Sunset Shimmer woke up early the next morning, Twilight sleeping peacefully beside her. Looking around groggily, she saw Pinkie, Rainbow, and Rarity were still asleep in the double bed. Taking care not to wake anyone, Sunset crept out of bed and made herself a drink. She wrinkled her nose at the laundry basket as she passed by, profoundly grateful that Pinkie had found fresh underwear in the drawers last night, and even more grateful that some of them actually fit.

Poking her head into the living area, Sunset saw Applejack and Fluttershy still sleeping, each wrapped in blankets on a sofa. Shivering slightly, she decided she’d take a quick shower to warm herself up before getting dressed.

The shower unit in the washroom was quite nicely sized. Sunset assumed the quarters they were in were originally intended for a family to use. As she had scrubbed herself thoroughly the night before, Sunset didn’t bother this time around, just taking care of the essentials then relaxing and enjoying the hot water.

Once she was feeling warm and relatively cozy, Sunset got out and dried herself off, idly wondering what she was going to do until someone else woke up. She decided it wasn’t worth trying to think of a way home yet; they needed more information first. She quite fancied doing a little artwork, but didn’t have any of the materials she needed. Deciding she would fiddle with her Pip-Boy for a while, Sunset opened the door, then leapt back with a yelp as she nearly collided with Rarity.

Rarity barely seemed to have noticed. Mumbling incoherently, she waved absently at Sunset as she passed and started running a shower. Sunset quickly left and closed the door before the half-asleep Rarity started stripping herself down. The noise seemed to have woken the others, who were shifting under the covers.

Twilight rolled over, groping for her glasses. "What’s going on?"

"It’s just Rarity doing her morning zombie thing," Pinkie answered sleepily.

"Sorry to wake you, girls," Sunset apologized as she rifled through the drawers.

Twilight yawned widely. "It’s fine, I was awake anyway. I just couldn’t be bothered to move."

"Mornin’ y’all," Applejack called as she strolled into the room.

"Good morning, everyone," Fluttershy said softly as she came in too, still wrapped in a blanket.

"Morning," Pinkie mumbled, waving from under the covers.

Sunset slipped into a clean jumpsuit before sitting at the dresser to sort out the tangled mess that was her hair. Applejack perched herself on the bed with Twilight and Fluttershy curled up on the floor with her blanket, bundled up so that all you could see was her face.

"So, what’s the plan for this morning?" Applejack asked.

"It’s up to you guys," Sunset replied, wrestling with her hair. "If you’re all quick there should be just enough time for everyone to have another shower before someone comes to collect us."

"What time is it?" Rainbow groaned from the bed.

"Time to get up," Applejack said, whipping the covers back. Rainbow and Pinkie both hissed at the sudden chill and yanked the blanket back over.

At that moment, Rarity came back out of the washroom, looking refreshed and radiant. "Really, girls, whatever is all the fuss about?" she asked, sauntering over to the dresser where Sunset was still wrestling with her hair. "Allow me, darling," she said, taking the brush.

"Thanks Rarity." Sunset sighed. The feel of practiced hands running through her hair was incredibly pleasant.

"Ah guess Ah'll take the next one," Applejack said as she grabbed a towel from the drawers.

"Too slow!" There was a blur as Rainbow darted into the washroom at top speed.

"Hey, no fair!" Applejack called, thumping on the door as the others laughed.

Eventually, the girls were all showered and dressed, Rarity’s discovery of a hair dryer in the dresser speeding up the process somewhat. Once they were finished, Rarity sat at the dresser herself to finish off her makeup and style her hair using some cosmetics she’d had in her pockets when they first got dumped in Vault 101. Sunset was sitting at the dining table with Twilight, trying out their Pip-Boys. Between the two of them, Sunset thought they had it mostly figured out.

"How much longer do we have to wait here?" Rainbow asked again.

"It’s not quite nine yet," Sunset said, checking her Pip-Boy. "James said they’ll probably be here around then."

Rarity strolled into the room and dropped onto a sofa. "I do hope we stop off in the diner first. I’m positively famished."

"Me too. Ah hope they got something good to eat," Applejack agreed.

"I just hope the other residents are all nice people," Fluttershy added nervously. The girls all jumped when they heard a knock at the door.

"Now remember, girls, no magic," Twilight whispered.

Sunset went to the door, quietly wondering if the others were as nervous as she was. She paused before opening it and looked back at her friends. They all gave her a quick thumbs up. Her heart pounding, Sunset opened the door.

A young woman was standing on the other side, her jet-black hair pulled back into a ponytail. Her eyes widened slightly as she saw Sunset, but she recovered quickly. "Good morning, my name is Amata Almodovar. I’ll be in charge of showing you around the Vault, and helping you get settled in today."

"Thanks, my name’s Sunset Shimmer," Sunset replied. She gestured at the other girls. "These are Rainbow Dash, Twilight
Sparkle, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy." Each of the girls waved as Sunset introduced them.

Amata couldn’t hold her surprise this time, her eyes going wide and her mouth dropping. "Wow he really wasn’t kidding," she said quietly. Amata looked mortified as Sunset raised an eyebrow. "I-I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to offend you! It’s just that my father said you girls were a little different, but, honestly? I thought he was exaggerating."

