The Multiverse in a Nutshell

by Pennington Inkwell

First published 2nd of December, 2018

What do you do when you accidentally break the multiverse and scatter your friends to the cosmic winds? Go on a ROAD TRIP, of course!

Graduation was supposed to be a happy day for the Rainbooms. Sunset and Princess Twilight had both agreed to temporarily shut the portal to Equestria so they could leave CHS safe and sound while they went on a post-graduation band tour. However, instead of SHUTTING the portal, they somehow made it explode, shattering the multiverse and scattering the Rainbooms across countless different universes. Now, Sunset Shimmer finds herself face-to-face with creatures straight out of dreams and nightmares, from the pages of legend to the screen of cinema.

Her best chance to reunite with her friends and get home: a self-proclaimed "Giant Nerd" and his old jalopy of a car, both of which are native to a world of silent observers of the multiverse, including her own life with the Rainbooms. Between his guidance and her courage, the two of them are determined to reunite the Rainbooms and get them back home...

Even if that means facing ink demons, xenomorphs, genocidal time-looping children, or even Egyptian god cards.

((The most blatant of self-insert fics. I am 100% aware of that. This is just a project to help me unwind.))

So Long, and Thanks for All the Friends

Sunset had never thought that the day would come: Graduation.

Today was the last day of school before the ceremony that night, and the Rainbooms were waiting their way through their last period: study hall. Rarity was happily humming to herself and doodling in her sketchbook, while Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash were both huddled over a notebook, making last-minute adjustments to the new song they had written to perform at the the ceremony that night. Applejack was plucking away at her bass with ever-impressive dexterity and Twilight had joined Vinyl in optimizing their equipment for the night.

"TASTE TEST!"

Sunset was snapped out of her reverie as PInkie Pie shoved a cupcake up to her lips. She couldn't hold back a grin as she obediently opened her mouth, allowing Pinkie to shove the pastry into her jaw. The flavor was explosive, filling Sunset's mouth with the taste of strawberries and creamy sugar frosting.

"MMMmmm..."

"Well? What do you think?"

"Ish goo!" Sunset mumbled, grinning from ear to ear around her mouthful of moist cake.

Pinkie reached into her hair, retrieving a clipboard and pen and carefully scrutinizing her reaction.

"Soo, would you rate that ABOVE or below the key lime?"

Applejack sighed, finally bringing her playing to a stop. "Oh, for Pete's sake, Pinkie! You've been testing flavors all day! You're gonna send us all into a sugar coma before the ceremony even starts, and poor Sunset's got the worst of it!"

Pinkie gasped, her hand flying to her chest in shock.

"The WORST of it? Applejack, these are my most tried-and-true recipes, and I serve only the BEST to my friends! And I'm going to need the abso-tively posi-lutely best of the best for our graduation! I want EVERYONE in our class to associate the best NIGHT ever with the best TASTE ever, that way they'll never, ever, EVER forget it!"

Sunset chuckled, swallowing the last of the cupcake.

"Better than the key lime, but I'd say it's equal to the red velvet!"

"But isn't Bulk Biceps allergic to strawberries?" Twilight asked, looking up from her soldering work with Vinyl.

Pinkie Pie gasped again, the sheer force of the action seeming to carry her up into the air before she dashed to the tray, scanning over the assortment and cramming half a dozen into her mouth at once, somehow swallowing them all in seconds and sinking to the ground in relief.

"Okay, no more strawberries for Bulk, no citrus zest to cover Pixel Pizzaz, no peanuts for Micro Chips, and no shellfish for Soarin!"

Sunset and the rest of the girls exchanged nervous glances, all picking up Pinkie's casual implication of shellfish being present in the cupcakes. Before any of them could comment, however, Pinkie was already back on her feet, reaching for the next one.

"Okay! Who wants to try the next one?"

Sunset grinned and raised her hand, spurring Pinkie to grab another cupcake for her. She wanted to take in as much of this time as she could, savor every sense. Her time left with her friends was limited, after all. After graduation, the Rainbooms were planning on going on a cross-country tour as a final hurrah before the group split up. After that, Fluttershy was planning on becoming a full-time employee at the animal shelter, with hopes of saving up to open her own wildlife reserve someday. Rarity was going off to an internship with a big-name fashion designer, hoping to get her "big break" in Los Pegasus. Applejack was going to start tackling the full-time care of her family's farm, and Twilight had gotten a full ride scholarship to the Manehatten Institute of Technology's robotics program (a fact that had made Sunset somewhat jealous). Rainbow Dash had exceeded everyone's expectations, getting her free pick of just about any college she could ask for bringing her on board with sports scholarships of every kind.

As for Sunset, she had made up her mind: the incident with the memory stone and her opportunity to see Princess Celestia again had convinced her that it might be time that she returned to Equestria and picked up her magical studies where she had left off, now with the improved vision and scope that her friendships had provided her. Princess Twilight had offered her an advance admission into her "School of Friendship" or to put in a good word with Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. She still hadn't decided if she would take either offer.

The Rainbooms would always be the best of friends, nothing could ever break that, but they were all individuals leading individual lives, it was inevitable that the time would come for them to part ways.

Just as Pinkie was about to shove another cupcake into her mouth, Sunset felt a familiar shaking coming from her backpack.

"OOO! MAGICAL EQUESTRIA PRINCESS TEXT!" Pinkie shouted, tossing aside the cupcake and diving for Sunset's backpack in a mad dash to be the first one to the book. Unfortunately for her, Sunset's hand was faster, plucking the book from her backpack before Pinkie tackled it, sending both herself and the backpack sliding out the door and into the hallway, the door swinging firmly shut behind her.

Sunset and the rest of her friends all looked at one another, wondering whether or not they should go check on her.

"III'm ookAY!" Pinkie's unsteady voice came floating back, sounding dazed from the impact. Applejack shook her head, going back to strumming on her bass.

"Ah swear, that girl's made a' rubber... Anyway, what's the word from Equestria, Sunset?"

Sunset cracked open the book just as the last bell rang, signaling their final release from High School.

Everything is ready on my end, what about yours?

Sunset glanced around the room one last time, taking in the sight of all of her friends in one place. This was the last time that they would all gather in this room together, the home of so many of their memories. Clicking the top of her pen, she scrawled a short return message.

Give us ten minutes to gather at the front of the school.

"It's time."

The rest of the girls all stopped to give one another uncertain glances. Applejack was the first to move, quickly finishing the last measures of "5 to 9" and placing her bass in its case.

"Welp, time's a'wastin', I guess... Let's go close that portal."

Sunset took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. Something about what they were about to do felt... wrong.

"Is this... really necessary?" Fluttershy asked quietly, running her fingers along the edge of the mirror that served as the portal to Equestria. "I mean, what if there's some kind of magical emergency? What if Princess Twilight needs our help? What if-" her worried muttering was cut off as Pinkie Pie jumped up in front of her to interject.

"What if there's some kind of magical feedback loop caused by time travelling heroes from the future that causes the whole portal to go KABLOOIE, SCATTERING US ALL ACROSS THE MULTIVERSE AND DESTROYING THE RAINBOOMS FOREVER?"

There was a short pause as everyone turned to stare at Pinkie's typical overreaction, while Fluttershy seemed to have gone catatonic at the mere thought, whimpering and nodding with a thousand-mile-stare.

"Trust me, Princess Twilight and I have accounted for every possible variable, and checked all of our math at least a dozen times." Sunset sighed, walking over and gently shaking Fluttershy's shoulder to snap her out of her day-mare. "Nothing could possibly go wrong!"

"OOOOH! You shouldn't have said that!" Pinkie cried, nervously chewing on her nails to illustrate her point.

"Besides, how long have we been planning this tour? We can't leave CHS for three months with the portal open, it'll be totally unprotected if some kind of crazy monster comes through!" Sunset sighed, rubbing her temples. "Look, no one is more reluctant to do this than me, believe me! But we'll be able to open it again any time that we want, just so long as we have the journal and the elements! The portal is my only way home if I want to return to Equestria, but I trust you all enough to put my fate in your hands. We won't mess this up."

The rest of the girls all looked between one another, each one taking their turn to nod in affirmation, finally ending with everyone looking at Pinkie Pie, who stopped chewing on her nails just long enough to shrug carelessly.

"Meh, I'm sure everything will be fine! It'll all work out in the end!"

One by one, each of her friends joined hands, finally ending with Twilight and Applejack each offering her their hands to complete the circle. Sunset smiled and took hold, her geode beginning to glow and the power of the Elements of Harmony rising up inside her.

Together, they all began to rise up into the air, the power sparking between each of them. On the other side of the portal, Sunset knew that Princess Twilight and her friends were doing the exact same thing, preparing to use their power to shut the portal from both sides at the same time.

The magic grew stronger and stronger, and with well-rehearsed care, they all turned to face the portal, reaching out their hands one by one. Finally, as the giddy energy reached the point where Sunset was beginning to feel like she was ready to burst, beams of colored light leaped forward, joining together into a massive white beam that struck the center of the mirror. Sunset could see matching light seemingly coming from behind the glass, indicating that the group in Equestria was matching their actions step by step. Everything was going according to plan.

Without warning, however, Sunset felt something unprecedented: a tremor in the Elements. An imbalance in the harmony. Glancing over, she could see the orange light coming from Applejack glowing even brighter, a grimace of pain on her face as her geode began to crackle with more and more electrical power.

"AJ, you're coming on too strong! You need to back it down a bit!" Sunset shouted, trying to make herself heard over the sound of the elements. She and Twilight had allowed a margin for error in their calculations, but it wasn't much. If the elements on one side were thrown out of balance, it could ruin everything in only a few short seconds.

"I- I CAN'T!" Applejack shouted back, letting go of Sunset's hand to grab at her geode. "Mah geode's goin' nuts! It- It's like it's overcharged! I gotta get it off!"

"Just a few more seconds! Hang in there!" Rainbow Dash interjected. "It's almost there, I can feel- AAUGH!" She cried out in pain as her geode seemed to explode with power, wrapping her body in a cocoon of blue electricity.

"RAINBOW DASH!"

This was too much. They had to stop, no matter the consequences. Closing the portal wasn't worth losing her friends. Sunset reached deep down inside herself, trying to let go of the power of the Elements of Harmony, to break the loop and let it dissipate.

But the magic didn't respond, only growing stronger.

You took everything from me, and now I'll force you to watch as I destroy everything you LOVE!

Sunset blinked, trying to understand. She had heard a voice, as if she were reading someone's mind with her magic, but it was a voice she had never heard before.

You'll never get away with this! This time Sunset heard her own voice, speaking words she didn't remember, followed by the sound of breaking glass and a stifled grunt of pain.

This feeling? SAVE it... For the rest of your life.

NOOOO! As Susnet heard her own scream of desperation, a vision overwhelmed her sight: a great white dragon covered in gold and rainbow gemstones, towering over CHS and letting loose a roar that shook Sunset down to her bones.

And with that, Sunset snapped back to the moment. She couldn't even see her friends behind the blinding light of their geodes. Below them, glowing white cracks had spread not only across the mirror portal, but out and into the air itself, like when Midnight Sparkle had opened the rifts to Equestria, only this time there was nothing on the other side, only blinding white light and a deafening humming. Finally, in one last, painful shudder that racked through her body, Sunset felt more power than she ever had come rushing out of her at once, spraying out of the tips of her fingers and pouring out of her eyes, making her hair stand on end and her teeth vibrate.

And then, with one final sound of the mirror shattering, Sunset slipped into the darkness of dreamless unconsciousness, her only company one final, unfamiliar voice.

You go on ahead, Sunny. I'll take care of it...

Author's Notes:

I hope everyone can bear with me on this, I just need SOMETHING to work on outside of the Happy Adventuring series. It's gotten so dark and gloomy lately it can literally be a pain for me to work on. I just need SOMETHING else I can work on to get away from it from time to time.

Wake Me Up When It's All Over

Sunset awoke to a pounding pain in her head. She tried to open her eyes, only to be immediately blinded by scorching sunlight. Slowly, she tried to sit up, feeling coarse dirt and dead grass under her palms. Cracking open her eyes a second time, she found herself sitting on the edge of some kind of public park, complete with outdated-looking playground equipment. The grass was brown and dead, and the sun was beating down on her in a miserable wave of heat. Above her, the sky stretched on as far as the eye could see, with nary a cloud to provide relief from the sun. The horizon was as flat as a sheet of paper, with no visible landmarks in sight.

Where... am I?

There was a flash as her memories all came flooding back.

The portal! The elements! My friends!

...Where are my friends?

Despite the searing heat, Sunset's blood ran cold as she turned and re-examined her surroundings, searching for any sign of her friends. There was nothing but empty swings and a few sorry-looking trees. Sunset felt a lump welling up in her throat as panic began to overtake her.

Did- did I lose them? Did the spell backfire? Did they fall through the portal? The geodes were reacting so violently, who KNOWS what could have happened to them?

Still woozy from waking up, the stress was making Sunset's head start to spin as burning tears began to run down her cheeks.

I thought we did our math right? I double and triple-checked all of the numbers, myself! I- I- This is my fault. This is all my fault! I missed something, and now all my friends are- they're-

Sunset took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. Slowly, the world stopped spinning and her hands stopped trembling. As her strength came back to her, she rose to her feet, wiping away the tears from her face.

If it's my fault, then I'll fix it. The first step is to figure out where I am.

Sunset took one more glance at her surroundings, this time differently from the rest. This time, she was looking for anything that might be able to help her. There was a clear view of the sky, and judging by the height of the sun in the sky, only about an hour and a half had passed since she fell unconscious.

But I know the area around CHS! Even if I had started moving the moment that I passed out, any route out of Canterlot would still be recognizable. This place doesn't even have the right landscape to be anywhere near Canterlot High School! I must have been transported magically, which means... Sunset sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose as she felt a headache coming on.

"...which means I could be literally anywhere."

She glanced around, trying to spot any way to get information. Luckily, she could see a person headed her way. He appeared to be out for a jog in the summer heat, not much older than herself and wearing a red and white baseball cap. As he drew closer, she waved her hand, trying to get his attention. Luckily, he spotted her and quickly came to a stop, reaching up and pulling a pair of earbuds out of his ears.

"Hey, what's up?" He reached up, taking off a pair of blue sunglasses, and the look on his face quickly shifted from a casual greeting to worried concern. Sunset was suddenly very aware of the fact that is was still very obvious she had been crying moments ago. His expression softened and he leaned in closer, giving her a quick examination to check for injury. "Are you okay?"

Sunset was faced with a choice. It was the kind of choice she had been making ever since she had "reformed" and decided to give friendship a try. For all her good intentions, she DID still know how to manipulate people with ease. Chances were that if she played the fearful, helpless victim, she might get more help out of this stranger...

She quickly blinked away the thought the same way she had a thousand more just like it. She wasn't THAT Sunset Shimmer, any more.

"Yeah! Just a little lost..." Sunset forced herself to smile as she outstretched a friendly hand. "Do you think you could tell me where I am?"

The stranger blinked and furrowed his brow, as if the very idea of someone being lost seemed to perplex him.

"Well, this is the city park..." He pointed to a building to their left. "That's the youth center." He changed direction, pointing over her shoulder. "That's Main Street, if that's what you're looking for, and the elementary school is just past it."

Sunset blinked, wondering if he had misunderstood her question.

"And... what city is this?"

The stranger's eyes widened in surprise, and Sunset knew that she was definitely making herself look and feel more and more lost by the second.

"Seminole? Seminole, Texas? The United States? Earth? The Solar System? The Milky Way?" He gave her a questioning look as Sunset felt the color drain from her face.

"I'm in TEXAS?"

"Yeah? Are you SURE you're okay? That's kind of a difficult fact to be surprised by around here..."

Sunset took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.

"I... I'm not quite so sure how okay I am, any more."

The stranger looked concerned but gave her a smile, stretching out his hand.

"Well, maybe I can help. My name's Elijah, though my friends just call me 'Penn.'"

Sunset took a deep breath and took the hand, feeling him give it a firm squeeze and a rough shake.

"I-I'm Sunset. Sunset Shimmer."

For a moment, Sunset thought she caught his expression change, though she could have imagined it as he gave her a wide smile. I must be imagining things... my nerves are getting the best of me.

"You look pretty hot in that leather vest, and there's a gas station with a self-serve milkshake machine a few blocks from here. You thirsty? My treat."

Sunset pondered for a moment. She didn't want to take advantage of him, but she had to admit that he was right, she was quickly burning up in the heat, and a milkshake sounded like the perfect thing to accompany what was obviously going to be a long discussion about how she wound up so far from home.

"Yeah... Milkshakes sound good."

Sunset took a long sip from her mint-chocolate-chip milkshake as she and Penn stepped back out of the gas station, silently wishing that Canterlot had a machine like the ones here. Sure the mall had plenty of places for a nice smoothie, but she liked the idea of the convenience of having one at the corner store five minutes from her home.

"Thanks for this. It really hits the spot!"

Penn chuckled, raising his own smoothie in a toast as he took a long sip of strawberry-kiwi.

"I just wish I'd found you earlier this morning! If you're new in town, that means you haven't tried any of Mariah's breakfast burritos!" He pointed to a small restaurant down the street. "Best I've ever had!"

Sunset blinked, a realization striking her for the first time.

"You know, I have another friend from Texas, but you don't have the same accent... In fact, you hardly have an accent at all. If you don't mind me asking..."

Penn chucked to himself, motioning for Sunset to follow him as he walked to a nearby crosswalk and pressed the button for them to cross. Sunset wasn't entirely certain where they were going, but decided to follow her self-appointed tour guide without pestering him with too many questions at once.

"Your friend was probably raised here. I only moved down a few years ago from the other side of the country. If I had to guess why I have no accent at all..." He paused in thought for a moment, then shrugged. "Too much British sci-fi when I was a kid?"

Sunset couldn't help but chuckle at the joke as they finally made their way to a bench just outside the town hall, taking a seat. Sunset sat beside him, taking another sweet sip of her milkshake.

"And what exactly brings YOU to Texas? I mean, one does not simply wind up in the middle of West Texas without realizing it!" He chuckled and took his turn to take a long sip as Sunset answered.

"Well, you might not believe me..." Sunset sheepishly stirred her milkshake, trying to loosen the contents to make them easier to drink.

"With the day I've had? Try me."

Sunset raised an eyebrow. Well, he asked for it...

"...magic?"

Penn pondered the question for a moment, then nodded firmly.

"Makes sense to me."

Sunset's eyes widened. That had to be the absolute most nonchalant reaction she had ever seen to someone being told magic existed.

"You're... being sarcastic, aren't you?"

"Nope. Look at it this way:" Penn leaned forward, giving her a wry smile. "You're completely unharmed, dressed well, you don't seem to have any kind of head injury and don't exactly strike me as mentally ill. That rules out escaped mental patient, kidnapping, or human trafficking. You were alone, so that rules out being part of a traveling group, and you don't exactly seem to have any idea where you are or have a means of transportation, so that rules out traveling alone." He shrugged, leaning back in his seat. "Once you've ruled out the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth. What reason do I have NOT to believe you?" He shrugged again. "Besides, I never rule out magic because you never know when you'll run into technology so advanced, the line is indistinguishable."

Sunset took a deep breath, feeling some measure of relief that he had ruled out the possibility of her insanity so quickly.

"So, what kind of 'magic' sent you here? Do you have any idea how to get back?"

Sunset took a deep breath, then shook her head.

"It all started when my friends and I were trying to-" Sunset was cut off as Penn raised his hand for her to stop, placing his sunglasses back over his eyes and peering up into the sky as best he could.

"Hold on... do you see that?"

Sunset tried to look in the same direction raising her hand over her eyes to try and avoid looking directly into the sun. She could see SOMETHING flying through the air, though she wasn't exactly certain what it was. It looked almost conical, round and wide at the bottom but narrower towards the top. The top of it was rounded and dome-shaped, and as it drew closer, she could see that it was covered in some kind of bronze-colored bubbles on the lower half. Just as she was about to ask whether or not that thing was normal around here, a blast of blue light flew out of the thing and blasted the gas station, causing a near-deafening explosion. Sunset threw her hands up in front of her face, trying to protect herself from shrapnel. To her surprise, she heard a muffled voice and felt a hand grab her wrist. Before she was even fully aware of what was happening, she was up on her feet and sprinting to keep up as Penn pulled her along, across the road and into a nearby store, shoving a path for them past the rest of the people running out to see what had happened. He didn't stop inside the store, pulling her along all the way to the back of the building's furthest aisle before finally coming to a stop. He turned around, quickly beginning to say... something... to her. Her hearing still hadn't recovered from the explosion, and her ears were filled with painful ringing.

"H-hold on! I can't hear a word you're saying!" Sunset shouted.

Penn gave her a quizzical look before shouting something back. Judging from reading his lips, he had said "WHAT?" It took a moment for him to put two and two together, motioning to his ears and making a slicing motion across his neck. Sunset nodded.

Penn sighed and shook his head, turning to look at the walls of the aisle. It looked as if he had pulled them into a hardware store, and he was now browsing their selection of hammers, picking them up one at a time and testing their weight before setting them back on the shelves, dissatisfied with his selection. After nearly a minute and about a dozen hammers, the ringing in Sunset's ears came to a stop, and get gave her fingers a few experimental snaps beside her head. The noise was crisp and clear once more.

"C-can you hear me?" she stuttered, staggering back up to her feet.

"Well, I can NOW..." Penn muttered, now sounding significantly less friendly and chipper than he had moments before.

"What WAS that thing? Did- did it just... are the people in that gas station-"

"Dead? Yes."

Sunset felt her heart clench in terror. The people there had been friendly and kind, innocent! How could that THING have just done something so awful without a second thought or a moment's hesitation.

