From the moment Sunset Shimmer set foot into Crystal Prep High she felt something strange was going on. All of the students just looked at her. Some looked at her in surprise, some fear, some, in an almost reverent manor, and still occasionally, anger. By the time she had reached Dean Cadence's office she was in a minor panic attack mode. But even that didn't offer much relief as even the Dean looked at her in an odd way. Like she was looking at some strange creature she was trying to figure out.

"Well, Ms. Shimmer. I am awfully glad to meet you. I've looked over your records and I am more than sure you'll make an excellent addition to our school." Cadence said in a sincere voice but there was a questioning tone beneath it.

Shimmer couldn't take the weirdness anymore. She respectfully but bluntly said, "Um, why is everyone here acting so weird around me?"

Cadence was taken aback a bit by Shimmers' bluntness. A brief look of fear crossed her face. "What do you mean?"

Shimmer knew it was a stalling tactic. But she decided to go with it. "Well, everyone keeps looking at me strange. Some point and whisper, all get out of my way when I walked through the hall. I felt like I was Moses parting the Red Sea. Even you looked at me strange when we met." Shimmer paused a second then asked, "It's not because I'm a lesbian is it?"

"What?! Ah, no! No. I didn't even know that. And if I did, I certainly wouldn't have told anyone else; let alone the whole school."

"Ok. I was fairly out at my old school so I didn't know if someone from there would have told you or not. So what is going on?"

Dean Cadence looked away. She looked all over the room as if looking for an escape hatch. Eventually she got up, went to a bookcase, withdrew what looked to be a photo album, opened it up, took out a picture, walked over, and handed to Shimmer.

Shimmer took it and looked at it. At first it made no sense. Then as she looked at it longer it slowly dawned on her what she was looking at. In the picture was Dean Cadence, two other adult females, and a bunch of students. Some were Crystal Prep students, others were obviously from another school. And it was one of the girls from another school that took her breath away. The hair was different. The clothes she wore was different from anything she'd ever wear; but other than that, she was a perfect twin for her.

Shimmer looked up at Cadence, mouth agape in shock. "Who's the girl?"

Cadence looked down, not wanting to answer. Without looking up; she slowly said, "That is a student at Cantorlot High. Her name is Sunset Shimmer. The picture was taken at this years' Friendship Games."

Shimmer looked back down at the picture, mouth still open. This girl, who lived all they way across the country, had her face, her body, her name. How was this even possible? While true that all human beings shared the same basic genetics and thus made replication of physical characteristics inevitable; this went way beyond that. Genetics could produce a similar name. No, not similar; the exact same name for the exact same body.

She handed the picture back to Dean Cadence. "I understand now. Well, I understand the looks but not that."

Cadence nodded. "As soon as I saw your name on the transfer papers, I made an announcement to the student body to expect you. But seeing you in person; it's still a shock."

"Yeah, no doubt," Shimmer said almost sarcastically. How was she going to be able to concentrate on her studies knowing she had a perfect twin, and exact doppelganger out there? Already she wanted to rush over to this other school and meet this other self. See who she was. Find out what else they had in common.

"This is a bit much. I had hoped not to tell you; but now that you know, I'll instruct your teachers to hold off on any assignments they might have been planning on giving you for the rest of the week. It's not much, but it'll give you and the other students a chance to get used to things."

"Yeah," was all Shimmer could mutter out.

*******************************************************************

Adagio awoke to the smell of coffee, pancakes and sausage. Her stomach grumbled as if in warning for her not to doddle. She got out of bed and walked out of her room into the living room. Sunset was in the kitchen, already dressed for school, finishing up the breakfast.

Sunset looked at Adagio and smiled. "I thought the smell would wake you up so I didn't bother waking you up myself."

"Thanks," Adagio said, still somewhat sleepy but grateful for the meal. "I guess I'm all alone today."

"Until my papers come in, yes." Sunset sighed as she spoke. Frankly she wanted to be with Adagio. Adagio had far more "blood on her hands" than Sunset ever did. She wanted to stay and guide her new charge as best she could. She had the other girls around her for the entire school day and then some. Adagio would have no one. But then she would also not have all the snickering back talk she got from the other students either. So maybe it would all work out.

"I still have work for you though," Sunset said, trying to sound chipper. "I need you to go online and look up crime reports, specifically on cannibalism. Go back no more than a year and keep it confined to the US. I want to see if this really is a result of something escaping from Equestria or not. Also this will give us a pretty good idea of timeline and scope. Here." Sunset gave Adagio a plate of food and a cup of coffee.

"Will do," Adagio said as she dug in. She of course knew what was doing the killing. She also knew if she spoke up, she'd have a fate worse than death. But if she just did basic research like Sunset asked, she didn't think she'd get in trouble with Chrysalis and it was a good way to keep her cover while she worked on a plan of attack against Sunset.

Adagio felt Sunset's hand take her free hand. She looked up from her food to see Sunset smiling at her. "Adagio," she said softly, full of genuine good feeling, "I know this has to be tough for you. I can only measure it against my own. But I just want to say; I'm proud of you and I'm here for you no matter what. Without the friendship of the others, I wouldn't have made it. So that is why I want you to know you have me and I'll do whatever I can to make sure you make it as well."

Adagio just looked at her, with a mouth full of food, not knowing what to do next. She slowly finished chewing what was in her mouth and swallowed. Sunset was still smiling at her and holding her hand. For the first time in her long life, she was actually creeped out.

The more she looked at her, the more she realized just how pretty her eyes were. Also, Sunset's smile just seemed to radiate warmth. She found herself enjoying the way Sunset looked at her. She found herself smiling back and even felt her cheeks getting hot, telling her she was blushing.

"Thank you," was all she could say. She suddenly found all she wanted to do was to look into Sunset's eyes.

"Adagio?" Sunset said quietly

"Yes?" Adagio answered feeling a warming sensation in he stomach slowly radiate upward toward her head.

"May I have my hand back now?"

"What?" Adagio shook her head as if breaking a spell. "Oh, sure, sorry."

"No problem," Sunset laughed and then came from behind the bar to face Adagio directly. She gave her a hug and said, "I got to go now, but please clean up for me and then work on searching those crime reports ok?"

"Of course," Adagio responded. She held on to Sunset as long as she could before letting go. "you want me to make supper tonight?"

Sunset raised her one eyebrow.

"You're right. I'm sorry," Adagio said.

"Here," Sunset reached into her purse and got her debit card out, "order us something."

"Ok. What do you want?"

"I don't know. Whatever you want."

"I don't know. I'll have whatever you want."

"I don't know what I want. You pick."

"What about Chinese?"

"Nah. I don't feel like Chinese."

"Pizza then?"

"Eh, not really. I mean pizza is such a stand by."

"Well subs then."

"No, I'm not in a sub mood."

"Well what mood are you in?" Adagio asked, getting irritated.

"I don't know. That's why I told you to pick," Sunset responded; getting annoyed herself now,

"I just picked three things and you just shot them down."

"Ok, fine then. How about I just bring home some burgers then?"

"I just had a burger two nights ago."

"Now look who's shooting things down."

"Me? I just said . . ."

"Said you'd have whatever I wanted."

"Don't start that with me. If you just would have . . ." Adagio stopped and looked at Sunset who looked back at her. Then they both busted out laughing.

"Now I know why guys get so mad when we do this," Sunset said.

They both looked at each other again and said "Pizza" in unison. Sunset then opened the door and walked out. Before she shut it she said, "See you tonight."

"See you tonight," Adagio repeated.

Sunset shut the front and as she left, she couldn't help but think how weird that whole exchange was.