Sunset smiled awkwardly. "It’s alright. I suppose we are a bit out of place here."

Amata ducked her head, blushing slightly. "Do you mind if I come in? There’s some things I’d like to go over before we start the tour."

"Oh, of course. Er… come on in," Sunset said, stepping aside. Amata beamed as she entered the room. Sunset closed the door and sat back at the table.

Amata stayed standing, looking around at everyone. "Okay, first of all I’d just like to say how exciting it is to have all of you join us here in the Vault. There aren’t really that many people around my age here, and I’m not great friends with the other girls, so when I heard we were getting seven new girls out of the blue I couldn’t believe it."

Amata spoke very quickly, so excited she seemed fit to burst. "Honestly, I always thought the North wing was totally trashed, I had no idea people were still living in there!"

Sunset felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She had been more than a little worried about how the other Vault residents would react to her and her friends. If Amata could be so excited to meet them, perhaps the others would too.

"Well, it’s nice to finally meet someone who’s happy to see us," Applejack said with a chuckle, clearly thinking along the same lines.

"Hear hear!" Rarity exclaimed. "If we‘re being honest, I must say that being constantly treated like freaks is starting to wear a little thin."

"Oh, but James doesn’t treat us like that," Fluttershy said earnestly.

Rarity twirled a strand of hair around her finger. "True, but he does get a little too… clinical?"

"He’s an egghead, what do you expect?" Rainbow asked.

"Hey!" Twilight said sharply.

The girls all chuckled at that. Sunset was surprised to see Amata joining in. "James can get a little too much into doctor mode," she agreed.

Twilight wiped her glasses on her sleeve. "In his defense, it must be fascinating for him to meet people so different to those he would usually interact with."

"It’s amazing, I’ve never seen anything like your skin before," Amata said, looking curiously around at each of the girls. "James told me it’s caused by something in the air in the North wing. Something that alters the pigmentation in the skin and hair?"

Sunset averted her eyes. "Something like that. We aren't really supposed to talk about it."

"Ah, right, I‘m sorry. The Overseer told me he had forbidden anyone from asking you about the North wing." Amata cocked her head to the side. "I can’t think why, though."

"It was getting too dangerous in there for us to stay," Sunset said quickly. She felt bad about lying to Amata, who seemed genuinely friendly, but they had promised the Overseer.

"That makes sense. I suppose some of the more idiotic residents might get stupid ideas about trying to get in if they heard too much." Amata shrugged. "Still. We may not be able to talk about that, but I would love to get to know each of you better."

"Sounds good to me," Applejack said with a grin.

"First things first, though, let’s get on with the Vault 101 guided tour!" Amata got up and left the room, the others quickly following her.

Officer Gomez was waiting in the corridor outside. "Morning, girls." He greeted them with a nod. "Sleep well?"

"We did. Thanks, Officer Gomez," Sunset replied.

"Good to hear, and it’s nice to have you properly joining the Vault too, girls. Let me see, now..." Gomez pointed at each of the girls in turn. "Sunset… Twilight… Rarity… Pinkie… Rainbow… Fluttershy, and… Applejack?"

Twilight nodded and smiled. "Well remembered."

"Well, to be honest, with most of you I just matched the names to the hair." Gomez replied with a smirk.

Amata turned to Sunset. "The Overseer was adamant that we be escorted by a security detail, and I thought Gomez would be the best choice since he’s already met you. A friendly face, you know?"

"Where to first, Miss Amata?" Gomez asked.

She made a show of thinking, putting a finger on her chin. "I’m thinking breakfast first. What do you girls think?"

They all agreed enthusiastically to this as Gomez turned and led them through the corridors.

Following along, Amata fell into step alongside Sunset. "There won’t be many people in the diner this morning. I figured it would be best if there aren’t too many new faces crowding around you at breakfast," she explained, talking loudly enough for all of the girls to hear.

Sunset smiled gratefully. "Thanks. We really appreciate everything you're doing for us."

Amata waved a hand dismissively. "Don’t mention it. To be honest, this is the first time any of us have ever really met someone new, so this is a bit of a special day for us."

As Sunset opened her mouth to reply, a harsh voice shouted from in front.

"Jesus! What the hell kind of freaks are you?!" A young man had come around the corner, wearing a leather jacket over his jumpsuit and carrying a tray full of food. He was looking at the girls in disgust.

Officer Gomez growled at him. "You watch your mouth with these girls, Butch. They’ve been through enough."

"What the hell are you doing down here anyway?!" Amata snarled.

Butch just sneered. "Easy, alright, I’m just taking some food down to my mom. Didn’t expect to be walking into a circus right outside our quarters."

"Circus?! Where?!" Pinkie yelled, looking around excitedly.

"And just what in the heck is that supposed to mean?" Applejack growled.

"Calm down, girls," Gomez warned. "Just get to your quarters, Butch, and I’m warning you, one more harsh word out of your mouth and I’ll have you in confinement. You know what the Overseer said."

"Alright, alright, I hear you," Butch grumbled as he disappeared down a side corridor. Sunset glared at him until he was out of sight. She had expected such reactions at some point, but not so brazen and not so soon.

Gomez turned to the group. "Sorry about that, girls. Butch is a bit of a rogue."

