is, we don’t need the page any more. We can report it and, hopefully, get it taken down.”, Sunset said.

The girls all nodded and took out their phones.

CHS cafeteria

Date: Jan 5th, 2014, time: 12:00 pm

*Sunset’s perspective*

The Rainbooms entered the cafeteria but didn’t get into line for food. Lily was just getting out of line with her sister and heading over to the tables. The Rainbooms followed them and surrounded the sisters once they sat down.

“Y’know, putting, or rather, having someone put hidden cameras in someone else’s room is pretty illegal.”, Sunset said.

Daisy looked confused, and Lily looked pissed.

“What’s going to happen now is you’re going to hand over your computer, phone, and whatever else you might have that can hold a video file, and then you’re going to confess to what you’ve done to Principal Celestia and the whole school.”

“Piss off, I’m not giving you anything, and I didn’t do anything.”

“Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo already confessed and told us about what ya’ve done.”, AJ said.

“Lily, what did you do?”, Daisy asked.

“Piss off! All of you!” Lily got up and tried to storm out of there, but AJ and Rainbow stopped her.

“We know you’re Anon-a-Miss, and we’re not going to let you keep those recordings.”, Rarity said.

“What recordings?”, Daisy asked, alarmed.

“Lily planted hidden cameras in Rarity’s room.”, Fluttershy said.

“Lily! Ugh, her computer’s at home. I’ll get it to you tonight.”

“How dare you!”, Lily shouted at Daisy.

“How dare you! Why would you do that?! Why would you reveal everyone’s secrets, and why would you make it look like it was Sunset?!”

Lily said nothing and, much to Sunset’s surprise, actually felt some shame. She pushed past RD and AJ and ran out of the cafeteria.

Sunset looked around the cafeteria, and a sufficient number of students were watching the scene. She signaled for the girls to move on, and they left Daisy to sort out her end of the mess.

The news spread around the school as the day went on. Sunset, and by extension Meg, received fewer and fewer nasty looks as a result. Once school let out for the day, the girls, Meg included, headed to Celestia’s office to inform her of the whole situation but were stopped by Daisy, who looked quite distressed.

“Have any of you seen Lily? I can’t find her anywhere.”, she said.

Sunset translated what Daisy said to ASL. “Calm Flower lost Annoying Flower.” All of them shook their heads.

“Are ya sure ya looked everywhere?”, AJ asked.

“Yes, I checked everywhere from the stacks to the basement. Then I asked her teachers if they’ve seen her, but she hadn’t shown up to any of her classes after lunch. I don’t know where she could’ve gone.”

“Could she have gone home?”, Fluttershy asked.

“Maybe, but I don’t think she did. I think she’s trying to get away from me.”

Sunset thought about it and what she would do in Lily’s possession. Well, it would be more accurate to say what she did do, but Lily was human. Would she do what a werewolf would do? “Is it possible she went out into the Everfree?”

“Uh, maybe.”

“AJ, do you think you can use your powers to check if she’s out there?”

“Oh yeah, that’s easy enough.”

All eight girls headed to their lockers to grab their jackets and glasses then headed outback. The tall trees covered in snow presented an intimidating scene for someone trying to find something. Winter was the one time a year the Everfree didn’t look like something out of a horror movie, but as pretty as it looks, the snow makes it way more dangerous, especially for some loco teenager.

“How much ya wanna bet we’ll find her frozen body.”, Pinkie said.

“That’s not funny!”, Daisy shouted fearfully.

“Sorry, sorry, I’ll cool it with the dark humor.”

AJ approached the trees and placed her hand on one. She closed her eyes and began searching for Lily.

Meg tapped Sunset on the shoulder to get her attention. “What she doing?”

“She talk to forest. Forest tell her if Annoying Flower is in it.”

“She’s in there, but Ah can’t say exactly where.”, AJ finally said.

“That means she’s pretty deep in, right?”, Sunset asked, remembering what AJ had said when they went hunting.

“Eyup”

“Okay, we should split up to cover more ground.”

“Yeah, but what about communication?”, RD asked. “What do you expect us to do when one of us finds her, walk around the forest and search for everyone else?”

“Uh, howl, once one of us finds her, howl to let everyone else know.”

“That works.”

Sunset turned to Meg to inform her of the plan. “We search for Annoying Flower. Howl when we find. Do you want to come or stay?”

Meg looked at the distressed Daisy then back at Sunset. “Stay, Calm Flower is not looking so calm.”

Sunset nodded and signaled for them to move out. They fanned out in all different directions and hurried deep into the forest. Snow gently fell from the sky. It would eventually cover any footprints Lily left, if it hadn’t already. Sunset sniffed the air. The last time she had to track someone through the snow was back when she was back when she was a mere O-2. That was so long ago. Tracking through the snow was different from non-snowy conditions, the cold alters the way scent travels, but it could still be done, especially since sound was pretty much out of the question.

Even with her sunglasses on, the bright snow was a bitch on Sunset’s thestral eyes. It also made everything blend into each other with the only different color being the brown tree trunks. At least that meant brightly colored winter clothes would stand out, so long as it wasn’t covered. But there is a reason winter’s Sunset’s least favorite time of year.