"Sunset, did that THING follow you here?"

"WHAT? No! I've never seen it before in my life, I swear!" Sunset held up her hands defensively, but Penn didn't press the matter any further, taking a deep breath. For the first time, Sunset noticed his legs shaking violently at the knees as he picked up a claw hammer with an oversized head, giving a resigned sigh and tightening his grip.

He's scared, too...

"Penn, what WAS that? Why is it attacking?" For a brief moment, Sunset wondered if it might be after her. She and her friends had obviously broken SOMETHING with their efforts, but she wasn't sure what. Could this thing have come to punish her? Were there more after her friends?

"Imagine taking a person raised in the middle of a warzone and warping their body beyond recognition through forced mutation..." he whispered, leaning carefully out to peek out from the edge of the aisle towards the front of the store. "Imagine genetically engineering a creature with no emotions left but seething hatred after years of torment, literally blocking out any other capacity for feeling from its brain. An emotional lobotomy geared only towards being the last species standing in the universe. Xenophobia incarnate."

Sunset felt chills running down her spine.

"Now imagine putting that thing into a near-impervious tank and giving it enough firepower to wipe out a city in a single day."

Sunset felt only terror at the thought. Who could have possibly been so cruel as to make something like this monster?

"But it shouldn't be here! It CAN'T be here!" Penn's grip on the hammer tightened as he motioned for Sunset to follow him into the next aisle.

"Why not?" Sunset was REALLY hoping for some kind of reason that would give them a solution on how to send this that back where it came from.

"Because that is a dalek. And daleks are fictional monsters from a fictional television show!" He hissed. Sunset could see that he was very nearly on the verge of panic, himself. His words were every bit as much to inform her as they were to reassure himself.

"Well, apparently not any more!" Sunset replied, pointing to the front door, where the "dalek" was pushing its way through the entrance. Penn grabbed her by the shoulder, forcing her back into the aisle and out of sight. He peered around the corner, trying to get a better look at the dalek's location.

"Well, does it have any weaknesses? How can we beat it?" Sunset asked.

Penn tightened his grip on the hammer. "Well, do you happen to have any high-caliber rifles on you? Laser weapons?"

"Um... Sorry, left my armor-piercing rounds at home?"

"Then the weakest point is the eyestalk. That's the only way it can see into the outside world. If we can break that, it'll be firing blind and we can make a run for it." He stared down at the hammer and examined the handle. "I need rubber gloves, in case they've electrified the surface to discourage people from whacking-" He was cut off as the dalek came rolling around the corner, staring directly at the two of them. Sunset stared directly into the eyestalk, a glowing blue eye, unblinking and robotic.

"EX-TER-MIN-ATE!"

"RUN!"

Awful Lot of Running To Do

"RUN!"

Sunset and Penn both ducked out of the way, sprinting down the aisle towards the other side of the store. Sunset felt a flash of heat on her face as a laser blast flew just past her shoulder.

"EX-TER-MIN-ATE!"

Sunset dodged left, Penn dodged right, and the two became separated.

Okay, think, Sunset! Think! You're standing in the middle of a hardware store! There's weapons all around you to improvise with! She tried to quiet her pounding heart, searching for some kind of weapon. Somehow, however, she had found her way into an aisle of buckets, completely devoid of weapons. Carefully, she could hear the dalek rolling along the floor, moving in the direction Penn had run. Taking the moment, she examined one of the buckets next to her.

High gloss latex paint? Well, maybe if I could bring a can down on top of that eyestalk... She reached over, giving the bucket an experimental lift. It was heavy, too heavy for her to swing over her head. It did start to form a plan in her mind, however. Picking up one of the gallon buckets, she carried it silently to the mixer and popped open the top, revealing the white sludge inside.

Maybe we don't have to break off the eyestalk, just blind it temporarily!

"You're a long way from Skaro, dalek!" Penn's voice echoed across the empty store. "And your kind never travel alone! There's always a full-scale invasion or a stealthy scout! Why the break in protocol?"

I thought he said this thing was nothing but distilled hatred? Why is he trying to TALK to it?

"I WAS SENT TO IN-VEST-I-GATE A RIFT IN SPACE-TIME. THAT RIFT LED HERE." The dalek's electronic voice sent shivers running up and down Sunset's spine. "I WILL GATHER DATA FROM THIS SET-TLE-MENT AND REPORT!"

Sunset felt a lump form in her throat as she snuck from one aisle to the next, closer and closer with her bucket in hand. So this WAS her fault. This thing had come to this town through the same rifts she and her friends had doubtless caused in their own clumsy blundering.

"And what about after that, huh? What is your report going to SAY?"

"PRE-LIM-IN-ARY SCANS SHOW THIS WORLD IS WEAK, AND BOUN-TI-FUL IN RES-OUR-CES! RES-OUR-CES THAT WILL BELONG TO THE DA-LEKS!"

"So, the whole world IS at stake! Thank you very much, good to know!"

Sunset froze. If what she heard was true, then... they couldn't just run. This 'dalek' had to be stopped here and now, or else more would come and destroy the whole world! She couldn't let that happen.

The world was at risk, and Sunset Shimmer was trapped in a hardware store with a bucket of high-gloss latex paint.

"Tell me, dalek, do you know WHERE you are?"

The dalek actually seemed to pause for a moment, as if pondering the question.

"You're on EARTH, dalek! I'm sure you scanned the lifeforms here and figured out they were human! And don't you remember what happens EVERY TIME you come here?"

Still the dalek hesitated, then scooted... backwards? Sunset couldn't believe her eyes.

"That's right! You're beaten! The daleks are wiped out, blown to smithereens! Just like in the GREAT TIME WAR!"

"WHAT DO YOU KNOW OF THE TIME WAR? EXPLAIN! EXPLAIN!"

I get it! Penn said this thing was from a TV show, right? He must know all about it! Things that nobody COULD know! Sunset drew in a sharp intake of breath as she began to feel hope. Unfortunately, this noise proved to be enough to alert the dalek to her presence. The top dome piece swiveled one hundred and eighty degrees, turning to stare at her. As the body portion with the gun turned to face her, Sunset acted, throwing the paint at the dalek's head and thoroughly coating the eyestalk.

There was only a moment of hesitation before the eye began to sizzle and boil, burning away until it was crystal clear.

"MY VISION IS NOT IMPAIRED! EXTERMINATE! EX-TER-MIN-ATE!"

Sunset quickly scrambled for footing as she ran back into the next aisle, hearing an explosion behind her as another shot barely missed. Without missing a beat, she ducked down and out of sight,

You know, for beings that could supposedly destroy entire planets, they're REALLY bad at hitting moving targets...

"The TIME WAR?" Penn shouted, drawing the Dalek's attention back in the direction of his voice as Sunset tried to catch her breath and solidify her knees again.

"I remember the Last Great Time War! I was THERE!" Penn shouted, the conviction in his voice wavering. Sunset knew that whatever nerve he had that was keeping him talking was going to run out soon. "I watched the Cult of Skaro throw themselves into the void! I saw Davros fall into the gaping maw of the Nightmare Child! The Ship of the Dalek Emperor fall out of time! I knew the day Gallifrey fell and the dalek fleet wiped itself out firing into the empty space that was left!"

Sunset wasn't certain if he was just spouting gibberish or saying something comprehensive, but it certainly seemed to be aggravating the dalek.

"YOU ARE NOT HU-MAN! NO HU-MAN COULD KNOW SUCH THINGS!" There were sounds of laser fire, and Sunset felt her heart drop out of fear that Penn had been hit.

"Oh, couldn't I? Perhaps I'm NOT human! Or perhaps I was told all these things by someone who isn't? You never know what kind of gossip you can hear from a good DOCTOR, these days!"

Mustering up her courage, Sunset took her turn to shout out.

'"Penn! It's covered in LATEX paint! No rubber gloves!"

As Sunset got out the crucial information, however, she watched the dalek silently turn the corner, coming face-to-face with her. It had hidden the sound of its movement by hovering several inches off of the ground and now had the barrel of its gun pointed directly at her heart. She froze. Unable to move, unable to breathe or even scream, Sunset Shimmer stared into the face of death.

But death didn't come. Two seconds passed, then three. The dalek didn't fire. Sunset's eyes widened and the first wisps of a question began to form on her lips before Penn came barreling at the dalek from the side, bringing a massive sledgehammer down onto the eyestalk and snapping it in two. Sparks and arcs of electricity began to fly from the tattered remains of the eyestalk as Penn quickly dropped the sledgehammer before it could become a lightning rod and ran towards Sunset. With one quick motion, he yanked her onto her feet and into the next aisle.

"Are you okay?" He asked her, grabbing her shoulders and looking directly into her eyes. "Feeling good? Nothing broken or lasered?"

"N-no! I'm fine! I- I think it wasn't going to shoot me."

"Sunset, shooting is all daleks DO, and there are going to be a whole lot MORE of them coming if we let this one get away!" Penn reached over and grabbed a claw hammer off of the wall, turning it so the pointed end was facing outwards. "The paint was GENIUS, and you got some on the gun, I'm going for that, next. Stay out of sight, okay?"

Sunset could only nod as Penn vanished again, moving in the opposite direction to try and find a better hiding spot. Once she had reached the back aisle of the store, she started to peek her head around the corner, catching a glimpse of Penn facing off with the mechanized monster.

It could have killed me then and there, why didn't it? The question still nagged at her, but she filed it away for later. For now, Penn was right. This dalek hadn't hesitated to kill the people in that gas station, or any other victims it might have had before now, and if they didn't stop it, the rest of its kind wouldn't hesitate to kill the whole world. Beating this thing was now or never. She looked around for a weapon of her own. Nothing seemed like it would be useful, not against this thing. Only one object caught her attention: a black handle with no attached tool at the end. She picked it up from where it sat on the shelf, curious. There was no price tag or any kind of label on it, but it felt as though it had been made to fit perfectly in her hand. It even had a clip on the side that fit perfectly onto her belt, and she quickly put it away there. While she wasn't certain why it grabbed her attention, she had learned not to avoid intuition when it came to magic.

Penn's attempts to knock off the gun had proven fruitless, it was too durable for the hammer. The dalek was indeed firing blindly and without warning, but its terrible aim proved easy enough to avoid at close range.

"MY VISION IS IMPAIRED, I CANNOT SEE! MY VISION IS IMPAIRED!"

"Well, how about THIS?" Penn shouted as he ducked down and grabbed his sledgehammer, bringing it down on the paint-covered dome head of the dalek. Even the mighty sledgehammer proved fruitless at penetrating the metal shell, however. To Sunset's dismay, she watched at the dangling remains of the eyestalk began to rise, being reeled in by the wires that it swung by. Seconds later, the piece was in its natural place and Sunset could see the glow of welded metal along the breaking point. Instantly, it swiveled around to look at Penn, who had the expression of a child with his hand in the cookie jar.

"MY VISION IS NOT IMPAIRED."

"PENN!"

There was a flash of light, and Sunset saw a beam strike him directly in the chest, throwing him across the room. At the same instant, the top half of the dalek exploded in a spray of metal pieces and unknown fluids, seemingly of its own accord. Sunset sprinted out of her hiding spot and ran to where her new friend lay of the floor, inspecting him up and down for injuries. In a surprise that left her absolutely gobsmacked, Penn let out a weak cough, his eyes snapping wide open as he gasped for air. He sat up, first looking at the exploded dalek, then back at Sunset, and repeating the motion multiple times.

"My... my whole life just flashed before my eyes! It was LAME!"

"How did you... survive?" Sunset looked down at the point of impact, noticing a shiny, silvery material through the hole in his shirt. Reaching down, she pulled up the bottom of his shirt to reveal a large mirror hidden underneath, with scorch marks around the place where the beam had struck it. She raised an eyebrow, turning to stare at him.

"H-hey, mirrors worked in this old TV special called 'The Five Doctors.' I figured it would make good insurance..." Penn muttered as he reached up and pulled the mirror out of his shirt. "A little bit of 'Doctor Who' combined with a little bit of 'Back To the Future 3...' It worked, didn't it? What are you looking at me like that for?"

Sunset rolled her eyes before finally letting out a long sigh of relief.

"You're right, the important thing is that we beat it... So, what should we do, now?"

Penn thought for a moment, staring at the remains of the dalek with a mix of fear and awe.

"For now, I need to use a bathroom."

Well, it was hardly a cool one-liner, but Sunset was willing to give him a little credit considering he had just staked his life on the hope that a hardware store mirror would reflect a killer laser blast.

"And maaaybe focus on figuring out how it got here?" Sunset finished the thought for him.

"Y-yeah... what you said..." He shook his head, slowly staggering to his feet. "I have a hunch it has something to do with that 'magic' you were talking about."

Sunset hated to admit it, but SHE had a hunch that he was right.

Welcome To My Apocalypse

When Penn had emerged from the store's bathroom, Sunset could tell that his near-death experience had a significant effect on him, physically. His face was still pale and she was pretty sure his reddened eyes were an indicator that he had been vomiting, but other than that he appeared to be fine. He took one deep breath, held his hand level, and pushed it own in a calming motion.

"S-sorry about that. I'm... I'm good now."

Sunset flashed him her best reassuring smile. She knew that she and her friends were more of the exception than the rule when it came to how well they handled life-threatening situations. It was obvious that this was the first time Penn had ever been threatened like that.

"No need to apologize. After all, you saved my life from that... 'dalek' thingy."

"Well, don't sell yourself short! That paint idea was genius!" He gave her a weak grin and gave her a firm pat on the shoulder.

Sunset rolled her eyes, trying to look modest.

"Well, I'm not the one who ran in like a berserker with a sledgehammer!" She grinned and gave him an encouraging punch on the shoulder. "That thing had me dead to rights before you nailed the eyestalk!"

A small amount of color returned to Penn's face as he sheepishly looked back at the exploded remains. While he had been gone, Sunset had taken the time to inspect it. The whole thing smelled foul and she had nearly joined him in vomiting when she had caught sight of a half-exploded creature inside with stubby tentacles and a single, glassy eye.

She gave him another toothy grin and poked a finger through the hole in his shirt to jab at his chest. If this really WAS his first time dealing with danger like this, she wanted to encourage him. Despite the fact he seemed older than her, she couldn't help feeling a kind of seniority over him from her experience dealing with other dangers before. Rainbow Dash would probably say something about them being "awesome superheroes" and "inspiring the public." Sunset resisted the urge to roll her eyes at even the imaginary remarks.

"And speaking of genius, the mirror was brilliant!"

Penn's face flushed harder, and Sunset decided she was starting to push it too far with the compliments.

"It was just a backup plan, just in case..."

"What was all that 'time war' stuff about, anyway? It sounded like you were talking about something... alien?"

Penn chuckled slightly, waving away her concerns.

"Just a bunch of buzzwords and triggers from the same TV show as the dalek. I'm a big fan, so I know enough to SOUND like I know what I'm talking about." He pounded one fist gently against his chest. "Totally human. One heart."

Sunset turned away from the monster and back towards the door. She took a deep breath.

"Well, what do we do, now? I'm still lost, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried about more of these coming after my friends..." Sunset took a deep breath, trying not to envision what might happen to someone like Fluttershy if she were being chased down by one of these things.

Penn nodded in silent agreement, walking towards the front door.

"I-I guess that we should get working on finding them, huh?" The longer he talked, the more firm his voice became, his confidence returning to him. As he stepped outside however, Sunset watched his head immediately snap upwards and his gaze fixate completely on the sky. Sunset couldn't help feeling some trepidation as she followed after him, looking up to try and see what had captured his attention so thoroughly. The scene that greeted her, however, was unlike anything that she had ever seen in even her greatest dreams or worst nightmares.

The sky was tearing itself apart, for lack of better words. The sky rippled like a sail in the wind, shaking and billowing as streaks of lighting and fire tore their way across from horizon to horizon. Galaxies and nebulae hung just above their heads, undulating in a kaleidoscope of colors. Figures were shilouetted from behind, some brandishing grand weapons of starlight and void, others with strange and warped bodies of countless arms and lashing out with blasts of unknowable power. Sunset didn't even know what to think as she could only look on in awe and horror as celestial armies and terrible titans clashed above her head, sending fresh ripples through the canvas sky above them.

"Amaterasu, Vishnu, Odin... Emperor Jimmu's terracotta army..." Penn whispered breathlessly in disbelief. "Zeus, Ra, Quetzalcoatl, Mars, Osiris..."

Sunset recognized the majority of the names, but was unable to process what he was implying.

"Sunset... what kind of magic did you guys CAST?"

Sunset blinked, unable to tear her eyes away from the war in the heavens.

"I- I don't know, any more..."

When they had finally regained their senses enough to tear their eyes away, Penn had suggested regrouping at his house to try and decide on a course of action. Sunset agreed, and the two of them had set out on a long trek across town. It felt like they were walking for nearly an hour before they turned up at a tiny house on the border of a small playground. The roof sagged in the middle and the weatherproofing was chipped and cracked, covered in faded yellow paint. The door itself had seen better days, stripped down to exposed wood in vertical stripes. As he unlocked the door, Sunset noticed him ram his shoulder against it to crack it open.

"Be it ever so humble..." Penn muttered, opening the door wider and motioning for her to enter, "there's no place like home."

Sunset tried not to cringe as she stepped inside. There was exposed and hole-ridden drywall everywhere, and a quick glance revealed that there wasn't a single properly covered outlet or light switch in the house. She was screaming internally as Penn took a tender grip of an exposed light switch and flicked the lever.

"Sorry, the place was midway through a renovation when they let me move in. I'm a family friend, and I was getting kicked out of my apartment." He shrugged sheepishly. "I HAVE been doing a little work! Check it out! Totally rebuilt these windows!"

Indeed, it looked as if the windows and the entire frames around them had been recently redone, with smooth wood and a clean white finish. She had to admit, for amateur work, the carpentry looked decent.

"Anyway, make yourself at home. Take a seat! Do you want a gatorade?"

Sunset blinked in confusion, then glanced back out the window, making sure that the world was still ending outside. Yup. With a sigh, she flopped onto his couch, sinking deep into the fluffy surface.

"How are you so calm?"

"Sunset, I can't do anything about THAT." He pointed upwards to illustrate his point. "I don't even know what it means. For now, all that can be done is to enjoy the light show. Besides..." He chuckled darkly to himself as he walked back and offered her a bottle of red liquid. "I'm a millennial. We've all been waiting for the end of the world ever since we were old enough to understand global warming was real and the economy was in the toilet before we even had a chance to participate. That's why we all have clinical depression and joke about wanting to die."

There was a beat of silence as Sunset stared at him in horror before Penn broke out into a wide grin.

"I'm kidding! Come on, if there's any time for dark humor, it's at the end of the world!"

"That wasn't funny."

Penn shrugged, shaking the bottle as an indication she should take it. She begrudgingly took it and twisted open the lid with a series of cracks. The liquid inside was tangy and slightly salty, but refreshing. She hadn't realized just how thirsty she was until that moment, but it hit the spot. Penn took a long swig of his own drink before letting out a long sigh of satisfaction.

"So. From what you told me, you and your six friends were ALL trying to close a magical portal to Equestria..."

Sunset nodded.

"Something went wrong that you couldn't identify..."

Sunset nodded again.

"And basically, it sounds like you all got caught into some kind of feedback loop that overloaded the Elements of Harmony and... blew up the portal?"

Sunset sunk a bit further back into the couch, feeling more and more upset.

"And then you woke up where I found you..." He tapped his chin thoughtfully for a few moments.

"I don't know what could have gone wrong! I wasn't the only one who did the math on this!" Sunset threw her hands into the air in frustration. "Everything was checked and double-checked from both sides! Harmonic resonance of two magic sources, spatial wrinkling when the portals closed, we didn't forget a single factor on either end!"

Penn took a seat on a swivel chair, taking a quiet sip of his drink.

"Well, I couldn't call myself an expert on magic portals, so forgive me if this is a stupid question..."

"I've always believed there's no such thing." Sunset's response was more reflex than thoughtful. That had been one of the few of Princess Celestia's teachings that had truly drilled its way through her thick skull.

"Well, then... are you sure the portal only had two sides?"

Sunset blinked, unsure if she was understanding what he was suggesting. Penn took a deep breath and sighed.

"Look. If you've got a 'portal,' that's basically a wormhole, right? Two different points in space connected by a passageway?" Sunset nodded, encouraging him to continue. In a matter of seconds, he finished off his drink and placed the bottle between his palms, pressing on both ends at once. "Well, you applied pressure at both ends.... but what about the passage section in the middle?" Slowly, he began pushing his hands towards one another, crunching the bottle in on itself. Sunset's eyes widened as she began to see the idea he was trying to get across. As his hands applied greater and greater pressure, the bottle began to expand in places it had formerly bent inward. With a grunt of exertion, Penn gave up on crushing the bottle, taking a deep breath from the exertion.

"You get the idea without me pushing until this explodes, right? I mean, that doesn't really explain the magical feedback, but it might explain how you got here, along with the dalek. Whatever happened looks like it might have broken the barriers between universes." He looked up through the window, taking another astonished look at the sky. "Which might explain why every pantheon of gods to ever exist seem to now be battling for supremacy... They finally caught sight of one another."

Sunset swallowed loudly, peeking out the window again. Things had hardly changed above them, it was still a vicious battleground.

"So... this IS all my fault..."

Penn thought for a moment, then waved his hand dismissively.

"Pssh! Screw that! Even if you DID knock down the walls, it's THEIR choice to fight each other! It's the dalek's choice to blow up the gas station. You just... enlightened the multiverse. They're the ones who choose what to do with it."