"A bit of an asshole you mean," Amata muttered darkly, though she softened as she saw the looks on the girl’s faces. "Look, don’t worry about Butch. There are a few thugs in here who think like him, but most of us are just excited to meet new people, whatever they look like."

"Thanks, I guess?" Sunset answered, trying hard to smile.

"Come on, let’s get you some breakfast. You’ll all feel better after food," Officer Gomez said bracingly.

As the group started walking again, Sunset glanced around at the others, seeing the worry she felt echoed on their faces. How many attacks like that were they going to have to endure before they got home?

Humming tunelessly, Gomez led the girls through a doorway marked ‘Diner’ and around a corner, pausing before another door on the right. "Well, here we are. I‘ll be waiting outside here if that‘s alright, Miss Amata."

"Thanks, Officer Gomez. Come on then girls, breakfast time." Amata opened the door and led the way in.

The girls followed Amata into a large room with a striking red-and-white chequered floor. An old-fashioned song crackled out of a battered jukebox tucked into a corner. There was a row of tables and benches along one wall, and a small counter next to a door in the far corner. Sunset was glad to see there were only three other people in the diner. A bald, bespectacled man was seated at one of the benches with an attractive young woman, and a wrinkled old lady was pottering about over at the counter. The three looked over as the girls entered the room

Amata gestured to the people in the room. "Good morning, all! Girls, I would like you to meet Lucy Palmer, Floyd Lewis, and Christine Kendall. Everyone, please welcome Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash."

The girls nervously greeted the room as they were named, Sunset impressed that Amata had memorised their names so quickly. The seated man and woman, Floyd and Christine, both tried to quickly hide their surprise and reply, but were cut off as the old lady, Miss Palmer, came bustling over, grinning widely.

"Oh, hello, dears! So good to see new faces. It doesn’t happen anywhere near often enough." Miss Palmer beamed and shook each of the girls’ hands in turn, "Do you know, I honestly thought young James was pulling my leg when he told me about you girls, but here you are! Looking all colourful and exotic, I‘ve never seen anything so spectacular in all my life."

"Well, thank you kindly." Applejack replied, tipping her hat.

"No need to thank me, dear, it’s just so good to meet new people again after all these years." Miss Palmer pressed a hand to her mouth. "Oh but look at me rambling on, you must be hungry. Come on in and take a seat, there‘s plenty of food on the counter, so just help yourselves, dears."

Thanking Miss Palmer profusely, the girls hastened to the counter where a buffet full of eggs, toast, cereals, and juices sat waiting for them. Grabbing plates and bowlfuls, they quickly found space on the benches and dug in.

Floyd turned in his seat, adjusting his glasses. "So you are the new girls we’ve heard about. We were just wondering when you’d be up and about. How are you finding the vault so far?"

"So far so good," Sunset replied warily.

"Yeah, the folk we’ve met so far have been pretty nice. Or at least most of them have been," Applejack added.

"We had a little encounter with Butch on the way up here," Amata said in response to Floyd’s querulous look.

Floyd nodded knowingly. "Oh, that little ruffian. Him and his Tunnel Snakes are a pain in the ass down here."

"Tunnel Snakes?" Twilight asked.

"It’s a gang he set up a few years ago with some of the other young lads in the vault, Floyd replied. "They‘re always harassing someone or other."

"Oh, I hope we don’t run into them very much," Fluttershy moaned.

The young woman, Christine, looked up at that. "Don’t worry. My dad’s in security, and he says the Overseer wants you kept away from any trouble."

Miss Palmer waved her hand in exasperation. "Oh, enough about those young hooligans. This is your first time having a proper meal here, so let’s not have any miserable talk. Why don’t you tell us a little about yourselves?"

Sunset leaned back, thinking about how to answer. "I’m not sure how much we can say. The Overseer told us we aren’t allowed to speak about anything from before we were allowed into the main Vault."

Amata slumped her shoulders. "I’m sorry, he’s being really fierce on this. It was a nightmare convincing him that we could be trusted to eat breakfast without a security detail."

"You don’t need to apologize to me, my dear," Miss Palmer said with a huff. "I know better even than you what your father is like about his rules and secrets."

Twilight looked over at Amata. "Your father… the Overseer?"

"Yeah, though to be honest I’ve always seen him more as ‘The Overseer’, if you get what I mean," Amata replied.

Christine shifted in her seat. "So… I’ve got to ask… are those your real names? Or are they just nicknames?"

Listening to the others as they continued chatting away, Sunset felt relieved. They were getting on far better with these new people than she had dared to hope. With any luck, the rest of the residents would be just as nice, and her and Twilight would be able to quickly find a safe way back home.

Once the girls had finished eating, Amata stood up. "Alright then, girls, if you are all finished, it’s time for your guided tour of Vault 101," she said with a smile.

"Do you want us to help with the dishes first?" Fluttershy asked as the girls got to their feet.

Floyd huffed a laugh. "No, it’s alright, thank you. Now that we’re all done, I can test the dishwasher. See if Christine repaired it properly." He chuckled, earning a glare from Christine. The girls said their goodbyes and followed Amata out of the Diner to where Officer Gomez was leaning against a wall, chatting to James.

"Good morning, James," Amata said as she saw him.

"Good morning to you too, and to all of you as well," he answered, smiling as each of the girls greeted him in return. "How are you finding the Vault so far?"