Saying she’d been searching for hours would’ve been an exaggeration, but that’s what it felt like to the cold and irritated Sunset. Lily just had to have a hissy fit and run out into the freezing cold forest just after Sunset regrew her conscience. She muttered curses towards Lily under her breath, both of the vulgar and witchy kind. She debated fluffing up to make the trek more bearable, but the last thing she wanted was to freak the girl out and have to chase her down in the snow. Oh, please make this difficult so I can have an excuse to beat the snot outta ya.

Sunset, being fed up with just walking around, found a good sized tree and climbed up. She got up to just before the point where the branches and pines got really thick and looked around. In the distance, she spotted a bit of hot pink that could only be a winter jacket. Not only were none of her girls wearing hot pink, there was also no movement, so it definitely wasn’t one of them. She climbed back down and walked to where she saw the pink. When she got there, she found Lily with her knees up to her chest, very much alive.

“Hey, your sister’s worried about you.”

Lily looked up at Sunset with a mightily pissed off face. “Like hell she does. Go away.”

“Lily, you’re gonna freeze out here. You can either walk back with me, or I can drag you back, but I’m not leaving you out here.”, Sunset said in a tired, irritated tone.

Lily stood up and tried to punch Sunset in the face. Her movements were slow and telegraphed, so Sunset easily caught the punch and pushed her arm away.

“Are you really gonna do this?”

Lily said nothing and walked closer to Sunset. Sunset watched her carefully for what she might do. Of all the things Sunset expected Lily to do, spitting in her face was not one of them. It landed right on the bridge of her nose, but Sunset closed her eyes in time to keep any of it from getting into her eyes.

Sunset pushed Lily away and staggered back herself. She wiped the spit from her face and glared at Lily. She actually had a smug look on her face. Sunset ran out of what little patience she had left and shifted into her furry werewolf form. She roared at Lily, and the utter fear on her face lifted her spirits greatly.

Lily tried to run, but Sunset easily grabbed her arm and pulled her back. Lily bit down hard onto Sunset’s arm. Sunset roared, ripped her arm free, and grabbed Lily by the neck. Lily grabbed Sunset’s arm and started kicking her. Her kicks were weak, but it still annoyed Sunset, so she threw her head first into the nearest tree. Lily slumped to the ground and stopped moving. Sunset examined Lily, who remained unmoving. Sunset’s mind began to come down from its “fight and kill” mode, and what exactly she had done hit her. Fuck! She hurried over and checked on her. She was alive, just dazed.

“Sigh, okay, can’t let that happen again.”

Lily tried to open her eyes and mumbled incoherently.

“Don’t try to move. You might have a concussion.”

Sunset wasn’t sure if Lily comprehended what she said, but she closed her eyes again.

Sunset slung Lily over her shoulder and howled into the sky. She trudged back to the school, shifting back to her human form as she reached the edge of the forest. Daisy and Meg were waiting exactly where they left them, and Sunset plopped Lily down by the former’s feet. “You might wanna take her to the hospital. She chose the hard way.”

Daisy nodded and tried to pick up Lily. Lily, using Daisy as a support, was able to pick herself up, and Daisy helped her sister walk back into the school.

Sunset and Meg waited for the rest of the girls to come out. One by one, they came out, and they too went back inside.

“Well, that was something.”, Rarity remarked.

The girls headed to Celestia’s office to do what they initially planned to do.

CHS halls

Date: Jan 6th, time: 8:15 am

*Sunset’s perspective*

The girls loitered in one of the less busy parts of the school, close to Sunset’s locker, as they waited for the bell. It was officially too cold to be waiting outside. By then, everyone knew Lily was Anon-a-Miss, and the page had been deleted. All in all, things were, once again, going well.

The girls were talking about their holidays when Sunset was wrapped up in a surprise hug. It took her a moment to realize it was Daisy, and she resisted the urge to shove her away.

“Oh, thank you thank you thank you.”, Daisy said.

“What for?”, Sunset asked. “And please let go. I don’t like being touched.”

“Oh, sorry.” Daisy let go and took a step back.

“Again, what are you thanking me for?”

Their interaction had the attention of the rest of the girls, and they all went quiet.

“Well, we went to the hospital, like you told us, and our parents came with the list of all the medications Lily was on. You see, Lily has bipolar disorder, and our doctor put her on some medication for it, and she had a bad reaction to it that caused her a lot of anxiety, so he put her on some medication for that, and I’m guessing she had a bad reaction to those meds, and he put her on more meds, and that happened again and again and again…”

“Get to the point. I don’t need her medical history.”

“Right, sorry. So, our parents gave the ER doctor her meds list, and she looked it over then asked for the name of Lily’s doctor, Dr. Baethan. I’m guessing he must’ve given her some stuff that should never be given together or to someone her age because the ER doctor left the room, went into another room down the hall, and closed the door behind her and I could still hear her yelling at Dr. Baethan about that, and that’s why she’s been acting like… the way she has.”

“Oh” A lot of Lily’s behavior was now starting to make sense.