Sunset smiled a little bit, feeling slightly better. He was right, but it didn't do much to abate the blame she still felt mounting on her shoulders.

"So, then, it stands to logic that your friends probably got sent to other worlds, too."

Sunset nodded along for a second, only for a second meaning in his words to sink in after a few seconds. "Wait, 'sent to other worlds, TOO?'" Sunset leaned forward, narrowing her eyes at her host. "You're saying that as if I'M on another world..."

Penn's jaw quickly clamped shut, the tip of his tongue caught between his front teeth.

"Penn, what are you not telling me?"

Penn's jaw unclamped slightly, only enough to let his tongue slip back inside his mouth.

"Penn, are you telling me that I'm NOT on my world?"

Penn pushed his chair away from Sunset, rolling his way out of sight and into the kitchen. The last thing she saw was him making a "so-so" motion with one of his hands as he shrugged uncomfortably and made a high-pitched "eeeeeeeh?" noise.

"I-I mean, in my defense, you ARE the only person we saw with orange skin and multi-colored hair all the way from the park to here..."

Sunset rose out of her chair, walking into the kitchen. Penn still hadn't changed his pose once he was out of sight, posing with his shoulders shrugged so hard they were practically up to his ears. In a matter of seconds, Sunset decided that she had an easier way of getting answers out of him: magic. A quick peek at his memories would give her all the information she needed, and he wouldn't even know it. As she reached to take a hold of his arm, however, he moved it out of the way. Narrowing her eyes, Sunset tried to grab his hand, only for him to defensively move it out of the way again.

He... KNOWS about my magic?

After a moment's pause, Sunset lunged forward while Penn lunged to the side, rolling out of the chair and onto the floor. As Sunset crashed into the chair and was sent rolling across the tiny kitchen, Penn scrambled to his feet, holding up his hands defensively.

"O-okay, Sunset, we're all VERY stressed here, time-space is broken, and we can't be certain that certain pieces of information exchanging between parties won't damage it further..."

Sunset turned around, taking a seat in the chair instead of continuing to chase him. She knew Penn was nervous. She knew how to get nervous people to feel intimidated. She knew how to get nervous people to give her what she wanted. She leaned back in the chair for a moment, crossing one leg over the other as her face settled into a disapproving glare. Penn anxiously glanced from side to side, seemingly trying to look anywhere but at her. She folded her arms over her chest and leaned forward, narrowing her eyes from 'disapproving' to 'interrogating.'

"I will ask you this one time and one time only, Penn. I didn't tell you what my magic does, but you knew why I was trying to touch you. You KNEW. Where. Am. I?"

Penn visibly squirmed under her gaze, trying to hold up under her scrutiny and obviously failing. Sunset knew she had nothing on Fluttershy's "stare," but she could summon up a nasty glare of her own when she wanted to, a useful talent left over from her days as a bully.

"Sunset, I REALLY shouldn't-"

Sunset didn't even need to speak, cutting him off by only raising an eyebrow.

"But I- What if- UGH! FINE! I'll tell you everything, just stop looking at me like that!"

Sunset leaned back, a satisfied smirk on her face. She still had it.

"Okay, just- It's a good thing you're already sitting down- I need you to just listen to me and believe what I tell you, alright?"

Sunset nodded.

"The reason I was so willing to believe you when you said magic brought you here was because... I'm a fan. I KNEW who you were, I knew you had magic."

Sunset's eyes narrowed, but she was trying to keep an open mind.

"Because, like the dalek... I've had a little... peek... into your universe."

"What, like another TV show?"

"Well, a spin-off of a TV show..." Penn corrected her, awkwardly rubbing at the back of his head. "The main show is about Princess Twilight and her friends... The time you went and stole her crown and tried to take over the school was a movie special."

Sunset blinked, but her lack of reaction encouraged Penn to keep talking.

"Then there was a movie about you guys fighting the Dazzlings... a movie about the Friendship Games..."

Sunset's eyes widened as she realized that he was beginning to outline all of the key events of her life in the past few years.

"A movie about Camp Everfree, a three-part TV special, a series of online animated shorts and music videos- By the way, I LOVE the Rainbooms's music! You guys are really great!"

Someone's been UPLOADING our music?

"And then another movie about Wallflower and the memory stone and a movie about that time you guys were all working in a fair and got zapped into a magic phone and-" Penn seemed to finally notice the fact that Sunset's eyes had grown wide as dinner plates and her breathing had grown shorter and much faster.

"I-I think you get the idea..." He muttered, glancing around at their surroundings. "And, on the plus side, it looks as if you knowing all of this didn't cause any paradoxes that will instantly wipe us off of the face of creation! That's a positive!"

"My life... is a series of MOVIES and MUSIC VIDEOS?"

"... and animated shorts..." Penn whispered.

Sunset's head was spinning. Her life, all of her mistakes and problems, every secret, had been broadcast and uploaded to the internet of another WHOLE WORLD? What about when she wanted privacy? What about her innermost thoughts? Was her PAST safe? Did they know anything from BEFORE she had stolen Princess Twilight's crown? Did this mean that her life was nothing but the combined efforts of godlike animators that could end her existence at any moment? Was her "free will" being warped and bent her whole life in order to force her to conform to a predetermined script? Have I EVER had free will at ALL?

"S-Sunset? Are you okay?"

Sunset was suddenly drawn back to the present, realizing that she was hyperventilating and her hands were trembling. Instantly, she pressed her hands against her lap to stop the shaking and forced herself to take deep breaths. This was no time for an existential crisis.

Unless that was what the scriptwriters WANTED her to think, in which case the only true act of rebellion she could take would be to HAVE an existential crisis and go against them- Unless they considered an existential crisis to be "in character" and had already written a script based AROUND her having a-

Sunset took another deep breath. She HAD to think clearly. That was not an option, it was a necessity.

"Th-thank you for being honest with me... If you really thought that was going to create a paradox, it must have taken a lot of courage."

Penn nodded and reached into the refrigerator, taking out another red drink and downing half of it in a matter of seconds.

"I don't know how you blowing up a portal between your world and Equestria managed to somehow break the boundaries between my fiction and your reality, but it appears that everything that is fiction here in MY world is beginning to... bleed... over..." The color drained from Penn's face as the full ramifications of what he was saying dawned on him. The hand holding his drink began to tremble as he raised his to his mouth and downed the rest of it in one go. Once he was finished, he looked back down at the bottle. In all honesty, Sunset had no idea what myriad of possibilities were going through his head, and she wasn't certain if she wanted to.

"Oh my stars, all of fiction is becoming reality..." Slowly, he turned his gaze to meet hers, eyes wide with a mix of awe and terror.

"We need to find your friends and fix this. FAST."

Moving Right Along

"I still want to see them."

"And I STILL think it would be a bad idea!" Penn's voice called back from the closet. "Telling you the truth might not have backfired, but I don't want to THINK about what could happen if you watched your own movies!"

Sunset rolled her eyes. Since they didn't know exactly how far or for how long they would be looking for her friends, Penn was insisting on packing for a week-long trip, at the least. She had to admit, as much as she admired his need to adhere to the motto of "Be Prepared," she couldn't see what they would need all of THIS for. So far, he'd grabbed five binders of trading cards, a collection of the written works of someone called "H.P. Lovecraft," at least three different jackets and coats, and a laptop. And that was just the most recent collection of oddities he had shoved into the trunk of his car alongside a plethora of tools for working on the car, itself. She wondered if he was even going to be able to CLOSE the trunk at this rate.

Apparently, that old jalopy breaks down every few weeks... I guess I can't fault him for keeping all his tools inside it.

"Al...right! All dressed and ready to head out!" Penn stepped out of the closet, having now changed his clothes and gathered up the last and seemingly most important item: a small stuffed black cat. He was dressed in the same red-and-white baseball cap, but now wore an accompanying bright red flower-patterned shirt and a pair of khaki cargo pants, his pockets stuffed to the brim with chargers, adapters, and portable devices.

Sunset considered telling him that the outfit most definitely would NOT be allowed to stay once they'd rescued Rarity.

"What about you? Anything you think you'll need? Anything that could help?"

Sunset glanced around the room. The only object that caught her eye was the empty handle still clipped to her belt. She had felt a tiny bit bad taking it from the store without a chance or a way to pay for it, but she still felt like it belonged in her hand.

"I... think I've got everything I need."

Penn shrugged, walking his way out of the room with a sigh and a motion for her to follow.

"Well, I packed extra clothes for you. I know mine might be a bit big on you, but it's all I've got."

Sunset smiled. Awful fashion sense or not, Penn seemed to have become a lot less anxious now that the truth was out there, speaking much more freely with her. Sunset wasn't sure just how comfortable she was with how familiar he was with her all of a sudden, but it was overruled quickly by how good it felt to have a friend that had her back. She could deal with someone having a little uncanny knowledge about her.

It would be kinda hypocritical of me NOT to, considering I'm a literal mind reader... she thought to herself, her hand unconsciously grasping at her geode.

In fact, the thought occurred to her that she still wasn't sure if her geode even still WORKED after everything that had happened. Quietly, she placed one hand on her geode as she walked up behind Penn. Even if she could just brush her hand against the back of his neck, it would be enough to get a glimpse, more than enough to confirm her powers were still there.

He already knows everything about me, and he lied about it! I mean, this is only fair, right? I should get to know something about him-

Before she could get the chance, Penn turned around and caught a glimpse of her, ducking violently away and inadvertently throwing himself against the car.

"Whoa! Sunset, what are you DOING? I already TOLD you the truth!"

Sunset felt her face flush as guilt washed over her.

"I- I just wanted to see if my memory-reading still worked. I haven't had any chance to test it."

For the first time, Penn actually looked slightly angry with her, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. He pointed a single accusatory finger at her.

"Not me. Never. Me. If we're going to be friends, I don't want you in my head." He transitioned from pointing at her to pointing at his own head. "We lucked out with YOU, you're already past everything I've seen! Imagine if we accidentally met some character-" The word "character" made Sunset's brow furrow with frustration, and Penn quickly corrected himself. "If we met someBODY who wasn't? Imagine if we accidentally told someone their own future? Then telling them that future would change it, which would change what WE knew, which would change what we TOLD them, causing a paradox!" He opened the car door, tossing the last few items into the back seat of his car.

"With time and space overlapping and tearing like it is, we CAN'T risk a paradox!"

Sunset could feel herself pouting. He had a lot of conjecture he was treating as fact, here. Penn ignored her frustration, walking around to the driver's side and opening his door.

"So it's safest if only ONE of us knows this... 'meta' stuff. At least until we can be sure that it can't blow up in our faces. So NO reading my mind!"

Sunset sighed, opening up the passenger-side door and lowering herself into the front seat.

She'd had her doubts when Penn had told her more about his car, a model called a "'97 Oldsmobile 88" that seemed to live up to its name. It was even older than HER by almost a year, and Penn had made several joking remarks about it breaking down at an unsettling rate. It was an unassuming silver sedan, and the interior didn't exactly blow her away, either. The seats and lining of the interior were all gray fabric, unassuming and standard. The brightest addition was a small plush toy hanging from the rearview mirror, a chilling depiction of a yellow creature hanging its neck at an awkward angle and a face that looked as if it had been scribbled on hastily by a child. Well, I'm DEFINITELY going to enjoy looking THAT in the eyes all day...

Still, the way Penn settled into the driver's seat with a comfy smile of contentment, even more than he had when he was in his own house, left Sunset wondering if she was missing something. He lovingly ran his hand over the top of the steering wheel before plugging his key into the ignition.

"Alright, sweetheart, I know it's the end of the world, but we've got a job to do!"

With those words of encouragement, he twisted the key and the engine chugged to life. Sunset certainly didn't like the way it seemed to have trouble catching at first, but the engine was soon idling without a problem.

Penn grinned lovingly at the steering wheel and gave it a gentle pat before putting the car in gear and turning out onto the street.

"She's picky, but always pulls through when it matters! So..." Finally, his attention turned back to Sunset as they pulled up at their first stop sign. "I guess we should drive around town and see if we can find any of your friends out and about? Maybe if we're lucky, you all wound up sent to the same general area!"

Sunset nodded. It wasn't much of a plan, but it was a start.

With smile, Penn reached down and switched on the radio.

"BEEEEP! BEEEEEEEEP! BEEEEEEEP! VRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR-"

After a couple seconds, he switched it off again.

"Right... National emergency broadcast system... Should have guessed."

"We... should probably listen to that. It might have some information we don't." Sunset suggested, reaching for the radio knob.

Penn made another "eeeeeh?" noise and waggled his hand.

Sunset switched back on the radio.

"-from the Emergency Broadcast System. There have been reports across the country of unknown phenomena in the skies. All citizens are urged to stay indoors. There have been numerous sightings of dangerous entities, and those who cannot return to their homes must NOT engage with these entities, as many have already proven themselves to be highly dangerous. Please return to your homes and do NOT leave them until it is confirmed safe to do so. More details will be broadcast as facts are confirmed. For your own safety, citizens everywhere are advised to stay indoors-

Penn sighed, shaking his head and switching it back off again.

"Usually specify these broadcasts by the county or by the state it applies to, I guess this confirms this is happening all over the country. Aside from that, I think the two of us have figured out more on our own."

Sunset sunk lower into her seat, staring out the window dejectedly. Catching sight of one of her friends sounded like just about the only thing that could make her feel even slightly better right now.

"Hey, pick a CD. I can't drive without music."

When Sunset turned back to Penn, he was holding up a trio of CDs: ELV1S: 30 Number 1 Hits, Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 2, and Queen: Greatest Hits.

She had no idea what any of those were. Well, if the galaxy ever needed guardians, now's the time... She tapped her finger halfheartedly on the case in the middle. "This one." To her surprise, Penn tossed all three cases into the back seat and pressed a pair of buttons on the radio.

"Awesome! That one's already in there, I listen to it when I'm doing deliveries!"

An upbeat piano began to pound out of the speakers as Penn hopped up and down to the beat.

"Morning! Today's forecast calls for blue skies!

Sun is shining in the sky!

There ain't a cloud in sight!"

"Deliveries?"

"Heh, yeah..." Penn chuckled, awkwardly rubbing the back of his head. "I'm a pizza delivery guy. But that works for you! I know every back road of this town like the back of my hand!" He gave her a playful punch on the shoulder. "If your friends are here in town, we'll find them!"

Sunset smiled. Maybe it was the upbeat music, maybe it was his excited attitude, but something about it just put a smile on her face.

Yeah. We'll find my friends and fix all of this! It'll all be over in less than a day...

"Okay, maybe if we go down Main Street towards the high school, then circle around down 22nd street again, we can check-"

Sunset sighed, staring at her namesake on the horizon. They had been essentially driving in circles for four hours, and there had been no sign of her friends. They'd been up every alley and down every lane, driven laps through every roundabout until she was dizzy. Sunset was absolutely certain she could draw a map of the town from memory, now. Worst of all, the fuel needle had dropped dangerously close to empty. They were on the last of the three CDs, the collection of songs by an older artist called "Elvis." Somehow, she wasn't surprised Penn had known the words to every single song on the album. Somehow, the song they were on seemed to be mocking their complete lack of results from the search.

"Return to sender! Address unknown!

No such number! No such zone!"

"Penn, it's getting dark..."

"Oh, don't worry, I'm the night driver! I can see really well just by my headli-"

"They're not here. We're wasting gas. YOUR gas." Sunset grumbled grumpily. "I don't mean to be ungrateful, but I'm pretty sure we're wasting our time. We should fill up the tank and turn in for the night."

After a few moments, Penn sighed and his excited outer shell finally seemed to cave.

"You're... right. And if they're not in Seminole, then we need to figure out a real plan. Texas is BIG, and there's a LOT of empty space between towns."

Sunset breathed a sigh of relief as they turned away from their current route towards Main Street. After a short pause at a stop sign, however, Penn turned back away from the obvious direction and hit the gas with unnecessary force.

"Wha- hey! What are you doing?"

"Humor me for a few blocks..." Penn muttered. Sunset noticed that his smile was gone, and his eyes were fixated on the rearview mirror. Looking behind them, Sunset saw a pair of huge headlights on a pickup truck that looked like it could EAT Penn's Oldsmobile whole. At the next three intersections, Penn turned left, then right, then left again, then circled around the block. For every move he made, the pickup truck mirrored him, staying right behind them on the completely illogical route.

"We're definitely being followed..." Penn muttered, grimacing as he glanced down at the fuel gauge. "I might be able to lose them, but I can't risk getting us out onto the highway to try and put some distance between us." He slowly pulled up to a stop sign, coming to a stop and idling there as he pondered the situation. The song they were listening to finally ended and a new one began.

"You look like an angel... Walk like an angel...

"How do you know they don't need help, or something? It DOES seem to be the end of the world. Maybe it could even be one of my friends!"

"If they were trying to send us a message, they would have honked or flickered their lights..." Penn muttered. "One thing people don't realize is that delivery drivers do get a little training in how to respond to these things, we strap signs on top of our cars that basically shout 'Always carrying cash!' At best, this guy is a bully just messing with us. At worst..." He sighed, shaking his head. As Sunset turned to look behind them, she spotted that the two rear doors had opened, and from inside came two tough-looking men. One was holding a crowbar while the other held a baseball bat.

"Robbers?"

"Talk like an angel...

"Well, it DOES seem to be the end of the world..." Penn muttered, running his hand over the steering wheel one more time before tightening his grip. "Sunset, hold on to something."

Sunset took a deep breath as the two men strolled up alongside either side of the car, the one with the crowbar on her side. She reached up and took a tight hold on the handle attached to the roof of the car, which Rainbow Dash condescendingly called "chicken handles."

"But I got wiiiiiiise..."

Just as one of them was about to knock on the window, Penn slammed his foot on the gas pedal, making the car lurch forward in a squeal of disapproval at the sudden strain. The road robbers seemed just as angry with the development, but by the time they had jumped back into their truck and begun moving, Penn had already put nearly three blocks between them. The truck was only beginning to give a squeal of its own as Penn rounded the first corner at breakneck speed, skidding across the asphalt and just barely pressing the boundaries of spinning out.

The chase was on.

Yooou're the devil in disguise!

With mildly appropriate chase music.

A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Gas Station

Sunset's breathing was shallow and as quiet as possible, as if she unconsciously worried their pursuers would be able to hear her and discover their hiding place.

They had spent nearly another half hour driving up and down the town, running stop signs and taking unpredictable paths left, right, and often in circles. If it weren't for her seat belt, she counted at least four times she would have risked being thrown out the window with the way Penn was driving. They had driven up and down the length of the town twice in the hopes of losing their pursuers, finally screeching to a halt in a back alley, where Penn had immediately cut the engine and manually turned off every light, plunging them into pitch blackness. Occasionally, Penn would check his phone in a flash of unnatural light to check how long they had been sitting.

"That's... ten minutes. What do you think?"

Sunset let out a long breath and nodded.

"I'm pretty sure we lost them."

Penn nodded, plugging his key into place and cranking the engine back to life. He sucked in air quickly through his teeth and shook his head.

"No choice but to get gas now... I was honestly worried she wouldn't even start. We won't make it back to my house..."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Sunset asked as the car crawled out of its hiding place and back onto the street.

"Better than walking at night when people have already started raiding and robbing each other..." Penn sighed, shaking his head in disgust. "Seriously, it's been HOURS since the world 'ended,' and people are already at each other's throats. Personally, I blame the rise of post-apocalyptic fantasy. Everybody wants to be the real-life Mad Max."

"Well, I would guess that the fact the city was attacked by a killer alien had something to do with it... But this is still insane. People should be banding together, not fighting each other!"

Penn chuckled darkly to himself. "Welcome to the real world, Sunset. Fear and selfishness are nature, and most folks don't bother trying to be better than that."

Sunset's heart sank. Suddenly, she missed home even more.

"SHOOT!" Penn reached down and hit the switch to turn off his headlights. Looking up, Sunset felt the bottom fall out in her stomach:

Parked at the new gas station was the same huge truck that had chased them all over town.

"Okay, there's another gas station if we take Main Street back up to-"

"Chgchgchgch-ch-ch..." The car shuddered and spit as the engine switched off. Penn's eyes widened as he tried desperately to get the engine to turn over and catch again, to no avail. In a split-second decision, he turned them to coast into the station, having just enough force behind them to carry them right up to the closest pump. With some excessive force, Penn shifted the car into "park" and slapped his hand against the steering wheel.

"You've got an AWFUL sense of humor, you know that?" he shouted at the dashboard.

Even inside the car, Sunset felt exposed. It was the total opposite of their hiding place in the alley: open, well-lit, and completely conspicuous and vulnerable.

"What are we going to do?"

Penn sighed, reaching into his pocket and retrieving his wallet. With a long sigh, he retrieved an unfamiliar bill with a 20 printed in the corners, then snapped it shut again. He searched around for a moment before settling his eyes on the glovebox. He reached over, yanking it open and pulling it out of place. He tossed the rest of his wallet into the mess of wires and fuses hidden behind the glovebox before wordlessly popping it back into place.

"I'm going to go buy gas. Lock the doors behind me."

"Are you NUTS?" Sunset grabbed violently at his shoulder, yanking him back down into his seat. "At best, those maniacs are in that truck, waiting to mug you before you make it into the store! At WORST, they could kill you the moment they lay eyes on you!"

Penn motioned to their surroundings helplessly. "Well, they're GOING to notice us! Confrontation is impossible to avoid, here! That's why I'm only taking this 20! They can rob me blind, I'll go with it willingly and tell them it's all we've got, then when they leave we can buy our gas and go!"

Sunset shook her head. "That doesn't mean they won't still beat the crap out of you, especially once they realize YOU'RE the one who's been running them all over town! You can't go in there alone!"