Rarity put her hands on her hips. "Well, the décor is a little drab, and frankly the fashion sense here seems a little… standard… but I suppose we’ll have to make do for now."

"I can’t deny that," James laughed. "Now if you will excuse me, I hear my breakfast calling."

Officer Gomez stood away from the wall as James disappeared into the Diner. "Ready to carry on?"

"Absolutely. Lead on," Amata replied.

"Alright, follow me then, girls," Gomez said brightly.

"Aren’t you going to have anything?" Fluttershy asked.

Gomez shook his head. "No, I’ve already had my breakfast. Early mornings when you’re in Vault Security."

Turning down another corridor, Gomez and Amata led the girls through the maze-like corridors of the Vault. Amata described each section and what they were used for as they passed through each area.

They saw several other residents of the Vault on their tour, many of whom stopped to chat with the new additions to their little community. Most of them seemed friendly enough, though a lot of them were wary of the girls. All of them were utterly shocked at the bright colors of the girls’ skin and hair, though very few were openly rude about it, and those that were quickly apologized under Gomez and Amata’s angry glares.

Finally, they reached the Security Office, where Amata told the girls she had to leave them for a while. As Amata walked away, Sunset couldn’t help feeling a twinge of dismay. The Overseer’s daughter was the most friendly person she’d met in this strange new world.

The security office was small, containing several large metal lockers and a little computer terminal sat on a table, with a single door leading to a cell in the back. The only other person in the office was a man Sunset recognised as Chief Hannon, the one who had been guarding their room the night before.

Officer Gomez snapped a salute as he entered the office. "Chief Hannon, we’ve completed the preliminary tour of the Vault."

"Did any of these girls cause any problems during the tour?" Hannon asked.

"No, sir, they’ve been good as gold," Gomez replied crisply.

"Were there any issues with the other residents?" Hannon pressed.

Gomez shook his head. "Nothing major. Had a bit of lip from Butch, but nothing to worry about."

Chief Hannon just grunted. "Typical. Very well, please report to the Overseer for further instructions."

As Officer Gomez snapped another salute and left, Chief Hannon turned to the girls, clasping his hands behind his back and standing tall.

"I am Security Chief Hannon. I command the Vault 101 Security Force, and it is my job to ensure that the Overseer’s rules are followed to the letter." Hannon cleared his throat before continuing. "The Overseer has ordered me and my team to keep you lot out of trouble. Having you follow the rules will make my job a lot easier, and if you make my job easier, I‘ll do what I can to make your lives here easier. If you do run into any problems with the other residents, do not go around picking fights. You report it straight to me, and I will deal with it. Is that understood?"

"We understand," Sunset replied. "Chief Hannon," she added quickly as he narrowed his eyes at her.

"Good. With that out of the way, the Overseer wants to see you before you go back downstairs." Hannon stepped past the girls and gestured for them to follow. "Follow me." The girls followed him back out of the Security Office and around a corner into a reception area. "Wait here. The Overseer will call you in when he’s ready." Chief Hannon said, then abruptly turned and walked away, leaving them alone.

"What was that about?" Rainbow asked as she flung herself into a chair.

"He wanted us to know he was in charge, that’s what that was about," Applejack said, grabbing a seat herself. "Ah’m guessing he ain’t so fond of us."

Pinkie pranced around the room, as if she didn’t have a care in the world. "He did say if we make his job easier he’ll make our lives easier, so let’s try and make his job easier!"

Sunset leaned against a wall, trying to ease the tension she felt. "Pinkie’s right, we just have to stay on his good side. Let’s just try and stay out of trouble while we’re here."

"I don’t know if you’ve noticed, darling, but trouble always seems to find us," Rarity put in.

"You’re right," Sunset sighed. "Still, we shouldn’t go looking for any more problems while we’re here."

"I agree, and if we do come across anything, we should do as he says and report it right away," Twilight added.

The girls stood quickly as a door opened and Officer Gomez stepped out with the Overseer. The Overseer looked them all over before speaking, "Well, girls, Officer Gomez informs me that your behavior so far has been impeccable, and your interactions with our residents have been courteous and kind. I hope you shall continue to hold yourself to this high standard."

Glad that the Overseer finally seemed to be warming to them, Sunset smiled. "We will, Overseer."

"Excellent. While I am sure you remember, I would like to reiterate that under no circumstances are you to speak to anyone else about your time before you joined the Vault population," the Overseer reminded the group. "Should anyone attempt to pry, you are to report it immediately to either myself, or one of my security personnel. Is that clear?"

"Of course," Sunset replied.

The Overseer frowned slightly, crossing his arms. "I understand you have had a somewhat unpleasant meeting with Butch this morning. I have ordered Chief Hannon to personally ensure that he and his cronies do not cause you too much grief during your stay. Consider it a favor, in exchange for your cooperation in keeping our little secrets. Now, I believe that concludes our little chat. Officer Gomez, I leave them with you."

The girls followed Officer Gomez back out into the corridors as the Overseer went back into his office.

Sunset smiled as she turned to Gomez. Things were looking up. "Where to now, Officer?"

"Well, it’s just about lunchtime, so I’ll take you back down to the Diner," Gomez replied. "Amata should be waiting there, too. Once you’ve finished your food I’ll be taking you to the Classroom and leaving you with Mr Brotch."