“Yeah, so the doctors at the hospital have taken Lily off everything to make and are monitoring her to make sure she’s okay. We’re going to be seeing a different psychiatrist from now on. So, thank you for sending Lily to the hospital. Oh, and here.” Daisy pulled a computer and phone from her backpack and handed them to Sunset. “I’ve checked, and she doesn’t have any external storage devices.”

“Oh, thank you.” Sunset looked over the devices in her hands while trying to not let the phone slide off the computer. Said computer had a sticky note with a bunch of passwords with what they unlocked stuck to it. “I’ll return these once I’ve deleted all the recordings.”

“Okay” With that, Daisy walked off.

Sunset put the devices in her locker then turned her attention back to her girls. Just like her, they were all trying to process this new information.

“Is it even possible for meds ta do that to a person?”, AJ asked.

“Absolutely,” RD said, “especially if they’re psychiatric meds. That’s part of the reason paramedics ask you if you take any medications. My mom was once called to the house of a guy who was accidentally prescribed a couple of meds that shouldn’t be taken together. He was suffering from severe paranoia and delusions. Poor dude was scared out of his mind.”

“Oh”

“Hopefully, fixing her meds will fix her attitude.”, Pinkie said.

The girls eventually had to go to their classes, and Sunset was left alone with her thoughts. Learning that Lily was suffering like that and not fully in control of her actions caused guilt over beating her up to creep into Sunset’s heart, but she rationalized it away by reminding herself that she was operating with the information she had at the time. She just needed to gain better control over herself. Ms. Lance-Hart has been working with her on her “fight and kill mode”, but with it now being linked with her wolf, that needed to be a higher priority.

Once classes were over, Sunset took Lily’s devices to the stacks and searched them for the recordings Lily took. It didn’t take long to find them. The recordings lasted all five days the cameras were there. The first day, her room was empty aside from Sweetie Belle setting up the cameras. The second day, she’d recorded the entirety of their sleepover. The wolf/monkey part of Sunset’s brain was unsettled by seeing a recording of herself. The real problem came in the recordings of the remaining three days as the cameras had caught Rarity changing. Sunset permanently deleted every recording, erasing any trace of their existence. She made sure those were the only copies before tearing up the password note and putting them back in her bag.

Sunset exited the library in search of Daisy, but Lily still haunted her thoughts. Maybe I’ll feel better if I apologize to her. Crappy conscience, making me care about other people. Sunset found Daisy in the foyer and got her attention. “Hey, I’ve removed the recordings. You can have these back now.”

“That was quick.”

Sunset handed over the devices. “Are you going to the hospital?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Take me with you.”

“Uh, why?”

“Because I don’t feel good about beating up a mentally ill person. I want to apologize to see if that makes me feel better.”

“You want to apologize so you feel better?”

“I’m still a selfish bastard. That will never change.”

“Okay”

Daisy led Sunset to the bus and took her to the hospital. They went through the normal hospital stuff and headed to Lily’s room. “Hey, Lily, you have a visitor.” Daisy moved to let Sunset in.

Sunset took a few steps towards Lily then stopped. The girl that laid in the bed looked like Lily Valley, smelled like Lily Valley, and was being watched over by the Valley father, but she felt so different, less angry and more calm, more like her sister.

“Sunset, what are you doing here?”, Lily asked. Her voice was even calmer. It was still her voice but chiller.

“Daisy told me about your medication issue, so I wanted to check on you and say sorry for beating you up.”

“Right, about that… Dad, Daisy, could I speak to Sunset alone?”

The two of them looked confused but complied, and Sunset walked to the side of Lily’s bed.

“So, when we were in the woods, I saw something, and I’m not sure if I was seeing things or not.”

“And that something had to do with me?”

“Yes”

Sunset understood what she was saying. After checking to make sure the door was closed, she shifted into her werewolf form.

“Whoa, can you all do that?”

“I’m assuming you’re asking about the other Rainbooms, and no, this isn’t a result of my alien magic. This is much more terrestrial in origin. I am a werewolf, and so is my mother and sister.”

Lily’s eyes went wide as she looked over Sunset’s fluffiness. “You’re a family of werewolves.”

“We are, and my mother doesn’t want people knowing. She’s worried you humans will see us as bloodthirsty monsters.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t tell. I’m not looking for a round two.”

“Smart” With a roll of her head, Sunset shifted back to her human form.

“I am sorry about everything.”

“Yeah, I get why the CMC wanted to get rid of me, but what was your motive? I never did anything to you, and then you up and one day kissed my boyfriend and started this whole mess. What gives?”

“I’m not sure myself. I only remember just one day being mad at you and then every inconvenience you caused me being perceived as a great offense. That was around the time I started being pumped full of drugs, so I’m blaming that.”

“Oh, so, the whole time I’ve known you, you’ve been this screwed up, drugged version of yourself. Wait, we’re talking something like three years, I think… yeah, almost three years.”

“Yeah, I haven’t been my true self since middle school.”, Lily said solemnly.

“Damn… well, this real you seems nice. I’d like to get to know you.”

“Yeah, I’d like to get to know me too.”