"Ooooooh no! You are staying RIGHT here! Where it's-"

"Safe?" Sunset rapped her knuckles against the glass window. "Yeah! Totally crowbar-proof!" She jabbed her finger into Penn's chest. "I am NOT going to just sit here while you risk your life for a gallon of gas!"

Penn groaned, leaning back in his seat.

"Oh yeah? Well, what's YOUR plan?"

Sunset thought for a moment.

"I go in with the money-"

"No."

"-and you wait thirty seconds before you come in swinging. They have weapons, but I'm fairly certain I could take out at least one and get one of those weapons into OUR hands."

Penn raised an eyebrow.

"YOU could take one of them out? 'Miss Toothpicks-For-Arms?'"

Sunset narrowed her eyes in frustration, though it quickly melted into a smirk. In a quick motion, she snatched the front of his shirt and yanked him forward. At the same time, she raised her other hand and threw a heavy punch, stopping millimeters from his nose. Penn's eyes were wide with surprise and fear, frozen completely out of fear.

"First dan black belt in karate. Don't even start thinking I'm helpless."

"Y-yes, ma'am..." Penn stuttered as Sunset released him.

"Good. Now, we're going with my plan."

Penn pondered the situation for another moment, then sighed in resignation.

"Fine."

When Sunset entered the front doors of the store, her heart was pounding in her chest. As much as she was trying to look tough for Penn, she'd never actually had to use her training in a fight against real people. Most people tended to concede to her any time she mentioned the words "black belt," but a first-level black belt was like a bachelor's degree of martial arts: still only the beginning for a dedicated student. It meant she had only a firm grasp of all the fundamentals.

Guess it's time to put my skills to the test...

Inside, the same men from before were standing in front of the counter.

"Now, don't make this difficult. Put the money and the cigarettes in the bag, and then sit on the floor until we leave. No alarms, no calling the police." The first one urged, tapping his crowbar expectantly against the counter.

"Not that they'd come!" the second one piped up. "They're all out tryin' to stop those metal monsters!"

Metal monsters? Does that means there's MORE daleks out there?

The cashier seemed surprisingly nonplussed by all of this, sighing and opening the register.

"Hey! We're serious!"

The young woman gave the robber a tired glare.

"Buddy, the world is ending and I'm STILL clocked into my minimum wage job until my manager gets here to relieve me. They don't pay me enough to scream when we're getting robbed." She sighed, carefully thumbing out bills one by one from the cash drawer. "You'll get your money, but don't expect a big performance out of me."

Enough was enough, Sunset had wasted enough time, already. Gathering up her courage, she loudly cleared her throat, causing the two robbers to jump and immediately turn on her.

"It looks like you fellas might be a while, is there a chance I could sneak in to pay for some gas? I can put the money right in the bag, if that's easier for you?"

The cashier shrugged, gesturing to the open bag.

"Or how about you just give us EVERYTHING you've got and get on the floor?" The one with the baseball bat waggled it threateningly in her direction. Sunset sucked in air through her teeth and turned her pockets inside out.

"Sorry, all I've got's the 20, it was emergency money."

The thug with the bat moved closer.

"Well, if you need gas, that means you've got a CAR, don'tcha? Toss me the keys."

Sunset repeated the act of sucking air through her teeth, shrugging her shoulders.

"The keys are in the car-"

"Do you think I'm STUPID?"

"-being held by my buddy with the shotgun."

Behind her, Sunset heard the telltale clicking of a gun being cocked. In a moment, her mind did the math: two had gotten out to harass them in the car before they escaped. That meant there had to have been one more behind the wheel.

"A shotgun, huh? I think that could come in VERY handy for protecting our new car."

Sunset didn't turn, she simply calculated a few things based on how high the voice sounded. She breathed deeply, then exhaled slowly, taking a moment to find her center.

"Hi-YAH!"

Calm and collected, Sunset Shimmer spun on her heel, planted her feet, and threw the hardest punch she possibly could into the chest of the man behind her, striking right at the solar plexus. The only noise he made as all the air rushed out of his lungs was a soft wheeze. As he doubled over, Sunset wrapped her arm over his, keeping the gun pointed away from her as she lifted upwards, overextending the man's elbow and forcing him to release the pistol in his hand. Her free hand reached down and snatched it. With a smooth motion, she brought her knee up and into his forehead, knocking him unconscious, then spun back around, turning the gun on the two robbing the store.

The one with the crowbar dropped his weapon out of pure shock. The one with the baseball bat's jaw hung open, but still kept a grip on the bat. Identifying the bigger threat, Sunset trained the gun on him.

"Now then, you two are going to apologize to this nice clerk, then pick up your friend, go home, and wait patiently in your houses until the emergency broadcast tells you it's safe to go back out. Understand?"

All at once, the front door of the station flew open as Penn dashed inside, an x-shaped tire iron gripped in one hand as an improvised weapon raised above his head.

"AAAAAA- huh?" His eyes went first to the gun in Sunset's hand, then to the man on the ground behind her, and finally to the other two muggers and the clerk, who gave a casual shrug.

"Don't worry, Penn. Things are under control."

"I- I guess they ARE!"

"Just make sure this guy doesn't get back up without me knowing." Sunset kicked the body behind her with her heel.

"Will... do..." Penn seemed more perplexed than anything, but dutifully followed her instructions, guarding the unconscious body so Sunset was free to walk across the room. She advanced on the man with the baseball bat, motioning for him to drop it. With a sour look on his face, he followed her instructions, letting it clatter to the floor. As the two of them took steps towards her, however, Sunset narrowed her eyes, pointing up and firing into the ceiling.

"WOAH WOAH, WHAT? We're LEAVING!"

"You're forgetting something..."

Baseball bat guy stared at her in disbelief.

"Y-you're serious?"

Sunset nodded.

With total exasperation, the man walked back up to the register, snatching the empty bag. "I'm... sorry."

The other one lined up behind him, waiting his turn.

"Ah'm sorry, too..."

For the first time, the clerk smiled, the only affirmation she seemed to be ready to give them. Sunset kept herself out of reach and the gun trained on them as they walked over and picked up their third member, carrying him out the door. A few seconds later, the truck roared to life and sped away. Penn finally lowered his improvised weapon, turning and staring at Sunset, dumbfounded.

"That... was probably the coolest thing I've ever seen in my life. And I killed a dalek today."

Sunset's cheeks flushed a bit as she lowered the gun, setting it on the ground.

"I- I HATE those things..." Sunset couldn't hold back a shudder in her voice. It had taken everything she had not to jump and shout with surprise when she had fired the gun, she had never shot a gun before in her life and the noise and force of it was more than she had expected, even from a small handgun.

Penn nodded, scowling and picking up the gun with two fingers before placing it on the counter.

"You'll probably get more use out of this than us."

The clerk smiled again, picking up the gun and giving it a satisfied cock before spinning it expertly on her finger and tucking it into her belt.

"You two needed gas?"

"Yes!" Sunset smiled and placed the 20 on the counter, only for the clerk to shake her head.

"Tell you what: for whatever little it's worth, whenever you two wanna fill up it's on me."

"Really?"

"Yeah, no prob. I'll give you free gas for life, if I can. Or at least until my manager shows up."

"Thank you! Thank you so much!" Sunset jumped up with glee, reaching around the counter and giving the clerk an awkward hug. Penn's response was much more reserved, a grateful nod and a sincere smile.

"We really can't thank you enough."

The clerk smiled and tapped a few buttons on the register.

"Make sure you get the good stuff, 'kay?"

Sunset grinned and nodded enthusiastically, waving goodbye as they both left out the front door again.

A few minutes later, they were pulling back up outside Penn's house with a full tank of gas for the morning. Penn let out a long sigh as he put the car in park and removed the key.

"Well, as grateful as I am for the free gas, I'd have to call today a bust... Sorry, Sunset."

"What are you sorry for? You were already more help than I could have asked for!"

Penn shrugged, tossing his keys up and down to himself.

"Well, we'll have to try to figure out a plan for tomorrow. The next town over is about a half-hour drive west of here, that would take us into New Mexico. Cities and towns are few and far between, but if your friends landed between them, we could be searching for YEARS checking every cotton field and pumpjack for signs of them!"

Sunset nodded in affirmation. Just driving through town, she could tell that off-roading was not an option, and going on foot wouldn't be possible in this heat.

"I'll just have to trust that each of them can make it to civilization on their own if they got dropped in the middle of nowhere..."

Penn nodded, placing a firm hand on her shoulder and giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"Look, your friends all have superpowers, right? They'll be fine."

Sunset reached up and held her geode in the palm of her hand.

"If they still work at all..."

There was a tense beat of silence. Penn tapped thoughtfully on his chin, staring intensely at the geode, then at Sunset. After several seconds, he let out a long groan of defeat and held out his arm in front of her.

"Look. JUST tell me what I'm thinking about RIGHT NOW, okay? No looking at my memories, got it?"

Sunset glanced up, surprised.

"I thought you said-"

"This is a ONE TIME offer, okay? If your powers don't work in this world, then the search for your friends is a lot more urgent. Consider it confirmation they're safe."

Sunset smiled, nodding and placing one hand on the geode. After a moment's hesitation, she placed her other hand on Penn's wrist.

So, if you HAD tried to smash the portal to Equestria with a sledgehammer, wouldn't the hammer have just gone through the portal? In what way did that bluff make ANY sense?

Sunset quickly released her grip on his arm, having gotten all of the confirmation she needed her powers were still working.

"Well?"

"Look, I was under pressure, okay? I was REALLY expecting to still win the Fall Formal! I worked with what I had, and it wasn't much!"

Penn smirked, opening his door and slipping outside.

"Come on, Sunset. Let's go put together our plan for tomorrow."

Sunset sighed and shook her head, but she couldn't hold back a smile as she stepped out of the other side of the car. She felt much more confident that her friends would be safe now that she could be sure that they still had their powers.

Just hang in there, girls... We're on our way!

Skye had to admit, she was surprised that ANY businesses were still open.

"Guess even the end of the world isn't enough to make some people give up minimum wage..." she muttered to herself as she stepped through the door of the gas station. Still, she didn't have time to consider the moral implications of a system that would compel employees to keep working through the end of the world, she had a mission to do.

"Lovely weather we're having..." the attendant muttered sarcastically. "Can I help you?"

"Actually, maybe you can?" Skye reached into her pocket, retrieving a piece of paper and unfolding it before placing it on the counter. "I'm looking for a couple friends of mine, we got separated a few days ago."

The girl picked up the paper, examining it closely before smiling in recognition.

"Oh! Red and her buddy! Yeah, they just came through here about an hour ago! Saved my hide and got me this!" She reached down and held up a handgun.

Skye smiled. "That's... really cool! Just the kind of thing they'd do! Do you know where they went?"

The attendant shrugged. "Beats me. They just filled their tank and left."

Skye repressed a double-take. In the footage from the hardware store they had walked away, so the team had assumed they were stuck on foot.

"They were driving? Can you tell me what kind of car they were in?"

The attendant shook her head and shrugged.

"I dunno. Wouldn't you already know that if you're their friend?"

"Well, when we got split up, they were on foot. They must have found a car they could use."

"And they sure weren't looking for anybody when they got here..." The attendant muttered, narrowing her eyes suspiciously. Skye could tell it was time to bail. She quickly grabbed the photograph, folding it back up and shoving it in her pocket.

"Well, thanks anyway. You've been a HUGE help, just letting me know that I'm on the right path! Thank you!" Before the attendant could ask any more questions, she quickly made her way back out the front door and around the corner. She raised one hand to her ear, activating the communicator.

"Hey, Coulson! I've got a lead on the targets, but I'm going to need access to this gas station's security cameras."

"Good work, Skye. Fitz, get on that ASAP."

"Yes, sir! I'm on my way, Skye."

Skye rolled her eyes as she pulled her phone out of her pocket.

"Bet I can get in with my phone before you get here, Fitz!"

Skye hadn't been working with these SHIELD agents for very long, but she was quickly learning to make a place for herself on the team. Now they were all pushing their limits trying to find out the source of this alien invasion and how to stop it, and she had found their best lead yet.

Man, first these two kids take down a killer alien robot, then save somebody in a gas station and give her a gun? For people without superpowers, they're sure acting like they could be superheroes. Can't wait to meet them...

Secret Agent Woman

"So, if we REALLY book it, we should be able to hit Hobbs, Seagraves, and Lamesa all in one day, right?" Sunset tapped her pen against her chin as she stared at the local map Penn had pulled up on his laptop.

"That would let us cover at least three towns in one day..." Sunset hummed quietly to herself, not quite satisfied. "But what about some of these larger cities? Do you think we could make it to Andrews in the same day?"

Penn hummed quietly, making a so-so motion with his hand.

"Depends on how thorough you want to be in each town. Plus each of those towns are in different directions, so we're moving radially, but that increases our travel time-" he was cut off by a loud knocking on his door.

He and Sunset both stared at each other, eyes wide with surprise. Quickly, Penn darted to the tools sitting on a nearby shelf and picked up a hammer. He held it close behind his back and walked to the door.

"Times like this, I REALLY wish I had a peephole..." he whispered before cracking the door open slightly, only enough for a peek outside. Sunset heard his breath catch in his throat in surprise, but he quickly recovered his nerve.

"Hello... Can I help you?"

"Hi! Are you the owner of that car out there?" a female voice asked. Sunset couldn't see anything through the tiny crack in the door, but she saw Penn's grip on the hammer tighten. She quietly rose back up to her feet, getting into a ready position in case things went downhill.

"Yes, that's my car." Penn's voice sounded tight, terse. He was on edge. Sunset didn't want to think about what could go wrong here, but she had to be ready for anything. Whatever crazy, messed-up world she was in, she was a long way from Canterlot. There was no way for her to expect what would happen next, and that left her deeply unsettled.

"Ah! Wonderful! Do you mind if we ask you a few questions?" a second voice asked. This one was male, and spoke with a Scottish accent.

"About what? I'm a bit... occupied... at the moment." Penn murmured. Sunset felt a twinge of guilt at the idea that they might be turning away someone who needed their help, but as long as they couldn't be certain of the strangers' intent they had to be careful.

"Please, it won't take long!" the woman pleaded.

"We're with SHIELD, we need your help with THIS!" the man insisted.

For a moment, Penn seemed to recoil in surprise. He took a deep breath. "Just... one second." He quickly pulled himself away from the door, pressing it shut as he spun on his heel back to Sunset.

"Okay, so, uh... They have a picture of the dalek. The one we blew up."

Sunset's eyes widened. "But that was just a few HOURS ago! How could they already-"

"They're spies, Sunset. SHIELD is an intelligence organization. Think like if you crossed 'James Bond' with 'X-Files' and tossed in a healthy dash of 'Men In Black.'"

Sunset tried to make sense of the gibberish, but she couldn't make heads or tails of it. "I have no idea what any of those are."

Penn sighed in a way that made Sunset feel very stupid, rubbing his temple in thought.

"The Strategic Homeland... Intelligence- No! Intervention Logistics Division. They're the spies who deal with the stuff people aren't supposed to see for their own good. Aliens, superheroes, stuff like that."

Sunset's eyes narrowed as she put the pieces together. For their own good? What would some shady government organization decide is good for me NOT to know?

"It spells SHIELD."

"They ARE the good guys, mostly..."

"Mostly?"

"Depends on where we are in their history..." He muttered, tapping his chin thoughtfully. He jumped into the air as pounding began again on the door, eyes wide in surprise as he momentarily lost his composure. He hastily rammed his shoulder against the door, shoving shut the crack the knocking had pushed it open. "H-HOLD ON! JUST A MINUTE!"

He quickly stepped forward, motioning for Sunset to get close, which she obliged.

"I recognize these two. They're good ones, through and through. Them and most of their team."

"Most?" The word sent a fearful chill down Sunset's spine.

"We'd be safe working with them. I can promise you that." Penn's tone shifted, and Sunset knew he was trying his best to be earnestly reassuring. It was completely transparent, Sunset could see his hands clenching and unclenching with anxiety, but the effort still gave her some measure of comfort. It was enough for her to trust him about the strangers.

"But only if you're okay with working with them. If you want me to keep that door shut and keep this between the two of us, I will."

Sunset blinked. THAT had caught her off-guard.

"But if you know them, that means they're some kind of tv-show heroes or something, right?" Penn nodded, enthusiastically agreeing. "And you'd just... tell them to go away if I asked?"

Penn blinked, as if surprised at himself, then nodded.

"Why?"

Penn paused, his eyes shifting from side to side in thought.

"You need me. They're secret agents from a world of superheroes. They can manage, but you're alone."

Sunset smiled, feeling a familiar warmth beginning to grow in her chest.

"Well, you're wrong about one thing..." She reached out, quickly wrapping her arms around Penn's shoulders and pulling him into a tight hug. After a short second, she released him again, giving him a smile to match her joy.

"I'm not alone. I've got a friend right here, and he's pretty cool."

Penn's eyebrows raised and his eyes widened in surprise, as if Sunset had just bestowed some kind of big honor on him. Before he could reply, Sunset smirked and pointed to the door.

"That's our minute. Let's meet some super spies."

Penn looked back at the door, then at Sunset. A gigantic grin spread across his face as he began to hop up and down on the balls of his feet, and a whining noise began to squeak out.

"EeeeeeeeEEEEEEEEEEEE-"

Sunset raised an eyebrow. This was the kind of reaction she usually expected from Pinkie Pie. Penn seemed to catch her reaction and quickly cut off his squeeing. He took a deep breath, held his hand level, and pushed it down. Once he'd calmed down, his face settled back to quiet indifference.

"Play it cool, Penn.." he muttered to himself. After a moment, he turned back and opened the door completely, revealing the two strangers standing outside. He made a quick motion with his hand for them to come inside, which they quickly did. Sunset felt a twinge of sympathy as they both looked around in surprise at the house and the man shied anxiously away from the exposed wires of the light switches. As they stepped inside, Penn casually made his way over to where they had been sitting and nudged his laptop shut with his foot.

The woman had long, dark hair and wore casual clothing with a light jacket. The man behind her had his curly hair cut short and wore a dress shirt and tie beneath a light semi-formal coat.

"So, you wanted to speak to us?" Sunset asked, offering her hand to the woman with a welcoming smile. "My name is Sunset."

"Skye! I'm Skye," she took Sunset's hand and gave it a quick shake. She seemed nervous, which was hardly surprising at the end of the world. "And this is Fitz." The man raised his free hand in a small wave, and Sunset could see a laptop clutched in his other hand.

"Just 'Penn' is fine for me." Penn grinned and took his turn to shake Skye's hand, then Fitz's. "Sorry about that. We've been dealing with a lot, SHIELD agents showing up on our doorstep was a bit much on top of the day we've had."

"Oh, I'd believe it! I mean, we saw your handiwork back at the hardware store!" Skye reached into her pocket and produced a piece of paper. After some un-folding, Sunset was staring at a picture of herself and Penn beside the shattered dalek, looking as if it had been taken from a security camera in the store. "That was really something!"

"It was more luck, really!" Penn interjected with a nervous chuckle.

"Well, if you could forgive us for getting right to the point," Fitz muttered, "so far, you two are the only ones to have encountered one of these things and lived to tell the tale, let alone BEAT one! We need to know what you know about them and HOW you destroyed it!"

Sunset and Penn glanced at one another. Penn's eyes were wide with fear, and Sunset felt a shiver run down her spine.

"So there really are more out there?" Sunset asked, getting a grim nod in return from Skye.

"And everywhere they go, they leave a trail of destruction and death in their wake. They're hellbent on total extermination! THAT is why we need your help! Every weapon is completely ineffective, and they have proven impossible to reason with!"

Penn hummed quietly to himself, placing his hand thoughtfully on his chin.

"Sounds about right. They have a protective field that vaporizes incoming projectiles and absorbs energy weapons..."

"And you see, THAT is what we need!" Skye declared, pointing emphatically at Penn.

Fitz stepped up, giving Penn a curious look. "That DOES explain why you resorted to melee weapons in the footage we found... How do you know so much about these things, anyway? You talk like you're some kind of expert!"

Sunset and Penn exchanged a nervous glance. Sunset wanted to tell the truth, but Penn gave her an almost-imperceptible shake of his head to warn her against it. He anxiously cleared his throat and turned back to Skye and Fitz.

"Same way I got to be pretty knowledgeable about tornadoes and the blue-ringed octopus: morbid fascination."

Skye and Fitz exchanged disbelieving looks, and even Sunset had to admit that it felt like a flimsy excuse, mostly trying to change the subject.

"Well, either way, we're going to need your help if we're going to stand any chance of stopping the rest of these monsters!"

"'The rest?' How many are we talking about?" Sunset asked, feeling dread building up in her stomach. Modesty aside, Penn hadn't been lying when he'd said that they had beaten the dalek with a LOT of luck. If there were more of them out there, that was very, very bad news.

"There have been at least a dozen sightings, not including yours. And yours has been the only one that has been stopped."

"We need your help. Anything you can offer would help us would save who-knows-how-many lives..." Skye placed her hand on Penn's shoulder and squeezed it.

Now, Sunset hadn't known Penn for very long, but it was easy to see the change come over him. She could almost see his faux-impassiveness melt away, his shoulders slumped and his posture falter.

"Y-yeah! I'd be happy to help..."

Sunset glanced at Skye, who seemed to have noticed the same transformation and quickly removed her hand.

"Grrrreat! Well, if you wouldn't mind coming with us, we have a vehicle waiting outside that'll be happy to take you to meet the rest of our team and fill us in on how we can beat these things."

Penn snapped out of his stupor, reaching into his pocket and retrieving a small ring of keys. "No need! I've got my own ride!"