Twilight seemed to curl inwards at that. "What kind of tests will he be giving us?"

Gomez smiled softly. "Today I reckon he’ll just put you through the G.O.A.T to see what kind of work would best suit you."

The girls glanced around at each other in confusion. "Er…goat?" Applejack asked.

Officer Gomez just laughed brightly. "You’ll see soon enough." Heading through the Vault, Officer Gomez led them quickly back to the Diner. Stopping outside, he gestured to the door with a flourish. "After you, girls."

Giving him a quizzical look, Sunset pressed the button. As the door slid open she was greeted by a wave of sound. "Surprise!"

A whole crowd of people shouted and set off party poppers, showering the girls in confetti and glitter. A large paper sign saying ‘Welcome!’ had been hung from the ceiling, and the jukebox in the corner had been set to play a jaunty little tune.

Grinning widely, Sunset led the others into the room. "Wow, what is all this?"

"It’s your welcoming party." Amata grinned back, moving to the front of the group. "We decided we’d hold it after you’d seen a little of the Vault and met a few people already. Less overwhelming and all that."

"WOOHOO!! BEST SURPRISE VAULT WELCOMING PARTY EVER!!" Pinkie screamed, bounding off into the room.

"This is amazing," Sunset said as the other girls followed Pinkie into the crowd. "You really didn’t have to go to all this trouble."

"It was nothing, we don’t have events like this very often. Having new people in the Vault is a once in a lifetime thing, so we figured we’d go all out." Amata gestured into the room. "Go ahead, have fun."

"Come on, Sunset, they have cake!" Pinkie called.

Grinning, Sunset wandered into the crowd. There were plenty of people there that she had met already, but all of them kept coming back to talk to the girls. They refrained from asking about life in the North Wing, Sunset was glad to notice, but everyone still had plenty to talk about.

Pinkie was in her element, bouncing around exuberantly as she threw confetti and ate her way through more cake than Sunset could imagine. Rarity was eagerly discussing beauty products with a gaggle of women, while Applejack and Rainbow Dash took turns arm wrestling Gomez and several of the other men, including a few more security officers who had turned up. Fluttershy had safely ensconced herself in a corner between James and his young assistant, Jonas.

Determined to get herself some cake, Sunset made her way slowly through the crowd. She could barely walk a couple of feet without someone stopping her to welcome her excitedly. As she managed to peel herself away from Miss Palmer and her friend Grandma Taylor, Twilight suddenly appeared out of the crowd. "Looking for this?" she asked, holding out a plateful of cake.

Sunset took it gratefully. "You read my mind!"

"Should we find somewhere to sit?" Twilight asked, stuffing a piece into her mouth.

Looking through the crowd, Sunset spotted a place. "This way," she said, grabbing Twilight’s hand. Before anyone else could stop them for a chat, Sunset and Twilight slid onto an empty bench at one of the tables, opposite a young man and woman they hadn’t met before.

"Nice to meet you." The young man grinned as the girls sat down. "My name’s Tom Holden, and this is my wife, Mary." The young woman smiled shyly as her husband introduced them.

Sunset smiled brightly at them. "Nice to meet you too, I’m Sunset Shimmer and this is Twilight Sparkle."

"Cool names," Tom said brightly.

"Thanks. So, what do you two do around here?" Sunset asked, helping herself to the cake.

Tom grimaced. "I’m a waste management specialist. I’m in charge of organizing all waste and recycling facilities."

"It could be worse, Tom," Mary said quietly, "I’m a beautician, though I also work as a masseuse."

"What about you two? Tom asked.

Twilight shook her head. "Well, we aren’t really sure yet. We have to speak to Mr Brotch later. Apparently, he’ll be giving us our work placements."

"Oh, cool." Tom looked around quickly then leaned forward, lowering his voice. "Look, I gotta ask. What was it like? You know, living in the North wing?"

"Tom!?" Mary moaned anxiously.

Sunset shared an anxious look with Twilight. "We aren’t really supposed to talk about it."

"That’s right, the Overseer was very insistent," Twilight added.

Something large and pink jumped out from under the table suddenly, startling the four of them. Pinkie straightened up and leaned in. "It’s a secret!" she whispered loudly. Looking around conspiratorially, she melted seamlessly back into the crowd.

"Where the hell did she just come from?!" Tom spluttered.

Sunset giggled at the terrified look on his face. "That’s Pinkie Pie, it’s kind of what she does."

"I’m amazed she managed to get under the table without any of us noticing," Mary said blankly.

"Yep, that’s Pinkie," Twilight said, laughing nervously. "I’m just going to get some more cake, do you want any, Sunset?"

Sunset nodded. "Oh, yes please."

"I think I’ll join you in that," Tom said eagerly.

"Definitely," Mary agreed.

The three of them got up and headed through the crowd. Almost as soon as they disappeared, Amata appeared and slipped onto the bench opposite Sunset. "So, what do you think?" she asked.

"This is amazing," Sunset told her sincerely. "Really, I can’t thank you enough."

Amata grinned at her. "It was nothing. I’m amazed so many people turned up, to be honest. Though, I shouldn’t be surprised really, given the circumstances. None of us have ever met anyone new, let alone anyone so… out there!"