"Oh, no!" Fitz smiled, jutting his thumb towards the door. "Our vehicle is top-of-the-line! Bulletproof glass, automatic GPS, the best defense systems SHIELD has to offer!"

Penn's eyes narrowed slightly as he flicked his keys expertly around his ring finger.

"I get antsy if I'm not driving. No offense to SHIELD, but I think I'd prefer my own car."

"But you'd me MUCH SAFER-" Fitz started to argue, only for Skye to step between them.

"You know what? I totally understand. I used to have this van, it was my mobile base of operations, I never wanted to leave it!" After a moment, she reached out and gripped his shoulder again. Instantly, the result of earlier was repeated, Penn's tension melting away at her touch. Skye used her other hand to flick a few strands of hair out of her face before twisting one around her finger and giving it a twirl. "But I really wouldn't want anything bad to happen to you, you know? Our car is a LOT safer..."

Sunset knew that move. She'd seen Rarity do it a thousand times whenever she needed something heavy moved. She'd taught Sunset that with the right demeanor, a lady could wrap men around her finger as easily as that strand of hair.

Penn glanced forlornly between Skye and his keys, obviously torn.

Okay, guess it's up to me to be the tiebreaker...

"Hey, Penn?" Sunset stepped beside him and gave his side a gentle nudge. "You already pushed your car pretty hard today, I bet the engine still hasn't even cooled off! Why don't we just take the ride in the armored vehicle? You've been behind the steering wheel all day!"

When Penn turned to look at her, the disappointment in his eyes made Sunset feel almost guilty for not taking his "side" in the argument. With a forlorn sigh, he slipped the keys back into his pocket, then motioned to the door.

"Well, let's not waste time, then..."

As Skye and Fitz made their way out the door, Sunset smiled and draped a comforting arm over his shoulders.

"Maybe next time, buddy."

Penn rolled his eyes, failing to suppress a smile as he turned back to her.

"Yeah, whatever you say, Benedict Arnold..."

"You KNOW I have no idea who that is!"

The two of them both giggled at the silly exchange. Penn pulled himself out from under her arm in order to lock up the front door. As she waited, Sunset leaned in close to whisper in his ear.

"I don't have to be a mind reader to see... You totally have a crush on Skye, don't you?"

Penn's eyes widened and darted from side to side nervously.

"Say one word and I'm telling EVERYONE that you're 'Flanksy.'"

It was Sunset's turn to be shocked.

"How did you- Right, multi-dimensional TV... That's still REALLY freaky!"

Penn nodded, gesturing to his eyes, then pointing back to Sunset.

Sunset tried to hide an involuntary shiver that ran down her spine.

I kept my art as 'Flanksy' secret from EVERYONE except Rarity! That was my place to be alone, sort myself out! Is NOTHING sacred?

"Hey! What's the holdup?" Skye asked, motioning towards the rear passenger door of the black humvee parked beside Penn's car.

Penn immediately jumped to attention, running over to his car and popping open the trunk. "Just grabbing something important!"

Sunset sighed and rolled her eyes, once again tabling the existential crisis under "think about it later." With a few steps, she was at the humvee. Penn silently fell into line behind her, now sporting a black pack of some kind on his belt.

"What's that?" she asked as she clambered into the back seat and buckled her seat belt.

"This? Just a little... experiment... I wanted to try."

Instantly, Sunset's expression turned sour as irritation gnawed at her insides.

"Do you have a hypothesis?"

The question seemed to catch Penn off-guard.

"W-well, of sorts! I mean- Yeah, hopefully!"

"And a control group? A set of parameters that will remain constant? Proper means of measurement and documentation?"

"I THINK it's going to be pretty obvious if something about these have changed now that the multiverse is broken..." Penn patted the pack on his belt lovingly before turning back to her with a concerned expression. "Are you okay, Sunset?"

Sunset's temper quickly receded, leaving her less angry and slightly embarrassed.

"Sorry, it kind of irks me when people use 'experiment' without actually knowing what it means or the proper scientific method..."

Penn's eyebrows raised in surprise and his expression changed to one of mild shock before a warm, satisfied smile overtook him.

"Now THERE is something I didn't know about you!"

With those words, the vehicle surged forward and they were on their way to parts unknown. From her place in the passenger seat, Skye twisted around to face them.

"Okay, so, why don't you fill us in about these killer alien robots-"

"Cyborgs!" Fitz indignantly interjected.

From the way Skye rolled her eyes, she could tell that it was a correction that she was actively ignoring.

"cyborg, thingies?"

Penn's smile turned southward and his expression became somber.

"They're called Daleks... And if you want to know as much as I can tell you about them, then it's best that I start at the beginning..."

"Imagine a world war raging across a far-away planet. A war of attrition so intense that it had been fought for a thousand years, with every conceivable weapon from bows and arrows to nuclear bombs. Weapons straight out of nightmares, capable of dragging down unfortunate souls down into the earth in an instant."

Penn spoke solemnly as he and Sunset sat together in the back seat of a black Humvee with darkened windows. He had tried to oppose the idea of not taking his own car, but the agents had been insistent that they couldn't know the location of their base. After a few minutes of heated discussion, Penn had finally relented.

"That sounds awful..." Skye muttered, turning around in the passenger seat to look straight at them.

"Beyond words." Penn nodded quietly. "Eventually, overuse of nuclear weapons led to both of the warring races locking themselves in near-impenetrable bunkers while their footsoldiers did battle in no-man's land. The Kaleds and the Thral were determined to destroy one another in total genocide. Any neutral parties were left to rot and decay in the nuclear wastelands, becoming the 'Mutoes.'"

"Kaleds? Thrals? Mutoes? As fascinating as all this is, it seems like you're telling us about everything except the daleks..." Fitz muttered. Skye quickly shushed him, slapping his arm before turning back to Penn.

"Sorry, he's a little grumpy because he had to go knocking door to door trying to find you two."

"Yeah! And do you know how many times I got mistaken for some apocalypse evangelical? It was embrassin'!"

"Bear with me. Their history is important." Penn chuckled. "And sorry, that's what happens when you go door to door in the Bible Belt. Anyway, to go on..."

"The Kaleds became ruled by the science branch of their military, a Technocracy focused entirely on weapons development. It was there that their chief scientist, Davros, developed a new technological marvel: the Mark III Travel Machine. It was a tank, immune to bullets and radiation, armed with a high-powered laser, unparalleled processing power, and the ability to stand above any and all other armies." Penn leaned forward, his brow furrowing. "Davros was a genius, pure and unadulterated... and an absolute sociopath. At the center of each and every one of these machines was a muto, a kaled mutated beyond recognition by a combination of high radiation exposure and brutal genetic modification. The process drove their killing intent to its absolute maximum while rendering it devoid of all other emotions. The Mark III Travel Machines were the most powerful weapons of the war, genocidally bloodthirsty and completely obedient, without any physical weakness. They were the perfect soldiers."

Penn let loose a long, long sigh, as if all this talking was tiring him out. Sunset had to admit, it was quite the story.

"Mad science given unchecked power and the resources of an entire species..." Fitz whispered under his breath, sounding more impressed than horrified. "Imagine what could be accomplished if he had been designing something constructive, rather than weapons of mass destruction?"

Penn nodded in agreement. "It's the constant question of scientific development: 'can' versus 'should.' Through clever use of trickery, Davros manipulated both sides of the war to encourage the production of these creatures. Unfortunately, Davros realized too late that he had given his creations too much free will as he had filled their minds with the doctrine of their own superiority..." Penn shook his head in disapproval. "The daleks refused to take orders from a non-dalek, it was against their directive to do so. They killed him before he could stop the production line and declared themselves the master race of the universe, vowing to destroy all other life."

Everyone's eyes widened in shock.

"Sounds like some... freaky conglomeration of Frankenstein's monster, Nazis, and War of the Worlds..." Skye muttered, anxiously tapping her fingers against the seat.

"Yeah. Makes me wonder what could've happened if HYDRA had succeeded in their mission." Fitz whispered to himself, just barely loud enough for Sunset to hear.

Her urge to ask what HYDRA was was quickly cut off as Penn continued the story.

"Eventually, the Daleks developed technologies powerful enough to travel through space, threatening to make good on their claim. With time, they even developed time travel technology."

"Wait, they can TIME TRAVEL?" Sunset finally couldn't restrain herself. This was crossing the line from science into science fiction... which, if Penn was right about fiction and reality eroding, was a believable line to cross.

"Impossible. Time Travel violates the laws of physics. You can go forward in time if you get close enough to the speed of light, but backwards violates all known laws of the universe!" Fitz declared, pounding his hand against the steering wheel to emphasize his point.

"Yeah! Besides, if these guys want to wipe out all life in the universe AND have time travel, that's game over, right? Why not just go back to when life first started to form and wipe it all out there?" Skye shook her head. "It makes no sense."

"It does if they weren't the FIRST to invent time travel." Penn declared, leaning forward and tapping on Fitz's shoulder. "And I would have thought a man of science would be the first to admit that the laws of science never stay the same for long, they're rewritten with each new discovery."

"The Daleks challenged the original race to discover time travel, the Time Lords, in the bloodiest and most brutal war to ever happen. It was so awful, it was locked away in a shut-off portion of time so that none of the terrible weapons used by either party could escape into the rest of the universe. It was win or die, and both sides only accomplished the latter. They destroyed each other, wiping one another out of the sky... But some daleks still remain. They remain, recruit, and multiply. Their arch nemesis is one of the last of the Time Lords, and I would wager that's why they haven't tried anything like going back to the start of creation. He tends to make himself a real thorn in their sides. But right now we can't just sit and wait for him to show up. The Daleks CAN be fought, but it isn't easy. You have to either exploit what one or two weaknesses they have or carve out one for yourself."

"So, what kind of weaknesses? That's kind of the part we came to you for."

The conversation was cut short as the car drove up a steep incline and came to a stop.

"We're here." Fitz declared.

"How about I get to the practical part with the whole team present, huh?" Penn's somber tone was suddenly replaced by a cheerful demeanor as he popped open the door on his side of the car and practically jumped out with excitement.

Sunset cracked open her door and stepped out , finding herself standing in an enclosed area 99 percent comprised of steel. They had driven directly into some kind of airplane cargo hold, and she could see an amazing-looking laboratory behind a pair of glass doors. Above them, a man was climbing down a set of spiral stairs. He was dressed in a sharp-looking suit and a smug smile.

"I've gotta admit, I've seen a lot of crazy things in my time, but that is quite the story!" He quickly descended the rest of the stairs and walked up to Sunset, offering a handshake. "Agent Coulson, nice to meet you."

"Sunset... Sunset Shimmer."

"You... you were broadcasting me over comms, weren't you?" Penn asked, sounding impressed.

"Fastest way to bring the team up to speed." Agent Coulson was completely unapologetic, even a little smug, as far as Sunset could see.

"Well, if I'd known that I had an audience, I would have made a better show out of it all."

Sunset took a glimpse at Penn, catching his expression. He seemed to be slightly in awe, but Sunset could tell the look on his face was one of recognition.

"Well, it was a nice story, but what we need right now are those weaknesses you were talking about. Think you can oblige?" Coulson walked to Penn, offering him the same handshake, which Penn took with enthusiasm.

"For you, sir? Definitely. Your reputation precedes you. I heard a lot about the battle in New York, looked into it rather extensively. Glad to see you well."

Coulson's poker face didn't falter, though Sunset noticed his smile quickly fade. "You know an awful lot about a lot of things, don't you?"

Penn shrugged off the comment. "I browse, dip in and out of things, pick up enough to understand but not enough to be an expert."

"You seem to be an expert on the Daleks."

"Call it a morbid fascination. I like learning about things that can kill me." Penn folded his arms over his chest. "You guys have data on how many there are and where they are, right? How we should approach this is very different depending on if we're dealing with scouts or a full-on invasion."

There was a beat of silence.

"Follow me." Coulson turned and headed back up the stairs, quickly followed by Fitz. Skye glanced between the two of them, then nodded to the staircase.

"Well, you two are getting a better first experience than I did, considering you're not locked in the brig being interrogated..." she whispered. Sunset could tell she was only half-joking.

"Would you give us a minute?" Sunset asked. "I... need a second to talk to him alone. I have some questions."

Skye pondered for a moment, then nodded and quickly mounted the steps, disappearing onto the next level. Sunset quickly turned to Penn. Now out of sight, his expression had completely changed: his face was one of rapturous joy, his jaw hanging wide open in a smile the likes of which Sunset hadn't seen since Pinkie discovered the existence of "cupcake fountains."

"We. Just met. Phil Coulson!" he barely contained a gleeful squee, clapping his hand over his own mouth to stifle the noise. He was hopping up and down in place with excitement in a completely undignified manner.

"PENN! Get a hold of yourself!" Sunset grabbed his shoulders, forcing him back down to the ground and pulling him in close. "Who is he? Why are you so excited?"

Penn finally calmed down a bit, taking several deep breaths and making a sweeping motion with his hand to ease his nerves. "I'm excited because we're on a real-life SHIELD airship, and we just met one of the best agents in all of SHIELD! Agent Coulson helped organize one of the greatest teams of superheroes to ever exist!" He started eagerly making his way towards the stairwell. "Just don't say anything you don't want going on record and you should be fine, Sunny."

"Did... did you just call me 'Sunny?'"

Penn paused for a moment, turning and giving her a shrug. "Sorry, I got a bit excited. Is Sunny okay?"

Sunset blinked a couple of times, then sighed. "Just... stick with 'Sunset' for now, okay?"

Penn nodded before eagerly rushing up the stairway. Sunset chuckled to herself a little at the display. If he didn't manage to get his excitement under control, his status as a fanboy would be given away completely in moments.

"Penn! Keep it together! 'Play it cool,' right?"

"Right, right!" He drew up short at the next door, quickly gathering himself. With what Sunset could only guess was his best attempt at a terse frown, he stepped through and out of sight. Sunset chuckled again and quickly made her way up the spiral staircase.

Well, whether it was luck or fate, I'm sure stuck with an interesting new friend...

Author's Notes:

I realized about 3/4 of the way through writing this that this crossover doesn't work in one respect: Fitz is canonically a Doctor Who fan. Doctor Who as a TV show exists in the MCU. Unfortunately I'm in too deep with this already to change the story I have in mind.

Diehard "Agents of Shield" fans, I'm sorry to have failed you, but you'll have to put up with just a LITTLE change to the canon for the sake of the plot.

Glory Days

"So, as you can see, we have fourteen confirmed 'Dalek' sightings spreading out across this area of Texas and New Mexico. They've been travelling alone, but it doesn't seem to have much impact on their deadliness."

Sunset and Penn were standing and staring at a large screen mounted to the wall, where Coulson had been going over a map with them for nearly half an hour. Each town on the map listed a count of casualties, injured and deceased. The fact that there were so many more of the latter than the former made Sunset's stomach turn. Even Penn seemed to have eschewed all of his excitement for a deep scowl as the magnitude of the destruction set in.

"Daleks are highly militaristic, they wouldn't conduct full-scale invasion in single numbers. The one Sunset and I encountered even identified itself as a scout." Penn mused. "They're still scouting out this world, assessing whether or not we could pose a threat-" he caught himself, then shook his head. "No, not a threat. How many resources and how much time we could cost to wipe out now, and whether we could be put to better use as a slave force."

"We think they're coming from a spatio-temporal anomaly right about... here." Fitz pointed to a point right at the center of the map. "We sent a drone through to the other side to try and gather data, but it was shot down after filming for only a few seconds."

The screen shifted to a bird's-eye view of West Texas, climbing up into the sky towards a shimmering barrier. As the camera moved up and through it, the entire picture transitioned to one of deep space. Far off in the distance, Sunset could count five spinning bronze saucers against the black void. After only a moment, however, a dalek flew into the picture, a flash of light came from its gun, and the picture was reduced to static.

Sunset had no idea what she had just been shown, but she knew that it wasn't good. She glanced over at Penn, hoping to get more information out of his reaction.

Sunset didn't know eyes OPENED that wide. She could see the whites all the way around his pupils, which were just as pale as his colorless face. Without a word, his eyes rolled back up into his head and he tipped backwards, falling to the floor with a loud thud.

"Penn!" Sunset rushed over to his side, checking him for injury from the fall. Luckily, the floor upstairs was carpeted, so it was unlikely he'd been seriously hurt by the impact.

"That bad, huh?" Coulson muttered, shutting off the screen with a wave of his hand. "Does he do that a lot?"

"I- I don't know, we just met earlier today!" Sunset gasped and slapped her palm over her mouth. She had been so worried about Penn, she'd spoken without thinking.

Fitz and Skye looked at one another anxiously, but Coulson's eyes just widened and locked on Sunset.

"You mean that the two of you beat one of these things after only knowing each other for a few HOURS?"

Sunset thought about trying to patch the leaked information with a lie, but she could practically feel Applejack's disapproval.

"Ten minutes, actually."

There was another pause.

"Well, that kind of teamwork is exactly what we're going to need if we want to survive this. Skye, you and Sunset help get him onto the couch, I'll have Simmons come take a look at him. I want to know the moment he wakes up!" Skye nodded obediently. "Fitz, you're going back to working on reverse-engineering that destroyed dalek down in the lab, I want a plan on how to beat these things by morning!"

"Yes, sir!" Fitz nodded before speed-walking his way out of the room back in the direction they came in from. Coulson obviously has his own places to be, leaving the briefing room in the opposite direction. Skye gave Sunset a sympathetic smile as she walked over and bent down to grab his ankles. Sunset returned with a tired smile of her own, reaching over and looping her arms under his shoulders. With joint grunts of effort, they both lifted him up into the air and walked him to a nearby couch.

"Not exactly the best first impression to make..." Skye muttered with a grin. "I've seen a lot of things, but I don't think I've ever seen someone faint like that at the first sign of trouble."

Sunset couldn't help but feel slightly offended. "Hey, take it a little easy on him, he's had a rough day! I think he's had more adventure today than in his whole life combined."

Skye raised her hands defensively. "I'm just kidding! I'm kinda the 'new girl' around here, too. Trust me, it's hard not to freeze up when you're staring the impossible in the face."

Before Sunset could respond, another girl was crouching beside her. She had a wide smile, long blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail, and a small bag. She reached inside, retrieving a small device.

"Hullo! Sorry, but would you mind moving?" she chirped, giving Sunset a gentle push out of the way before beginning to examine Penn. She ran the device over his forehead and watched a small display. She gave a relieved sigh.

"I might do a few more tests, but I would guess that he's fine, probably just overexerted himself." After a moment, she finally seemed to realize Sunset's presence, offering a wide smile and a friendly handshake. "Sorry, that was terribly impolite of me! Jemma Simmons, pleasure to meet you!"

"Simmons here is a genius with, like, six doctorates." Skye grinned. Simmons waved away the praise, but Sunset noticed that she didn't try to correct Skye.

Sunset took Jemma's hand and gave it a firm shake. "Nice to meet you, too, Jemma. I'm Sunset Shimmer."

"Sunset Shimmer? That's an... interesting name!"

Sunset blinked and glanced at Skye, who simply shrugged.

"It's pretty normal where I come from, actually..."

"Oh! Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you! It's a lovely name!" Jemma assured her. Sunset couldn't quite put her finger on it, but something about this girl reminded her of her friends: as if she were some kind of fusion of Fluttershy and Twilight. It made her feel safer. "Now then, I doubt your friend will be waking up soon on his own, it's already rather late. I would suggest you both get some rest while you can! The rest of us, on the other hand..." she sighed, and for the first time Sunset noticed tired-looking bags beneath her eyes, "will keep working on reverse-engineering that THING they brought back for us..."

Sunset glanced at Penn. The color had returned to his face, and he now looked as if he was sleeping peacefully. She thought over just how much action and adventure had been crammed into a single day, then glanced at a clock on the wall. 10:30.

"I might not have any doctorates, but... maybe I could help?" Sunset rose up to her full height. "I don't know as much as Penn about daleks, but I DO know that their own guns are strong enough to take them down. If we could find a way to disconnect it from the main body-"

"Then we'd have an effective weapon to use against the rest! That's brilliant!" Simmons snapped her fingers and gleefully dashed for the door. "Thank you, Sunset Shimmer!"

"Wait! Maybe I can... help?" Sunset started to follow, but stopped as she felt Skye's hand on her shoulder.

"Trust me, it doesn't matter HOW smart you are, nobody can keep up with Fitz-Simmons when they're working together. Just that information is more than we could have asked for." Skye smiled and motioned to a set of doors on one side of the room. "We've got a spare bunk, why not follow your friend's example and get some sleep?"

Sunset glanced towards the doors, then back at Penn sleeping on the couch. She sighed and walked to another one of the chairs in the room, pulling off the cushions and setting them on the floor.

"I... don't want to leave him on his own. I'm used to this kind of excitement, and even I feel like this is getting to be too much. Until I dropped into his life, he was just a pizza delivery guy! I feel kind of responsible, you know? Could I just borrow a blanket?"

Skye seemed surprised, but game her a knowing smile and disappeared into one of the bunk rooms, returning with a pillow and blanket for her.

"He's pretty lucky to have a friend like you, Sunset Shimmer."

Sunset smiled, laying down on the cushions and making herself comfortable under the blanket. Before she'd even realized it, she was already deep in the grasp of her dreams.

"Sunset? Sunset, wake up..."

Sunset awoke to a firm hand shaking her shoulder. Opening her eyes, Sunset found herself staring up into Penn's face.

"Huh- wha- is it time to go?" she groaned, rubbing at her eyes as she began to sit up.

"Oh, no! Nonono! You're just moving up to the couch. you don't have to get up." Penn assured her as he motioned to the place he had been sleeping.