Sunset smiled awkwardly. She was slowly getting used to people commenting on her skin and hair by now, but it was still a strange feeling.

"So, I guess you’re kind of the group leader?" Amata asked suddenly.

"Who, me?" Sunset asked, surprised. "No, not really."

Amata raised her eyebrows. "Really? The others seem to look to you for guidance so I just assumed you were the one in charge."

"That’s because she is. Or at least she may as well be," Applejack said suddenly, leaning over the back of the bench.

"I agree, we really could use a group leader, and Sunset would be the most logical choice," Twilight added as she returned with cake, the other girls in tow.

"Indeed," Rarity put in as she slid next to Amata. "You’re the perfect person for the job."

"Absolutely, though Ah’m surprised you aren’t kicking up a fuss over it, Rainbow?" Applejack asked, raising an eyebrow.

Rainbow shook her head, grinning. "Nah, Sunset’s got this. Besides, leaders get all the responsibilities and stuff. If Sunset’s leader it just gives me more room to show off how awesome I am," Rainbow pointed out.

"Sunshim’s large and in charge," Pinkie quipped.

"I agree, Sunset’s definitely the leader," Fluttershy said with a smile.

"Wow, thanks, guys," Sunset said, touched by their words.

Fluttershy giggled softly. "I can’t believe how much things have changed since the Fall Formal."

"The Fall Formal?" Amata asked. The girls all looked at each other awkwardly, not sure how to explain without breaking the Overseer’s rules.

"It was a sort of… party… that we held in the, uh, North wing," Sunset said.

Rarity nodded slowly. "Back then we weren’t exactly on the best of terms with each other."

"Thanks to Sunset!" Pinkie added with a smirk.

"Wait, what?" Amata looked even more confused.

Sunset ran a hand through her hair, trying to hide her embarrassment. "I was… well… not a very nice person back then."

"Meaning she was a devious, backstabbing, manipulative, raging she-demon determined to grab power at any cost," Applejack clarified. "No offence," she added with a wink. Sunset just smirked at her.

"Wow, sounds like you were a real bitch," Amata said flatly.

"Er, yeah." Sunset admitted, frowning at the language.

An awkward silence fell at her words. After a few excruciating seconds, Rarity cleared her throat. "Yes, well, it all worked out in the end, at least."

"Sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you," Amata said sheepishly.

"It’s alright, I got used to it a while ago," Sunset replied quickly. She brushed crumbs off her lap and stood up, "I‘m just going to go to the restroom. Is there one near here?"

"Oh, yes. Just head back through the apartment section to your quarters and you should see them on the right," Amata replied.

Sunset thought back, then nodded curtly. "Oh yeah, I remember now. Thanks." She left the table and made her way through the crowd as quickly as she could. She was surprised by the way the people here so casually spouted profanities. Sunset supposed that it must be some sort of cultural difference. Once out of the diner, she made her way swiftly through the corridors and into the ladies restrooms.

Grateful for the peace and quiet, Sunset decided to wait a little while before she headed back. The air in the restroom was pleasantly cool, and the whole room was silent save for the gentle hum of the air conditioning unit, but Sunset knew she couldn’t enjoy it for too long. Someone was bound to come looking for her soon. Leaving the restroom, she was about to head back to the Diner before a voice called her back, "Hey! New girl!"

Sunset looked over her shoulder. Butch was leaning against the wall next to the restrooms. Seeing her stop, he straightened up and strutted over to her.

"So, you’re the leader of the new freaks from North wing?" Butch said with a sneer, "I’m Butch, leader of the Tunnel Snakes. Our gang rules this place down here, so you watch your step around us."

Sunset felt her temper rising. A typical bully tactic, ambushing someone while they’re alone she thought, remembering a time when she operated the same way. She took a deep breath, calming herself down. Sunset had changed, so maybe she could help him do the same. At the very least, she wanted to make as few enemies in this new world as she could. "Look, Butch, we don’t want any trouble down here, and the Overseer is going to come down hard on anyone who tries to cause problems with us."

"You think I’m scared of the Overseer? I’m the top dog, er, snake, around here!" Butch snapped

"If that was true you wouldn't have waited until I was alone down here to say something," Sunset countered with a smirk, then realized what she was doing. Probably not the best way to defuse the situation, she scolded herself. Sunset realized she was even more tense than she had thought. Taking another quick breath to cool her head, she continued before he had a chance to snap at her again, "Anyway, is this really worth the hassle? Look, I know me and my friends look different to the rest of you, and that we stand out a bit much, but that doesn’t mean we can‘t be friends." Sunset extended a hand.

Butch hesitated for a moment, then smirked at her and crossed his arms. "You’ve got guts, I’ll give you that. What was your name again?"

Sunset slowly lowered her hand. "Sunset Shimmer."

Butch sneered. "Freaky name for a freaky chick." He suddenly leaned in closer. "You definitely look more normal than most of your weirdo buddies, how about you and me go somewhere and find out just how freaky you are?"

Sunset slapped away his hand as he went to stroke her face, throwing him a disgusted look. "I’m not interested in bullies, or anyone who insults my friends."

Butch stepped back with a frown. "If that’s the way you want it, but I’d be more polite if I were you. That little one with the yellow skin and pink hair? I’d say she looks like an easy mark."

Before Sunset could retort, she heard heavy footsteps behind her. Looking around, she saw a security officer stepping slowly towards them, tapping his baton against his leg. Something about him sent cold shivers running down Sunset’s spine. He grinned as he stalked closer, running a gloved hand over his close-cropped hair.

"Fancy seeing one of the newbies down here all alone with Butch. Having a nice little chat?" The security officer's voice was gruff, and there was something oily about it that made Sunset cringe.

"None of your business, Mack," Butch replied haughtily, though Sunset noticed his hands were balled into fists.

Mack smiled, showing yellowed teeth. "I think you’ll find it is my business. The Overseer wants us Security boys to keep a close eye one the new girls. Keep them out of trouble." He pointed his baton at Butch. "Not talking about the North wing, I hope?"

"We weren’t," Sunset said quickly.

"Best not have been, or I’d have to punish you both for breaking the rules," Mack said, smacking his baton into the palm of his hand for emphasis.

Sunset flinched. He was enjoying threatening them far too much. Butch surprised her, stepping up to Mack so they were almost nose to nose. "I’d love to see you try it." he snarled. Sunset was surprised. She had taken Butch for a cowardly bully, but she decided he must have some courage to stand up to an armed man like that.

Mack glared into Butch‘s eyes. "Oh? You think I’ll let you off easy ‘cos my bro’s in your pathetic little gang?"

Butch just smirked. "Nah, I think you don’t have the stones to try it. You know I’d kick your ass from one end of this Vault to the other."

Sunset watched them both squaring off, not sure whether to shout for help or not.

Finally Mack stepped back. "If I find out you have been asking questions about North wing, or causing trouble with the new girls, I’ll make sure the Chief lets me cave your skull in," he said menacingly.

Butch puffed himself up. "I couldn’t give a crap about the North wing. I bet all that‘s left in there is mutant shit and radroaches. I don’t have time for this." He stalked off around the corner to his quarters, making sure to shove Mack with his shoulder as he left.

Sunset tensed, afraid Mack would lash out, but he simply stood and glared after Butch. "I should probably get back to the party," Sunset said quietly.

As she made to leave, Mack slammed a hand into the wall, barring her path. "Before you go, just a friendly word of advice," he growled, bringing his face close to hers. Sunset tried to back away but he stepped around, forcing her against the wall. His breath reeked as it washed over Sunset’s face.

"Like I said, the Overseer wants us security guys to keep an eye on you girls, and I intend to keep a very close eye on you. For your own… protection." Mack leered, running his eyes up and down Sunset’s body in a way that made her skin crawl. "You go getting yourself mixed up with Butch, and people are going to think you’re up to no good."

"It won‘t happen again," Sunset said defiantly.

"See that it doesn’t. The Chief says you lot are to be looked after for now, but if I do catch you causing problems, or trying to stir up trouble, I promise you, I will fuck you up. Is that clear?" Mack asked, pressing the tip of his baton under Sunset’s chin.

Sunset froze, unable to answer. This man was dangerous in a way she’d never dealt with before. She desperately hoped someone would come down looking for her. As if in answer to her thoughts, a voice belted out from down the corridor.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?!" Amata yelled as she stormed down the corridor, Officer Gomez and the rest of the girls close on her heels.

Mack stepped away from Sunset and sheathed his baton. "Just making sure she remembers the rules."

Amata shoved him aside, seething. Rarity took hold of Sunset’s arm and gently pulled her into the middle of the group as Applejack and Rainbow Dash stood protectively in front of her.

"What the hell was she doing?!" Officer Gomez snapped, glaring at Mack.

Sunset shook her head quickly. "Butch showed up when I came out of the restrooms. I tried to reason with him so he would leave us alone."

Mack sneered at her. "She decided she wanted a go at Butch instead of coming to find one of us security guys."

"You didn’t really give me a chance, did you?" Sunset spat.

Looking resigned, Officer Gomez turned to Amata. "You’d best take the girls back upstairs, you’re going to be late as it is. I’ll handle everything down here and hand in a report to Chief Hannon."

"Thanks, Gomez," Amata replied, still looking furious. "Come on, girls, let’s get the hell out of here." She led the girls back upstairs, muttering angrily under her breath.

As they passed the diner, the party still going on inside, Applejack turned to Sunset. "You alright, sugarcube?"

Sunset wrapped her arms around herself, trying to stop herself from shaking. "I think so."

Amata sighed heavily. "I’m sorry about that, Sunset. Mack’s a nasty piece of work."

"He’s an absolute brute!" Rarity snapped, "Are we really supposed to feel safe with monsters like that on the security team?"

"Believe me, I know how you feel," Amata said earnestly. "I’ll have a word with my father. I don’t care what his reasoning was, he went too far there. I’ll make sure he stays away from you from now on."

Sunset took a deep breath, steadying her nerves. She felt a lot better now that she was with her friends. "Thanks. Why were all of you coming downstairs, anyway?"

"We were coming to get you, it‘s time to go to the classroom," Fluttershy replied. "Amata said to wait in the diner while she fetched you, but we thought you might be feeling down and needing some company."