Sunset was sleepy, but she wasn't THAT sleepy. "Wait, then where are YOU going?"

Penn smiled and held up the black pouch he had taken from his car, giving it a playful shake.

"Testing a theory."

Sunset was wide awake, now. She sat up completely, shifting her glance back and forth between Penn and the pouch. A grin spread across her face and she was on her feet in seconds.

"There's no way I could sleep after that!"

"But you need to rest! You-" Penn caught himself and leaned in close to her to whisper into her ear. "You got blasted across who-knows-how-many universes today! Who KNOWS what kind of condition you could be in?"

Sunset took a moment to take inventory of her body. Two eyes, two arms, two legs... Nothing was hurting or missing, she was hardly even sore.

"I'm FINE, Penn! Now clue me in on that experiment of yours!"

Once again, Penn's eyes moved up and down examining her before he finally let out a defeated sigh.

"Fine. Let's head outside."

"Outside?"

"We're probably gonna need some space..." Penn winked before motioning for her to follow. Together, the two of them made their way back out the way that they had come, down into the cargo bay where the black humvee was parked beside a cherry-red sports car on a large exit ramp. Behind a pair of glass doors, Sunset could see Fitz and Simmons toiling away as fast as they could on the remains of the dalek she and Penn had destroyed earlier that day. Sunset considered herself rather skilled at reading lips, but the speed at which they were talking was beyond her ability to make out even a few words. She quickly turned and followed Penn down the ramp and outside.

"Oh! I know this area! We're halfway to Seagraves!" Penn grinned. "So much for the tinted windows making us lose track of our location, huh?"

Sunset rolled her eyes, but didn't say anything to spoil his fun. To her, the landscape around them was just shallow hills and dead grass.

"So, don't keep me in suspense! What's this all about?"

Penn grinned and unzipped the top of the pack, reaching inside and retrieving a set of small, thin objects. Sunset cringed as disappointment settled in.

"Cards?"

"Not just ANY cards!" Penn declared, pivoting on his heel and pointing the bundle of plastic-covered cards at her. "These cards are part of a game created from a show about summoning monsters and casting powerful magic! The cards act as a gateway between the human world and the world of spirits! A good duelist can overcome any obstacle with only his wits and the heart of the cards!" He pointed the cards victoriously to the sky. After a few seconds of awkward silence, he returned to normal posture and cleared his throat.

"Of course, in THIS world, they're just children's trading cards. I was just thinking..." he dragged the tip of his toe through the dirt, obviously embarrassed about his earlier outburst. "You know, if Daleks and SHIELD and you can all be real now, maybe these can be, too?"

Sunset couldn't resist smiling. His enthusiasm was almost... cute. It was definitely contagious.

"Well, I guess comparing if them now to BEFORE I broke the universe isn't a bad idea, right? I guess anything's possible at this point!"

Penn's face lit up at the encouragement and he began to eagerly rifle through the cards in his hand. After a few seconds, he finally settled on one. He confidently held it at arm's length, displaying it for the world to see.

"Alright! If this is really going to work, let's find out! I summon... Ghostrick Doll!"

Sunset waited with baited breath. If this DID work, she couldn't wait to see what would happen. Both of them stood in complete silence for several seconds before Penn let loose a sigh of defeat and let his arm fall to his side.

"Well, I guess it WAS a stretch..." he muttered as he filed the cards back into the pack and fastened it back to his belt. Sunset stepped up beside him and gave him a gentle pat on the back.

"Hey, it was worth a shot, bud. I thought it might work, too! Sure would have liked to see it, summoning monsters out of trading cards sounds cool!"

Penn smiled and patted his hand against the pack. "Well, just having them nearby makes me feel safer anyway, whether they work or not."

Sunset could spot an opportunity to learn more about her new friend when it presented itself.

"Do they mean something to you? Something special?"

Penn smiled and reached inside, flipping through a few cards until he happened upon one that seemed to catch his attention, passing it into Sunset's hands.

It was a black card with a set of four stars at the top, a box full of text at the bottom, and a picture of what appeared to be a young girl at the center. She was wearing an adorable black dress with blue accents, a tiny top hat, and a pair of stockings with tiny shoes. She remembered Rarity calling the style "Gothic Lolita" in some of the mumbling she tended to do while she worked. The girl had a pair of wings with black-and-white feathers in a piano pattern and a matching halo over her head split evenly between black and white.

Ghostrick Angel of Mischief

2 Level 4 monsters

You can also Xyz Summon this card by using a "Ghostrick" Xyz Monster you control as the Xyz Material, except "Ghostrick Angel of Mischief". (Xyz Materials attached to that monster also become Xyz Materials on this card.) When the number of Xyz Materials on this card becomes 10, you win the Duel. Once per turn: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; add 1 "Ghostrick" Spell/Trap Card from your Deck to your hand. Once per turn: You can attach 1 "Ghostrick" card from your hand to this card as an Xyz Material.

ATK: 2000 DEF: 2500

"Well... the art is nice! It's really pretty!"

Penn chuckled, taking the card back out of her hand and slipping it into the pouch on his belt.

"You don't have to be nice about it, I know the text probably makes no sense if you aren't familiar with the game." He shrugged. "'Ghostrick Angel of Mischief' is a real mouthful, so I just call her 'Missy.' She's my favorite of the Ghostrick cards, gotten me through many a duel!" He gave the card a gentle pat before slipping it into the pack alongside the rest. "I was playing Yu-Gi-Oh before I moved to Texas. One of my closest friends taught me to play and gave me my first deck! By the time I came to Texas, I was obsessed with it..."

Penn's expression eased into a nostalgic smile as he strolled back to the cargo bay ramp and sat himself on the edge. Sunset silently followed him, sitting on the lower part just below him.

"I founded the school's game club around it, made a lot of my friends that way! I practically had the whole debate team coming, twenty-five members!" His eyes squinted after a moment. "Of course, the debate teacher got jealous and rescheduled his practices to the same time as our club meetings... After that, there were only five of us."

Sunset couldn't hold back a giggle at the thought of a younger Penn and some generic teacher locked in dramatic rivalry.

"But those five turned into some of the best friends I ever had in high school. Tuesday afternoons were our time to just sit back and get away from all the people who liked to get their laughs at our expense. For three years, every Tuesday was just us, an empty classroom, and a giant pile of cards..."

Sunset knew exactly what he was talking about. She had always loved hanging out with her friends in the band's practice room for the exact same reasons. It was like there was no one else in the world but them. When she was still hated for her days as a bully, it had been the one place she was safe from the rest of the students' judging gazes. Still, one detail struck a guilty nerve with her.

"You were bullied?"

Penn rolled his eyes and waved away her concerns. "It was much, much worse before I came to Texas. I didn't even realize I was getting made fun of until at least a year in down here! It was pretty tame. It was still nice to have our own little corner of the world where didn't exist, though." His smile widened as happy memories overtook his melancholy. "We would always manage to get in at least one match every lunch period, too! Best of three duels!" He leaned in close to her. "My buddy would tell you that we were evenly matched, but my old deck and I were never defeated in the best of three!"

"Your old deck?"

"Oh! Yeah! The Ghostricks are actually pretty new compared to the cards in my old reliable deck! Here, take a look, it's-" he was cut off by the sound of footsteps coming down the ramp. Both of them looked up to see Agent Coulson.

"Good to see the two of you up and about, but I'm afraid there's no more time for reminiscing about the glory days. We've got a planet to save."

Sunset looked back at Penn, who simply chuckled and hopped down from his seat on the ramp.

"Well, guess there's not a lot of time for children's card games at the end of the world, huh?"

Sunset followed suit, and the two of them quickly followed Coulson up and back into the plane's cargo bay. She couldn't hold back a wide smile. She'd learned a lot about her new friend in just a few minutes. She hurried up to fall into line beside him.

"Psst, Penn?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think you could teach me to play that game? Once this Dalek stuff is all over?"

She watched as Penn's face lit up, practically rapturous in his disbelief. It was if those simple words had made his whole day.

"Y-yes! Definitely! I'd love to!"

Author's Notes:

"Pennington, are you purposefully avoiding writing the next chapter of Penn and Stone because you don't want to write a painful betrayal scene?"

MMmmmmmmmmaaaaaaaybe.

Smarter Than You Think

This time, everyone gathered down in the lab, which had a similar display to their meeting room upstairs. There were a couple of faces Sunset hadn't seen yet, apparently the two remaining members of Coulson's team. One was an older woman with shoulder-length black hair. Sunset could tell just from her posture that she was a woman not to be crossed. The other was a man with short-cut hair and traces of stubble. The moment that he had entered the room, a change seemed to come over Penn. He had instantly tensed up and made his way across the room to Sunset's side, placing himself between her and the stranger. The act hadn't gone unnoticed, the man and Penn sharing a glance at one another. Penn had simply nodded politely, but Sunset noted the absence of a smile on his face like when he had greeted the rest of the team. She made a mental note to ask him what kind of problem he had with the agent later.

"Now, to pick up our conversation from the point where it was interrupted..." Coulson glanced at Penn, who blushed and rubbed at the back of his neck.

"Sorry about that, I guess I was in worse shape than I thought I was when I got here. I'm fine now. No fainting, scout's honor!"

Coulson nodded and brought up a still frame from the video the day before: a perfect shot of the five ships floating in space. "Mister Penn, why exactly would this image make you faint?"

"Just 'Penn' is fine. Each of those are Dalek warships. Each one is capable of holding at least two THOUSAND Daleks. Five ships makes an invasion force of at least ten thousand."

"Ten thousand? That could decimate an entire country!" the male agent muttered.

"Try 'entire planet.'" Penn replied. "Daleks are killing machines. There could be only a handful of them and they wouldn't stop until every human on the planet was dead."

"Which is why we need to eliminate these scouts now." Coulson turned to address the duo of scientists. "Fitz-Simmons, tell me you've got SOMETHING that can help with that!"

"Yes!" both replied in unison.

"Simmons managed to separate the creature from the life-support systems. We're working on trying to find some kind of biological weakness we could use to bypass the outer shell and attack the creatures inside directly." Fitz cheerfully announced.

"And..." Simmons continued. "Fitz managed to not only separate the weapons system from the main body to make it handheld," she motioned to the table, where the gun portion was laid out with a long string of wires leading back to the body. "Thanks to the information Sunset Shimmer gave us, we know that reverse-engineering it is our best shot at creating a weapon that can penetrate their shielding. And managed to access the data core!"

It was at this point Skye raised her hand. "Fitz and I have been working like crazy trying to decode it, but my best estimate would be that we need at least twenty-four hours to crack the encryption."

"The planet's at risk, we don't have twenty-four hours!"

"Coulson, that's the best we can DO! We're already working ourselves to the bone, we didn't sleep at all last night!"

Sunset watched Penn press the tips of his fingers together and tap them against his forehead. "Wait... wait wait waitwaitwait..."

"Well, forget the encryption, we need to focus on weapons. Fitz, how long until a working prototype?"

"I'm missing something..." Penn whispered, tapping harder at his head. "Something important, something..."

"If we stop working on the decryption? Four, maybe five hours?" Fitz strolled over to the place where the gun was laying.

"That's a question, not an answer, Fitz. Every second we don't beat these things is another second people are dying out there!"

"What if we take this one gun and wipe out the scouts? Would that buy us time?" the male agent spoke up, picking the gun off the table and examining it closely.

"Or they might send a retaliatory force," The older woman growled. "More Daleks, greater violence. If they're a militaristic race, they'll respond to a show of force in kind."

Penn, meanwhile, was beginning to groan with exertion, eyes screwed shut as he slammed the base of his palm against his forehead. "Come on! I know I'm forgetting something!"

Everyone in the room was beginning to stare at him, and Sunset reached out to tap him on the shoulder.

"Penn? You okay?"

The moment she touched him, his eyes flew open wide and he slammed both hands on the table.

"THE DATA CORE!"

He glanced around the room, as if expecting everyone to instantly understand what he was talking about. Even Sunset had to admit that it was a mystery to her, and the way everyone was exchanging worried glances told her that she wasn't the only one. The only one keeping his eyes fixed on Penn was Coulson.

"Yes? What about it? I'm sure it's full of useful data, are you saying it has something we can use to beat these things faster?"

Penn turned away from the table, clasping his hands together a pointing his fingers ahead.

"Just... just let me talk through this. The Dalek database is the single most extensive wealth of data in the whole universe, possibly even more so than the Time Lords! They're a hivemind of data, everything observed by every Dalek going and feeding into their store of information." He spun on his heel, pointing the fingers of each hand at Skye and Fitz. "They have one of the most advanced securities known, and you two think you could crack it in a DAY?"

"Definitely!"

"I-I think so..."

Penn grinned and punched the air. "GREAT! I knew you were clever, but that's just GENIUS!" He spun back to face Coulson, leaning out over the table on both hands. "I've got an idea. It's crazy, but if it works the whole planet will be safe from the Daleks, possibly for good!"

Sunset thought she saw the beginnings of a smile tugging at Coulson's lips as he asked the question everyone was thinking.

"Well? What is it?"

Penn grinned and walked to the back of the room, pacing back and forth.

"Okay, so, in the past, a truly genius hacker proved herself able to exploit a connection to the Dalek database, she went in and deleted all files on a single individual, one that the daleks had been hunting for millenia, and the Daleks just... forgot him! Their memories of him had been wiped completely clean, even the ones that had just seen him less than a day before!" The pace of his pacing increased every time he changed direction. "If someone IS smart enough to crack their system and get inside, they could theoretically make the Daleks forget ANYTHING!"

"Like a planet?"

"YES! Imagine if we did that for a whole PLANET!" Penn continued his pacing, now power-walking from one side of the room to the other in only a couple seconds. "But you can't just delete the information, right? All that will happen is that they'll get to have the joy of discovering Earth all over again! Soooo..." he turned back to face the group, waiting for someone to finish the train of thought.

"If we can delete things, then... that means we can replace them, too, right? Put in our own data?" Fitz asked. Penn grinned and pointed a finger-gun at Fitz with a gleeful fake firing noise.

"KA-POW! One hundred points to Ravenclaw! SO, we'll have to split into two- no, three teams! Team one, Techies! Fitz and Skye, you two need to crack that data core and write a program that'll wipe Earth out of their memories and replace it with something REALLY unappealing! Meanwhile, team two, the specialists..." he took a moment to gesture to the two agents Sunset hadn't been introduced to, "are going to have to wipe out the scouts in a swift and decisive manner! If they're here at the same time we change the memories and see something different, all of this could be for nothing! Finally, team three is going to have to find a way to deliver the altered data core to a place where it could be connected to the main database..." he strode his way up to the front of the room, staring intently at the picture of the flying saucers. "Most likely.. there. I should probably be on that team, so..."

There was a brief moment of silence as the wind seemed to fall out of Penn's sails. He seemed to deflate slightly as his manic moment came to an end and he sheepishly looked at the floor, turning to face Coulson.

"O-or, at least, that's how I would do it, sir. Sorry, I wasn't trying to order your team around..."

For a minute, it was like he was a completely different person! Sunset was slightly in awe at the transformation. For a moment, Penn had been practically oozing confidence, held himself with a presence of a man completely in control. And then all at once it was gone and he had returned to his alter-identity as a mild-mannered pizza guy.

Coulson patted Penn's shoulder. "It's a good plan, I can overlook the faux pas." He smiled and poked a finger into Penn's chest. "That enthusiasm's good, hold on to that." He sighed, then turned to the rest of the team.

"Skye, get working on cracking that encryption. Fitz, finish making that gun mobile!" Both of them nodded, Fitz rushing to the table with the Dalek's gun and Skye rushing out of the room. "Ward, Mae, I need both of you to get ready to suit up. The moment that gun is operational, you're going out and wiping out the scouts we've been tracking. Discretely." The other two agents nodded, both walking out of the room together. Finally, his gaze turned to Sunset and he drew Penn's attention with a pat on his shoulder.

"Miss Shimmer, Penn, may I speak with you two for a moment in my office?" He calmly strode his his way out of the room. Penn shot Sunset a nervous glance and shrugged. She rolled her eyes and simply fell into line behind him.

"That... was amazing! How much of that did you make up as you went along?"

Penn sheepishly glanced back at her.

"Well, I DID say I needed to talk my way through it... Fake it 'till you make it, you know?"

Sunset could only smile and shake her head. That was the kind of excuse she was used to hearing from Rainbow Dash. Coulson led them through the upper level towards the front of the plane. Finally, they all walked into a small room. It was clearly an office, with a large desk and shelves lined with what looked like antique spy devices and models of every kind. It was like she was standing in a museum devoted to the history of the organization she was working with. Coulson took a seat behind his desk, interlacing his fingers and letting out a long sigh. He turned a tired-looking glare on Penn.

"What were you thinking? What you suggested about going out onto that alien ship is insane! There's NO WAY I can allow civilians to put themselves in the line of fire like that! It goes against every rule and regulation SHIELD has!"

Sunset watched Penn shrink back and away in the face of Coulson's reproach. A shadow of shame fell over him as his eyes shot down to the floor. Sunset felt indignation well up in her chest.

"Hey, he was just saying what makes sense!" Sunset stepped forward. "And he just gave you a plan to save the world!"

"And I AM grateful for that! But suggesting the idea of putting himself on the Dalek ship-"

"Ourselves." Sunset folded her arms over her chest. Penn's head snapped up, eyes wide with surprise. Sunset smiled and rolled her eyes. "You didn't think I'd let you go alone, did you?"

"Absolutely not." Coulson declared. Sunset turned back to the government agent, narrowing her eyes.

"Sir, with all respect, I know how to size someone up at a glance. The only two people on your team who are left are Simmons and you, and Jemma wouldn't last five minutes in the middle of a ship full of crazy killer robots! You have to be here to coordinate your team! You are out of hands!" She moved up to the desk, leaning in to look Coulson in the eye. "Penn and I were as close to that monster you have downstairs as I am to you right now. And we walked away. We aren't just your only choice, we're your best choice." Coulson didn't flinch at her, still as a statue as he stared right back into her piercing gaze.

"Unacceptable."

"You don't have a choice."

There was a moment of tense silence. It felt like Sunset and Coulson were locked in some kind of battle of will, caught in a stalemate as they waited to see which one of them would flinch first. Coulson's eyes narrowed.

"Get out of my office."

Sunset nodded.

"You'll know where to find us... sir." Sunset turned back to Penn, who had lost all color in his face, took hold of his hand, and led him out of the room. She tugged Penn all the way back to the living quarters where he finally moved under his own power to throw himself onto the couch.

"Y-y-y-you just- You JUST-"

Sunset rolled her eyes.

"Too much is on the line for us to follow every rule in the book, Penn, and I can already tell you're too busy hero-worshiping this guy to stand up to him when he's wrong!"

"You can't volunteer to go on that ship! It's crazy! It's insane!" Penn leaned forward and grabbed her by the shoulders. "A Dalek ship is practically certain death! Their lasers are so powerful they'll scramble your organs like eggs!"

Sunset folded her arms and narrowed her gaze.

"YOU volunteered to go, and you expect me to just let you go in alone?"

"I vo- I volunteered? I- I did, didn't I?" Penn held his palm up to his forehead and propped his elbow on his knee. "I think I'm going to faint again..."

Sunset reached up and pulled his hand away from his head, clasping it in both of hers.

"Hey. Penn. Keep it together, buddy. We're going to make it through this, okay? Where was that confidence you had when you were making this plan? It's a good plan!"

In his eyes, Sunset saw uncertainty and fear, worry. She didn't need to be a mind reader to know that he was terrified. She reached over and unzipped the pouch at his side and reached inside, grabbing the card from the top.

"Hey, remember what you said? A good duelist can overcome any challenge with his wits and the 'heart of his cards,' right? Well, your cards are right here! They're not going anywhere!" Slowly turned over the card in his hand, revealing the card he'd been showing off to her earlier: Ghostrick Angel of Mischief. "And I'm not going anywhere, either."

Penn took a long, deep breath, and Sunset felt his grip on her hand tighten. Finally, he let go of his breath and her hand at the same time.

"Okay. Right. It'll be fine. Everything is going to be fine..." he whispered, rising out of the chair on shaky legs. "W-why don't we go find something to eat?"

Sunset smiled, glad that her encouragement had gotten through to him.

"Sounds good to me, buddy."

Stronger Than You Seem

"Hey. Thought you could use this." Coulson placed a hot cup of coffee on the table beside Skye.

"Oh, thank you SO much!" she sighed and grabbed the mug with both hands, closing her eyes as she took a long drink.

Coulson took a seat beside her, cradling a cup of his own.

"Hm? Okay, Coulson... I know why I have bags under my eyes, I'm learning alien programming on the fly here. What's bugging you?"

"There's something that's eating at me. How did that 'Penn' guy know Ward and May were our specialists? In fact, he knew exactly what every person on our team was capable of and where they'd fit best! I couldn't argue with him because that plan is exactly how I would have divided everyone up, myself!"

"Including sending him and Sunset onto the alien spaceship?"

Coulson sighed. Skye's outsider opinion always had a way of getting to the heart of the matter.

"They're civilians, Skye! That mission is suicide!"

"Well, I was a civilian too, remember? And, whether you liked it or not, I think I've become a valuable member of this team!" Skye took another long sip of her coffee. "Mmm... Coulson, what are the other options?"

That was a question Coulson had been asking himself repeatedly.

"Ward's skills include infiltration, so do May's. Either one of them could go onto the ship, be in and out in a matter of hours, and the other could be out destroying the rest of the Dalek scouts."