"Officer Gomez was supposed to be escorting us for the rest of the day, but he’ll be stuck dealing with Officer Mack for a while," Amata explained with a huff. "Don’t worry, Mack won’t do anything more to jeopardise his position on the security team. He enjoys it too much."

"I noticed," Sunset said with a shiver.

Amata smiled reassuringly. "Officer Gomez has more pull with both Chief Hannon and the Overseer at the moment. He’ll make sure Mack doesn’t give you any more grief."

The girls walked on in silence for a little way, Sunset desperately hoping she and her friends could avoid any more incidents like that. She decided not to mention what Butch had said about Fluttershy just yet. She’d wait until Flutters was in the shower or out of earshot before she brought it up with the others. They would have to come up with a way of keeping her safe from him and his cronies.

Sunset was still lost in her thoughts when she walked headlong into Rainbow Dash. Amata had stopped them outside a room marked ‘Classroom’.

Amata turned, biting her lip. "I’m sorry, I had hoped your first real day here would go a little better than that."

Sunset shook her head. "It’s okay. It wasn’t your fault, and you’ve done more than enough to help us already."

Amata nodded. "Well, hopefully things go a bit better for you from here on out. I have to get back to work after this, but if you ever need anything, please don’t hesitate to let me know."

"Thank you, you’ve been a real help," Sunset said gratefully. The other girls all agreed with her, thanking Amata in turn. She smiled shyly and knocked on the door.

"Come on in," a voice called.

Entering the room, the girls saw several rows of seats with small desks. A projector in the middle of the room pointed to a large blackboard on the wall. A middle-aged man with black hair and spectacles was waiting alongside a ginger-haired young woman. The young woman’s eyes went wide as the girls entered the room, but the man didn’t react at all. Sunset supposed he either had very good self control, or was just so jaded that nothing fazed him anymore. Perhaps a bit of both, she thought.

"Good to see you‘ve finally remembered where the classroom is, Amata," the man said, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "I was beginning to wonder if I needed to send out a search party."

"Sorry, Mr Brotch, we had a bit of an incident downstairs," Amata replied.

Mr Brotch frowned slightly. "I see. Has it been resolved safely now?"

"Yes," Amata said confidently. "I thought I’d best bring the girls here to you before I report to the Overseer"

Mr Brotch nodded curtly. "In that case, I won’t keep you any longer. Thank you, Amata."

"No problem. See you later, girls," Amata said as she left the room.

Once she had left, Mr Brotch turned to the girls. "Good afternoon, girls. Please, take a seat."

The girls hurried to sit down. Mr Brotch waited patiently until they had stopped fidgeting before he spoke again, "My name is Edwin Brotch, and this is my assistant, Susie Mack." Sunset tried not to flinch as she heard the name, realizing Susie must be a relative of Officer Mack.

Mr Brotch continued, thankfully not noticing her discomfort, "I’m the Vault’s teacher, so I would prefer if you refer to me as Mr Brotch, at least to my face. I hope you’ve enjoyed the Vault so far because this is where it gets boring. Susie and I shall be assessing your current level of education, and deciding on the most suitable roles for each of you in our little community."

Once he finished speaking, Susie handed him a clipboard. He glanced at the notes on it, then looked back up at the girls as Susie started placing sheets of paper face down in front of each of them.

"I am currently in the very unusual position of not having a clue who any of you are," Mr Brotch said cheerfully. "I have a list here of your names, but I would like to put those names to faces, if that’s alright. Just put your hand up and say ’here’ when I call your name, please. First up, we have Sunset Shimmer?"

"Here," Sunset said, raising her hand.

Mr Brotch nodded and made a note on the clipboard. "Very well, Twilight Sparkle?" He made his way quickly through most of the girls, getting Rarity, Fluttershy and Applejack out of the way. "That just leaves Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash. I doubt I’ll win any prizes for guessing which of you is which." Mr Brotch smirked as he looked over at them. "Now that that is out of the way, it is time for you to be put through the G.O.A.T. Have any of you been told what that is?"

The girls all shook their heads. This time it was Susie who spoke to them, "G.O.A.T stands for Generalised Occupational Aptitude Test. We use it to decide what job would be most suitable for each member of the Vault."

Mr Brotch nodded. "Correct. The only problem is that the G.O.A.T is usually used in conjunction with previous test scores and other such criteria picked up in class. Obviously, I don’t have that kind of data with me, so we are just going to have to play it by ear and go by the notes I’ve been given on each of you."

Twilight threw her hand up in the air, looking worried. "But we haven’t had any chance to study, what happens if we fail the test?"

Mr Brotch smiled. "Well it’s a multi-choice questionnaire with no wrong answers, so I’m sure you’ll all be fine. Just make sure to answer each of the questions and hand it in to me when you are done. Once it’s over, we’ll go over the results and discuss what knowledge and training you will require to fit into your new roles. Are there any questions?"

The girls all looked at each other nervously, but no one raised their hand.

"In that case, please turn over your exams sheets and let’s get started." There was a flurry of sheets being turned over. "Question one. You are approached by a frenzied Vault scientist, who yells, ‘I'm going to put my quantum harmonizer in your photonic resonation chamber!’. What's your response?"

There was a moment's silence, then each of the girls cried in unison, "Huh?!"

Next Chapter: Chapter 5 - Time To Go Estimated time remaining: 48 Hours