Skye nodded. "You're not wrong, but neither of them know as much about these things as Penn. And if Sunset isn't going to even go to a different room to sleep, she's definitely not going to let him go onto the Dalek warship without her by his side. A three-person team-"

"Exponentially increases their chances of detection. I know." Coulson finished the sentence. "Team three needs Penn, and he and Sunset are obviously inseparable..."

"Not to mention, if you replaced May with Simmons, are you sure they'd be able to get every single scout wiped out in time? She's surprisingly good under pressure, but I wouldn't exactly take her for a sharpshooter with an alien laser gun. Taking out the scouts quickly is just as important as the away team's mission."

Coulson couldn't help but balk slightly.

"What makes you think I wouldn't put Ward on the away team?"

Skye scoffed as she began typing away at her computer again.

"Are you kidding? Did you SEE the way Penn was looking at him? I don't know what's going on there, but I'm willing to bet that one of them thought there was a little too much testosterone in the room..."

Coulson blinked, surprised at Skye's assumption. He hadn't noticed anything between Agent Ward and the stranger, let alone the tension she was talking about.

"What can I do, Skye? The team here AND the team going out there are both crucial! You and Fitz are going to be totally burned out by the time you've cracked the codex, Simmons isn't suited to either task, and our only expert on these things is certain to drag another innocent civilian in with him! I've got no good options!" Coulson sighed and held a palm to his forehead. "We're supposed to protect civilians, not drag them into danger! At times like this, I wonder what Director Fury would do..."

Skye sighed, stopping her typing for a moment to turn and face him.

"I don't know about this 'Director Fury' guy, but I know Agent Philip Coulson knows who to trust. You'll make the best choice."

Coulson couldn't resist a smile, patting Skye on the shoulder as he rose back to his feet.

"Thank you, Skye. I think that's just what I needed to hear."

"Great! I'll get back to trying to get into this Dalek data core..." Skye sighed with frustration. "It's like the programming is adapting to everything I do, like it's actively FIGHTING me!"

"Think you can do it?"

Skye grinned.

"It might require calling in a few favors from my old Rising Tide contacts, but I've never met a code I couldn't beat, yet!"

"Well, pick up the pace, would you? The more time I have to think about what I'm about to do, the more likely I am to back out of it." Coulson delivered the line with a grin, as if he were joking, but there was more than a nugget of truth to the statement. He didn't like where this plan was leading one bit, but it had to be done.

Sunset opened the passenger-side door of the humvee and hopped inside. Penn was waiting inside, reclined casually back in the driver's seat. His posture didn't fool Sunset, though. She could see his foot anxiously tapping away against the wall of the car, to the point that an eye unfamiliar with anxiety might have mistaken it for out-of-control shaking. Luckily, years of being friends with Fluttershy had gifted her with a discerning eye for nervous tics.

"So... any requests?" He held up his phone and gave it a small shake. "They won't trust me with the keys and an aux cable, so we're stuck with cell phone speakers."

Sunset smiled and shrugged.

"Anything is fine with me. Why not play me one of your favorites?"

Penn paused for a moment, then typed furiously into the phone for a few seconds. A moment later, a familiar guitar began to play.

"Once... upon a time,

you came into my world and made the stars align!"

A wave of emotion swept over Sunset as Applejack's voice rang through the car. Before she was even aware enough to stop it or suppress it, tears began to stream down her face.

"Now I can see the signs!

You pick me up when I get down so I can shine!"

Rarity's crooning sent another shudder through Sunset's body, too much for her to take. She buried her face in her hands as the wall holding back her emotions crumbled to dust and she began to sob uncontrollably.

"Shine like rainboooooows! Shine like-" the music was cut off suddenly and Sunset felt a firm hand on her shoulder.

"Sunset! I-I'm sorry! I just thought you might-" Sunset shook her head, cutting Penn's excuses off as another sob burst out. She couldn't stop the words that came after it any more than she could stop the tears from flowing.

"It's my fault! It's all my fault! And- and now I don't know if I'll ever SEE them again! I- I thought I'd made my peace with all of us going our separate ways, but not like this! Twi-Twilight had a full ride to the best college in the country! Rarity got an internship in Manehatten, Rainbow was guaranteed anything she could ask for! And I made a stupid mistake and took it ALL away from them! It's all my fault! It's all my fault... It's-"

The door beside her opened. She glanced over and saw Penn standing there. She hadn't even noticed him leave the car. He reached out and took hold of her hand, pulling her down and out of the seat.

Sunset had gotten plenty of hugs since she'd become one of the "good guys," the Rainbooms were pretty fond of them. She'd always thought Pinkie gave the best hugs, with Applejack coming in at a close second. Somehow, in that moment, she found herself wrapped up in some kind of super-hug. It was as if someone had crammed one of Princess Celestia's wing-hugs, her favorite blanket fresh out of the dryer, and a healthy dose of Equestrian magic into an iron vice and clamped it shut around her. The way he was gripping her, Sunset wondered if Penn was afraid she'd disappear just like the rest of her friends had. Everything else became muted, like an aura had settled around them that blocked out the rest of the world.

When her breathing had slowed and come back under her control, Penn finally let go enough to hold her at arm's length. Just like in the planning room, Sunset couldn't see a single trace of anxiety or hesitation.

"Sunset Shimmer, I swear to you, as your friend, we will find them. I will make certain that you find every single one of your friends, and that you all make it home safe and sound. I promise."

Sunset was glad that her complexion tended to hide a blush well.

"You give really good hugs."

Immediately, Penn's face shifted to surprise, and he couldn't seem to let go of her fast enough. The confidence was once again gone as quickly as it had come.

"Sorry, heh... I was always that one friend everyone would go to with their problems, and I've always been a hugger... That was mostly instinct. Was it too much?"

Sunset wiped away the remains of her tears and shook her head.

"No, it was... just what I needed."

Her answer sent a wave of relief washing over Penn's face, and he nodded back to the humvee. In a matter of seconds, the two of them were back in their seats, and Penn was typing away on his phone again.

"Okay, how about this: the words are all gibberish, but it's the theme to one of my favorite characters! In a world that seems like it's cold and cruel, she chooses to be kind and full of faith! It's called 'Credens Justitam!' It means-"

"Believe In Justice?"

Penn gave her a smile so bright, it nearly blinded her. Sunset couldn't help but smile in return and lean back into her seat.

"Sure. Why not?"

From the tiny cellphone speakers came the sounds of a full choir and orchestra, filling the space of the car until Sunset felt fully immersed. Penn was right about the lyrics being gibberish, but the emotion of the piece shone through clear as day. Comfort and hope wrapped around Sunset and washed over her. The panic of seconds before felt like a distant memory.

"Yuki Kajiura really is a musical master..." Penn whispered, barely audible over the music.

Sunset had to agree.

"Anything new?" Coulson asked.

"Well, as near as I can tell, 'Penn' has no kind of specialized training, let alone being an expert in xenobiology." Agent Ward shrugged and let out a long sigh of frustration. "Real name: Elijah Bakersfield. Delivered pizza before the world went crazy. Born in Conneticut, spent his childhood in Maine, moved to Texas eight years ago. Flunked out of college in Utah about two years ago. Been on medications for depression and anxiety, but nothing out of the ordinary. This guy is clean, Coulson, not even a parking ticket! There's no reason to trust him, but also no reason NOT to trust him!" Ward spun in his chair to face his commanding officer. "I have no idea how he knows so much about these aliens, but he didn't learn it in school or from any organization we have on record."

"What about 'Sunset Shimmer?'" Coulson still couldn't take the name seriously. It sounded like a name a 5-year-old girl would come up with for her pet pony.

Ward shrugged. "Ran her photo through every database SHIELD has, nothing. She's a ghost, as if she didn't exist until that security camera at the hardware store caught her on film yesterday!"

Coulson had once said that Skye's ability to have wiped her digital existence from the face of the planet was intriguing. The novelty of not knowing things was very quickly wearing off.

"May? What are they doing now?"

Agent May removed her headphones and gave Coulson a very fed-up expression.

"I think they both fell asleep in the humvee. That or they're just listening to music. Sunset started to have some kind of meltdown, but Penn defused it."

Coulson had to admit that he was mildly surprised. In his office, Sunset had shown a level of nerve that could have stared down Romanov, and Penn had seemed too timid to even speak out loud if someone else was talking.

I guess everyone's different when they think nobody's watching...

"Can I stop watching them, now? I've got better things to do, like make sure Zephyr One is ready for an emergency takeoff if one of those THINGS tracks us down."

Coulson knew better than to push May when they were all under so much pressure. He gave her a quick nod, and she eagerly left the room.

"Sir, with all due respect, may I ask you something about this plan?" Ward asked, setting aside the laptop he was working off of.

"Granted."

"The away team is going to be striking deep into the heart of enemy territory. Agent May and I are both specialists, more than suited to the job! We have the skills, why not send one of US?"

Coulson sighed.

"Because the scouts have spread too far apart. We need to deal with them all quickly, before they can coordinate a counterattack. You and Agent May will have to split up and each take on six or more in a matter of a couple hours at the same time the away team is infiltrating. You're the only agents I can count on to be that efficient AND to take these things out in a head-on fight by yourselves. Our new friends already proved that they have a knack for not getting killed by daleks, but Penn wasn't lying: watch the footage from the store, killing that thing WAS a matter of luck. We need more than luck to destroy the scouts."

Ward sighed again, and Coulson knew that he'd already contemplated and dismissed every thought going through Ward's head while he was alone in his office.

"I don't like it, sir. Putting them into the line of fire. It's against every SHIELD protocol, and even our mission as an organization altogether! We're supposed to protect the innocent, not send them into the line of fire!"

Coulson took a deep breath.

"You're right. SHIELD agents keep people safe. We protect the world." He turned and quickly made his way out the door. "Thank you, Agent Ward! You just helped me make up my mind about something!"

Sunset could feel herself drifting between awake and asleep. Penn had decided not to stop with "Credens Justitam," going on to play the entire soundtrack to the show it had come from, something about "magical girls." She hadn't really been listening too closely by that point.

A soft knocking came from the window, followed a second later by the door opening on its own.

"Hey, you two still alive in here?" Agent Coulson asked.

Sunset smiled and rubbed at her eyes. "Sorry, must have lost track of time..."

"Do you need the car for something?" Penn asked. Sunset watched him open the door and roll himself out of his seat.

"Actually, I need to talk to the two of you about something important." Coulson stepped aside and motioned for Sunset to get out. She quickly obliged, her sluggishness wearing off in a matter of seconds. Penn quickly made his way around the car to join them, taking up a position at Sunset's side.

"Now, about this mission: are you two certain that you can do it? If you're having doubts, we can find another way."

Sunset's mind flashed back to the moments after their last meeting with Coulson and Penn's ensuing breakdown. She glanced over at her friend, trying to gauge whether his condition had improved. He was staring right back at her, locking eyes. Sunset felt a solidarity between them, a solid base from which friendship had been built. Finally, Penn turned back to face Coulson with a shake of his head.

"Sir, of course I have doubts, it's sneaking onto a ship full of killer aliens! But it's what needs to be done, right? So we'll do it."

Sunset watched Coulson's expression settle into a melancholy smile.

"Spoken like a true agent. Unfortunately, you two are NOT agents, and SHIELD cannot in good conscience put civilians in harm's way like this." He sighed and reached into the pocket of his suit. Penn's eyes widened, and Sunset felt herself begin to slip into a defensive position. A moment later, however, Coulson produced two items from his pocket. They looked like leather wallets, and Sunset heard Penn gasp in surprise as he obviously recognized them.

"No way... NO WAY!"

Coulson ignored Penn's excitement.

"When I first joined SHIELD, Director Fury told me that a person can do anything when they realize they're a part of something bigger. Over all these years, he's only been proven right time and time again. So, for the sake of this mission, I am fully deputizing the two of you as temporary agents." He handed each of them one of the leather items. Sunset flipped it open to reveal a large circular badge with the SHIELD emblem and an ID that looked much like her driver's license, including a photo and her physical details.

Shimmer, Sunset. Level 4
Title: Specialist

"Specialist?"

"Well, there wasn't really a title for 'Alien Mothership Infiltrator.'" Coulson shrugged. He gave Sunset a firm handshake, followed soon after by Penn. "Both of you, welcome to SHIELD."

Penn eagerly held up his hand in a passionate salute. "We won't let you down, sir!"

"Wrong hand, Penn. But again, I like the enthusiasm!"

Penn instantly switched hands, and Sunset held back a giggle at the awkward antics.

"You two are going to have a mission debriefing tonight and leave first thing in the morning, Skye and Fitz should have the data core cracked by then."

There was something that had been bothering Sunset up until now, and this felt like the time to ask it.

"Mister Coulson, sir? Can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead, Sunset."

"Well, isn't it just space on the other side of that rift? How are we going to survive on the other side?"

Coulson smiled.

"Well, Fitz-Simmons didn't JUST separate the weapon from that Dalek in the lab! Come on, I think you'll like this." He nodded towards the back of the plane and out the cargo hold. Together, the three of them walked outside and around to the front of the plane.

"We managed to extract the hoverskirt, as well! We've attached it to one of our environmentally sealed cargo containers and..."

As they reached the front of the plane, just beyond the nose, Sunset could see a large rectangular container sitting on the ground. Bits and pieces of the bronze Dalek armor were scattered around the bottom, messily welded on in places and connected by a mess of wires she knew would have haunted Twilight's nightmares.

"Instant spaceship. It's not much, but it should get you there and back again under the radar!"

Sunset suddenly felt much less confident about placing her life in the hands of SHIELD. Penn, meanwhile, immediately ran up and began to examine it, gleefully clapping his hands together.

"Ha HA! Coulson, this is GENIUS! Using Dalek parts means that we'll be recognized and not blown out of the sky!" He pointed back at Coulson with a sly grin. "It's an older code, sir, but it checks out!"

Coulson's face lit up with delight.

"Episode 6? You're a fan?"

"Who isn't?" Penn replied, slapping the side of the container and leaning against it. "Who can ever forget 'Return of the Jedi?'"

"One of the greats!" Coulson agreed.

Penn leaned forward. "Okay, I have a question: did you like that they re-used the plot of destroying another death star? Or did that seem kind of lazy after A New Hope?"

"Not at all! The fact it was only half-built made a really chilling image, and the fact it was fully operational? Huge twist at the time! I loved it! It's what got me interested in things like aliens and the supernatural, to begin with!"

Sunset had no idea what they were talking about, but it reminded her of Rainbow Dash and Twilight's conversations about Daring Do novels: something she'd long ago decided to give up trying to interpret.

"I guess that answers my question... Thank you, Agent Coulson." she tried to hide the trepidation in her voice. This transport did NOT inspire a lot of trust. Coulson still seemed to pick up on her hesitation, walking over and placing a firm hand on her shoulder.

"I know it doesn't look like much, but I'd trust Fitz and Simmons with my life, and they say it'll hold. I would never place the lives of one of my agents in unnecessary danger, Sunset. You'll be safe inside, I promise."

Sunset nodded, her fears somewhat eased. Coulson seemed earnest, and there was something about him that made Sunset feel he was trustworthy.

"OH MY GOSH!" Penn practically screamed, drawing all attention back to him.

"We're going after the Daleks... in a flying box! Do you have any idea how HILARIOUS this is?"

This time Coulson seemed to be out of the loop, as well. He looked to Sunset, who simply shrugged. She didn't get the joke, either. Being the only one to get the joke didn't dampen Penn's enthusiasm, doubling over with laughter.

"C-Coulson, sir! P-please, I'm begging you! Can we- Can we paint it BLUE?"

Coulson leaned down, half-whispering to Sunset.

"Is... he okay? I think the stress might have gone to his head..."

Sunset rolled her eyes. "I used to have a friend who said a lot of things that didn't make sense. When we stopped questioning her all the time, she wound up being one of the most reliable friends I've ever had. I'd say... just roll with it."

Coulson pondered her advice for a moment, then shrugged.

"No painting it! I'm expecting it to come back to us intact, with both of you on board!"

Penn's laughter finally petered out, only leaving a gigantic smile on his face instead as he rose into a proper salute.

"Yes, sir! Understood..."

Coulson nodded and turned back the way they'd come.

"Well, the rest of the day is your own. I recommend you familiarize yourself with the controls, then get plenty of rest for tomorrow! And that's an order, agents!"

Sunset took her turn to salute as Coulson walked away. The moment he was out of sight, she rushed over to Penn.

"WHAT was all that about?"

"S-sorry..." Penn said, hardly sounding sorry at all as he wiped a tear of laughter from his face. "It's just that the arch-enemy of the Daleks... his ship is a blue box, almost the same size as this one! It's either a sign from God or the funniest coincidence in the history of the universe!"

Sunset rolled her eyes. "I'll go with 'coincidence.'"

Penn shrugged, and Sunset noticed his expression quickly turn dower.

"Hey, Sunset... I feel like I owe you an apology. For playing that song earlier. It was stupid of me to think that was a good idea, and it just wound up hurting you... I should have thought more about it. So... I'm sorry." He turned his eyes down to the ground and shuffled his feet.

Sunset was surprised. She'd thought that the whole ordeal was behind them.

"Penn, you were just trying to make me feel better! Why would I be mad about that?" She walked over and stood beside him, leaning against the makeshift spaceship side by side. "Besides, I owe you an apology, too. Ever since I got here, I've been trying to only think about what's happening in the moment so I wouldn't think about what's happened to my friends... But when I heard their voices, everything I'd been bottling up all came out at once. I'm usually pretty calm, you know? But I just fell apart... I'm sorry you had to see that."

"Sunset, you've got every reason to be upset! You can't apologize for that!"

Sunset pounded her fist against the wall. "Then I'm just sorry you had to SEE it! I don't get hysterical, I get things done! I've never... I've never just panicked like that!"

Penn shrugged off the statement.

"It happens to the best of us, Sunset. In your position, I don't even know what I'd do other than break down into a panic attack to end all panic attacks!"

Sunset sighed. "Well, thank you... Thanks for helping me get control."

"Hey, don't forget you were the one who calmed me down enough to be willing to go on this crazy adventure! I was freaking out, too!" He gently patted the pack of cards on his waist. "If we can both keep each other's heads on straight, we might stand a chance of surviving this."

Sunset smiled and shoved her elbow into his ribs.

"Hey! You promised you'd get me and my friends home safe and sound! That starts with definitely surviving the Daleks!"

The two of them both began to giggle to themselves.

"Sunset, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship!"

Braver Than You Believe

"So, here's the plan."

Sunset was still half-asleep and groggy. It was five minutes before five in the morning, and she and Penn had been up late "training" with their flying box and learning to fly it without throwing themselves from wall to wall. Penn didn't look to be faring much better, barely able to keep his eyes open. Once again, the agents of SHIELD had gathered in the lab. Skye and Fitz both looked nearly dead on their feet, but there was a content smile on Skye's face.

"Skye and Fitz managed to crack the encryptions and firewalls on the data core last night. Not only did they make the necessary modifications, but they got us a little something extra." Coulson waved his hand to reveal a cross-section of a dalek ship. "A map!"

"The idea is-" Fitz stepped forward, only to stop and have to stifle a yawn. "The best point of attack would be the repair bay, located here." He pointed to a medium-sized room at the bottom of the ship. "All you would have to do is replace the data core in an existing Dalek with our modified version and Skye's programming will do the rest."

"Not only are these coordinates going to become the new home of a nasty black hole, I've added a few other little viruses that should turn their systems inside out..." Skye was trying to sounds smug, but her tired monotone made her sound like the most miserable person in the room.

"The mission is going to be fast and simple. You get in, swap the data core in the repair center, and get out. Shouldn't take more than an hour and you'll both be back home safe and sound, got it?" Coulson looked between Sunset and Penn. Penn gave a sluggish salute, and Sunset simply nodded.

"Meanwhile, Agent Ward and I will be taking Fitz-Simmons and going after the scouts at the same time," the older woman (who Sunset now knew was Agent May) stated. "Once we've taken out one, we'll disconnect its weapon and add it to our own, then split into two teams. Then four. The scouting party will be destroyed before they know what hit them, and Skye's virus will discourage them from sending any more."

Coulson nodded in agreement. "I'll be coordinating from here. If any team runs into trouble, I'll inform the rest and adjust plans accordingly." He turned his attention on Sunset and Penn, pointing at each of them. "You two: if I say abort, you ABORT, got it? Trust me, we'll find another way, I don't want to lose any more casualties to these monsters."

"Won't have to tell me twice..." Penn mumbled. A second later, his eyes shot open wide. "Uhm... Did I just say that out loud?"

Sunset rolled her eyes. "I think what he MEANS to say is that we'll follow orders to the letter, sir. No need to worry." She offered a quick salute. This seemed to satisfy Coulson, who reached down and produced a small plastic case. Inside were a pair of small earplugs. Penn reached out and took one, placing it into his ear without hesitation. Sunset quickly mimicked him. She could guess that they were some kind of communicators.

"Alright, everyone! Time to save the world..." he took a quick glance around the room, before letting out a frustrated sigh.

"And seriously, get some coffee, or something."

"Alright, listen closely. You want to bear thirty-two-point-three degrees north-by-northwest of here for five miles, the temporal-spatial rift is approximately one hundred meters off the ground." Fitz declared, pointing out into the brown landscape. "We've put a GPS into the 'ship' to get you there. Once it loses signal, there'll be a second system that will record your movement through three-dimensional space. When you're ready to extract, hit the red button, it'll automatically take you back along the same path through space and through the rift. Understand?"

"Sounds simple enough... When we want to come back, just hit the big red button!" Penn declared.

"Are you sure you'll be okay, Fitz? You're pretty tired already, and now you're going out to fight more Daleks here on Earth!" Sunset asked. Fitz shook his head.

"This isn't my first all-nighter. Exam week at the academy, I didn't sleep for three days straight without even realizing it! I'll be fine. Now don't worry about us back here, we'll do our part." Fitz reached into the pocket of his coat, producing a small, bronze, egg-shaped item. "This is the data core. Find one in the repair bay, swap it with this one, and our virus will do the rest. Good luck, both of you." Fitz gave her a pat on the shoulder before turning and running back to the back of the plane. Sunset watched him and the rest of the agents were pile into the humvee before driving out of sight. Penn tapped a panel on the side of the storage container, opening the doors.

"Ready, Sunset?"

Sunset grinned and ran inside, grabbing the hastily-installed joystick that served as the controls.

"I should be asking you the same thing! At least I was awake during the debriefing!"

Penn rolled his eyes and tossed aside the empty energy drink in his hand.

"I'm good! In that case... let's go save the world!"

Sunset grinned and flicked a switch, activating the hoverskirt and lifting the container into the air. With a gentle push of the joystick, the ground fell away from beneath them and they were on their way.

"Ever been to outer space before?" Penn asked, staring out the window. After a few seconds he backed away and made a concerted effort to stare at the walls and floor around them.

"Nope. You?"

"Do daydreams count?"

Sunset chuckled. A quick glance at the GPS showed they were off-course. A small adjustment later, they were back on course. "Guess that makes this a new experience for both of us?"

Penn nodded, staring wide-eyed out the front window. Sunset noticed a small tremor in his hands.

"Is now a bad time to mention I'm scared of heights? And dying in the cold vacuum of space? In all of the excitement, I kinda forgot."

"Oh! That's actually a common misconception! Vacuum can't have a temperature! What's cold are the extremely thin gases spread throughout, which are usually only about three degrees above absolute zero, and..." Sunset glanced over to see Penn keeping a death grip on the handles fixed to the walls, eyes wide and face pale. "And I'm not really helping, am I?" Penn shook his head.

"Well, let's put it this way: I am VERY good at this. That's why we were up until almost midnight last night! I'm not going to fly us into anything. We'll make it there safely. Once we do, you're the one I'm counting on to keep us safe! Each of us relies on the other, it's fair!" A quick glance at the GPS showed that they were almost on top of their target. Sunset looked up at the sky, trying to spot the rift.

She nearly missed it, at first. It was a shimmer in the air, like the heat coming off of a road on a broiling summer day. She could feel the energy coming off of it like the sun on her face, bypassing walls and barriers to tingle directly on her skin. The GPS began to beep softly, indicating that they had arrived. She turned and glanced at Penn, taking a deep breath of her own.

"Only one way to save the planet... you ready?"

Penn tore himself away from the wall and joined her at the front window, looking up at the portal.

"Not really, but we're going anyway... Allon-sy, I suppose..."

Sunset nodded and flipped the hoverskirt switch a second time, propelling them upwards.

This portal wasn't like the one between CHS and Equestria. It felt gentler, like stepping out the door of a building and into the outdoors. If she hadn't been paying attention, she might not have even noticed that they had transitioned into another world.

Fortunately, she WAS paying attention, because outer space was not a sight she would have wanted to miss. It was as if the absolute clearest and most beautiful night sky to ever exist had been taken and layered on top of itself a dozen times over, then copied over to cover every inch of her vision. Far away, great clouds and nebulas light-years across billowed and rolled across the heavens, auroras of color and light that seemed to sing with wonder and majesty. Sunset felt like she was peering into the heart of the cosmos, ready at any moment for some deep wisdom to fill her mind. Rather than some all-knowing voice of the stars, however, she was gifted only the sight of the Dalek ships coming into view. It was only now that she could really get a feel for how colossal they were, towering in the distance and dwarfing their tiny little box. She swallowed loudly and began to press forward on the joystick, driving them onward and deeper into space.

"Wow..." Penn whispered from behind her. Sunset could only nod in agreement. Penn reached up and pressed his finger to his ear with the communicator. "Coulson? We're through..."

"Good job. Everything is going well on our end, the team's taken out their first scout and split into two teams. Everything is going according to our timetable. Press on." Coulson's voice declared in Sunset's ear. She tried not to flinch at the volume of it, and made a note to ask later about turning down the decibels.

There were blissfully few obstacles to avoid as they drew in closer and closer to the alien armada. Soon, they were less than a hundred meters from the closest of the dalek ships.

"Penn? What exactly was our way in?" Sunset whispered. Almost on cue, a panel on the side of the ship opened. It looked to be about Dalek-sized, but Sunset could tell that she'd be able to get the container through with careful piloting.

"I guess that question answered itself."

Sunset pushed the joystick forward, bringing them right up to the opening. She could hear Penn sucking in his breath through his teeth.

So much for a vote of confidence...

She unwrapped her fingers from around the controls, giving them only the lightest brush with her fingertips. Meticulously, the container slid through the passage and into the room beyond. When she was certain they had cleared the entrance, Sunset reached over and flicked the switch for the hoverskirt, bringing the container down with a clang of metal-on-metal. The door slid shut behind them, followed by the sound of air rushing into the room outside. Behind her, Penn finally released the breath he had been holding, taking deep gulps of oxygen from the room around them.

"D-do you think we should open one of the oxygen containers they left us? I'm feeling kinda woozy..." he muttered, staggering to his feet.

Sunset smiled and folded her arms over her chest.

"I feel just fine. Told you I was good at this!"

Penn nodded, bending over and grabbing one of the steel containers, anyway.

"There haven't been many episodes showing the inside of Dalek ships, but every one we HAVE seen has shown them to have a breathable atmosphere... Still, we should keep this ready, just in case."

Sunset nodded, walking to the other side of the container and hovering her hand above the sensor for the door. She exchange a nervous glance with Penn, who tightened his grip on the O2 tank and nodded. Sunset exhaled, emptying every drop of air from her lungs, and pressed the button. The doors slid open. Sunset's heart skipped a beat as she felt a difference in pressure between the two rooms pull a chunk of air out of their room, but by the time her ears had popped to accommodate they had already equalized. She glanced over at Penn, who seemed to be watching her with equal trepidation. Each of them was waiting for the other to take the first breath of alien air. Finally, she watched him let out a long sigh, then inhale deeply from the new air. His face scrunched up in displeasure, but he didn't panic immediately.

"Smells like tinfoil, but I think it's safe..."

Sunset took a deep breath. She didn't get the tinfoil scent that he claimed, but the air did smell... clean. She was standing on an alien spaceship, and there was no smell at all to the air. It was just... air.

"Why is there breathable air on a ship of alien war machines?" she whispered.

"Skaro had a breathable atmosphere, I guess it's tradition? Saves on energy for individual life support? I don't know..." Penn muttered. He reached into his pocket, unfolding a copy of the map Skye had gleaned from the data core.

Sunset did NOT like the individual she was entrusting with her life to shrugging off the question of how they could breathe, but Penn stepped out of the box and towards a door leading out of the airlock they had landed in.

"Okay, this way to the repair shop..." he whispered, motioning for her to follow. Sunset took a deep breath and reached up to her ear.

"Agent Coulson? We made it on board."

"Great! You're doing great, Sunset. Remember, no unnecessary risks!"

Sunset nodded and stepped out of their container. This was no time to be afraid. She had a job to do, a planet to save!

Now if only I could get that message across to my hands so they'd stop trembling...

Penn stepped to the side of the door frame and waved his hand, activating the door and causing it to slide aside. He poked the tiniest sliver of his head through. After a moment, he nodded in affirmation.

"Coast is clear. Follow me..."

The two of them tread carefully down the hallway. Sunset tried her best to balance speed and silence, keeping her footsteps light and matching Penn's pace. Everything around them was bronze and black, dimly lit by blinking lights behind warped glass panes. The hallways went on and on for what felt like miles. Every second, her heart pounded with fear at the thought that a Dalek could come rolling out from behind one of the countless doors that they were passing and alert the entire ship to their presence. Just ahead of her, she could see Penn constantly mouthing out numbers for every door they passed, glancing back at the map every few seconds. At last, he drew up short and pressed himself against the wall beside one of the doors. Sunset followed suit, placing her back to the wall and trying to make herself as small as possible. Penn pressed his finger to his lips, then pointed to the door. Sunset nodded.

As if I needed encouragement to keep quiet...

Penn reached out and waved his hand in front of the door, causing it to slide open. Inch by inch, he eased his way out around the corner. With a sudden and frantic motion, he pulled himself back out of sight, chest heaving up and down as he repressed his urge to scream in surprise.

Sunset guessed that there had been a Dalek on the other side, and readied herself to run. To her surprise, however, the silence remained unbroken.

Did they not see him?

Penn appeared equally surprised. Sunset watched as he took a long, deep breath, then turned back to the door. Sunset grabbed at his shoulder, yanking him back before he could peer around the corner again. Penn turned and stared at her, eyes frantically searching for any other reason she could have panicked before settling on her face.

Are you CRAZY? She mouthed the words noiselessly.

Penn shook his head, then pointed to the doorway before holding one hand flat and tiptoeing his fingers across it.

We won't make it! Sunset shook her head. Penn held both hands up to either side of her head, blocking off the corners of her vision.

Tunnel vision... He mouthed, bringing his hands in closer until all that she could see was his face to demonstrate his point. It made sense. Only having a single eye surely left the Daleks with a terrible field of view, which explained why the head of the one they'd fought before had been able to swivel completely around.

Sunset shook her head, taking the map from his hands to look for another path. As much as she hated to admit it, the next passageway to the repair room was nearly half a mile farther down the hallway they were standing in. It would be a huge risk to try to travel that far undetected.

Are you sure? she mouthed.

Penn leaned back, taking another glance through the door. With a nod of certainty, he stepped away from Sunset and into the hallway, disappearing from sight. Sunset screwed her eyes shut, waiting for cries of "Intruder alert!" and "Exterminate!" But the silence that meant their safety only continued to endure. With no choice but to continue, Sunset stepped out of hiding and into the hallway.

Daleks lined the walls, crammed back to back and side by side. Each one of them had their plunger-like appendage connected to what looked like a computer terminal and were facing the walls, their eyestalks pointed straight ahead. Standing in the center of it all was Penn, inching his way through by standing sideways and slipping through the gap between their backs. Sunset's jaw dropped. She'd been in roomier spaces when the whole band had been crammed into the back of a minivan! One wrong move and there would only be Daleks to fall onto!

Guess I can't make one wrong move... Sunset thought to herself, swallowing her fear and taking her first step down the hallway. None of the Daleks noticed as she slipped her body between them, turning sideways to keep herself as narrow as possible. She silently prayed to whatever gods were left that the Daleks wouldn't hear her heart pounding away in her chest. At the end of the hallway, Penn had nearly cleared the last pair of Daleks. Sunset watched with anticipation as he extricated himself from the line, triumphantly holding a fist to the sky. Sunset smiled, elated as he proved that it was possible to make it through undetected. The moment's distraction, however, was enough to throw off her careful balance as one of her ankles began to buckle. Her whole body lurched to the left as she desperately swung her arms to keep her balance. Just as she regained control, she heard a soft blushing sound as her hair swung out and collided with the back of the Dalek behind her. Sunset's eyes widened and her head turned meticulously to the side, trying to glean any sign that the Dalek had noticed her presence.

The eyestalk began to turn. Sunset ducked, cramming her body as low to the floor as she could without losing her balance. The Dalek's head turned one hundred and eighty degrees and the eyestalk flicked up and down. Sunset held her breath. After several seconds, the Dalek's head rotated the rest of the way to swivel back to its work. Sunset waited another ten seconds, taking the opportunity to peer down at her parter. Penn had hidden behind the last Dalek in the line, which was still totally engrossed in... whatever it was these Daleks were doing. When she finally felt the moment had passed, Sunset continued down the line with twice the care she'd been taking before. It was slow, but relatively safer. Time continued crawling along at a pace as slow as her own, but Sunset finally reached the end of the line, where Penn was waiting with both hands clasped over his mouth. Sunset rolled her eyes and pointed to the door before stepping to the side to make sure she was out of sight of whatever was on the other side. Penn nodded and did the same thing before waving his hand. The door slid open, revealing another empty hallway. The two of them eagerly stepped through to safety, each letting go of a sigh of relief when the door slid shut.

ARE YOU OKAY? Penn mouthed the word with such enthusiasm, Sunset could practically hear it. She simply nodded, placing her hand on her chest to try and slow her racing heart. This new hallway only went one way, with no other entrances than they way they had come in and no exits other than the one they stood facing.

Sunset took a few deep breaths to steady herself before motioning for Penn to lead the way.

I still can't believe that worked... she thought to herself as they approached the next door.

The process repeated itself several times without complication. They would approach a door, Penn would make sure the coast was clear, and they would silently slink through to the next hallway. Finally, they came to a stop outside an archway wider and taller than any door they'd seen so far. Penn grinned and pointed gleefully to their map: they were standing right outside the repair station. Penn peeked around the corner, motioning for Sunset to wait. Once again, he retracted violently backwards. At the same moment, a Dalek came rolling out of the room, passing directly by them with its gaze fixed straight ahead. Sunset moved one of her hands up to her mouth to repress a scream as it passed by close enough for her to have reached out and touched it with her hand.

In this moment, everything came down to which way the Dalek would turn. Their lives were in the hands of fate.

That was when she felt Penn's hand grab hers and pull hard. In less than a second, they had both thrown themselves around the doorway's edge and inside the room, hiding on the other side of the same wall. Sunset watched in horror as the Dalek turned in the direction they had come from and drove away.

If we'd stayed there, it would have seen us!

A glance to her side revealed Penn had let go of her hand and stumbled to the corner of the room, where he had collapsed to the floor in a way that made it look as if his knees had given out beneath him. All color was gone from his face and his chest was heaving up and down as he hyperventilated from the shock of what had just happened. Sunset moved towards him, but he simply held up a hand for her to stop, pointed to his eye, then rotated his finger in a circle. Sunset understood the meaning: look around.

The room was definitely different from any other she had seen on the ship: she was tempted to classify it as "messy." Broken and half-disassembled Daleks were all over the room. The majority appeared inactive, though Sunset could see at least three with glowing light still behind their eyestalks, but all three of them were without their guns. The lights on top of one's head were blinking on and off at a rapid pace, as if it were talking but no sound was coming out. Another turned its head to stare at her, but otherwise didn't react. The plating at the front of this one was open, revealing only an empty cavity where the organic creature should have been. The third one was different from the rest: painted with a white body instead of the standard bronze and bright gold accents. Half of the spheres on the bottom half were missing, along with the gun and at least three of the armor panels. It looked as if something organic had taken a bite out of the top half, leaving it with only the left side of its upper body and a cracked eye.

In this case, I'd say silence is golden. Nothing shouting "EX-TER-MIN-ATE!" is music to my ears! she thought to herself as she made her way up to the open-fronted Dalek and began to examine it. She reached inside her pocket, retrieving the modified data core. She examined the item in her hand, then the insides of the Dalek. She frowned as her search came up fruitless. There was no sign of a data core to replace in this one. She turned back to Penn from across the room, shrugging her shoulders. With no lack of strain, Penn staggered to his feet and crossed the room. He glanced at the inside for a moment, then mimed the act of snapping his fingers. With a careful grasp of the eyestalk, he pulled the front of the head downwards. In an almost comical manner, the top of the Dalek popped off on the other side like a bottle cap. Sunset rushed around to the other side, peering in from above. In the center of the Dalek's head was a pillar with the data core sitting on top. Sunset grinned and reached inside, plucking the device from its place. With her other hand, he carefully placed their modified version where the old one had been. The machinery gave a satisfied click and a hum as a three-part case folded up around the data core and retracted into its proper place. Sunset stepped away as Penn released his grip, letting the top of the Dalek click back into place.

"REPAIRS COMPLETE! NEW DATA CORE AC-CEPT-ED!" the empty Dalek announced.

Sunset and Penn looked at once another. Penn's delighted grin was all the confirmation Sunset needed that their mission was completed. Penn pointed to his ear with the communicator, mouthing the words Call it in? Sunset shook her head, drawing her fingers across her lips in the motion of a zipper. Penn nodded and pointed towards the open doorway, and Sunset nodded in agreement. It was time to go.

The two of them tiptoed across the room and back up against the wall. Penn peeked around the corner, smiled, and motioned for Sunset to follow. As they made their way back towards their spaceship-box, Sunset took extra care to monitor her own actions. This was the most dangerous part of any task: the home stretch. This was where people got sloppy. Together, the two of them made their way back through empty hallway after empty hallway until they were standing in a hallways she remembered too well. The next room was the one where they had nearly been caught. Penn paused before he opened the doorway, nodding to the closed door and mouthing You ready?

Sunset took a deep breath to steady her nerves. She had made a mistake last time. This time, she would be perfect. She steeled her gaze, looked directly into Penn's eyes, and nodded.

It was at that moment that the door on the other end of the hallway opened of its own accord, revealing a Dalek staring directly at them. Even the Dalek seemed surprised, backing off slightly. It took less than a second to recover, however, rolling towards them at what Sunset could only assume was its maximum ground speed.

"INTRUDERS DETECTED! EX-TER-MIN-ATE!"

What happened next was a blur for Sunset. It was as if time slowed to a crawl. She saw the blast of light leave the Dalek's gun, pointed directly at Penn. She felt panic well up in her, only to suddenly be replaced by an overwhelming peace, a moment of "zen" among the tides of hysteria. She felt something in her hand, her thumb pressed up against a switch. She knew where the blast was going. She knew where it would be. Where she could send it. Sunset Shimmer made her move and pushed the switch.

The blast ricocheted back down the hallway and straight down the Dalek's eyestalk, blowing it to smithereens. Sunset heard the hum of plasma and looked down into her hand.

It was the empty handle from the hardware store. She didn't even remember reaching down to grab it from her belt, but it was there in her hand. Now, however, the handle was no longer empty. A long blade of red light had extended from the hilt, humming with power as Sunset held it at a protective angle between the Dalek and Penn's body. Penn's eyes were wide with shock as he pressed himself to the wall.

"IS THAT A LIGHTSABER?" he screamed, shattering the silence that the two of them had kept since they'd boarded the ship. Before Sunset could even attempt to answer, the lights in the ship turned red and the voice of a Dalek rang across unseen speakers.

"A-LERT! A-LERT! INTRUDERS DETECTED! MAXIMUM EXTERMINATION!"

Sunset shook her head and waved her hand at the motion sensor, opening the door in front of them.

"No time! COME ON!" She grabbed Penn's hand and yanked him into the next room. There was no attempt to be sneaky this time, Sunset could see that the Daleks in this room were disconnecting themselves from their tasks. Instead they two of them barreled down the center of the line at top speed, trying to get through before the Daleks even knew they were there. Sunset felt a single beam fly past her shoulder as they rounded the corner and thanked the heavens that these Daleks appeared to have awful aim.

"Coulson! We got the data core planted, but we've been made! We're going to be coming in hot!" Penn shouted, using his free hand to activate his earpiece.

"Get out of there, NOW! We just wiped out the last of the scouts, we'll all be waiting to cover your exit on this side!"

Sunset took what comfort she could from the statement. Now what mattered most was to get out alive and back to Earth. Their team would have her back covered from here. Suddenly, she felt a jerk on her arm that nearly pulled it out of its socket.

"Sunset, here! It's THIS door!" Penn shouted, pulling her to the side and waving at the sensor frantically. The door opened, revealing the most welcoming ramshackle spacecraft Sunset had ever seen.

"EX-TER-MIN-ATE!" a voice came from ahead of them, and Sunset felt a powerful shove on her back. She stumbled forward and into the airlock, switching the plasma sword back off to avoid impaling herself. Her momentum carried her into the room and through the doors of the container, only barely managing to catch herself on the control panel.

The doors of the container slammed shut and the hoverskirt activated on its own, which appeared to activate the outside door automatically.

"What? NO, STOP!" Sunset began to frantically scramble for the controls with her left hand, only to find them unresponsive. Realization dawned on her as she slowly lifted her right hand, trembling and quaking with fear.

She had pressed the red button. The ship was auto-piloting itself back to Earth.

"NO! NO NO NO NO!" She screamed, repeatedly pulling on the joystick to try and turn herself around, only for it to snap off of the control panel in her hand. With tears in her eyes she reached up to her earpiece.

"I- I tripped! I tripped and hit the red button and nowIcan'tturnitaroundandPENNISSTILLINTHEREHELPMEPLEASE!"

"You WHAT?" Coulson's voice came back. "Sunset, you need to talk more slowly, I can't understand you!

"The box took off without me, Coulson..." Penn's voice replied, breathless and on the verge of cracking. "I- I managed to lock myself in another airlock, but it won't be long until they figure out where I'm hiding..."

"Penn, I'm SORRY!" Sunset tried to hold back a sob as the box piloted itself further and further from the ship. "I didn't mean to!"

"Don't worry about it... accidents happen, right? I pushed you too hard." Penn's voice held a terrifying resignation to it.

"Penn, you're the expert, TELL ME there's another way off that ship!" Coulson demanded.

"Coulson, Daleks ARE spaceships, they don't NEED escape pods. I could try to find a teleport or a transmat or something, but I don't know what they look like or how to use them, it'd be a shot in the dark! The only thing that gets off a Dalek ship alive is a-" Penn's words cut off suddenly, and Sunset felt fear for the worst race through her.

"Penn? PENN?"

"I have an idea. You go on ahead, Sunny. I'll find my own way."

"Penn? Penn, please don't go!" Sunset was overwhelmed by a wave of exhaustion as her head felt like it was spinning. She slumped against the wall of the container as darkness crawled into the corners of her vision. "Please... I don't want to be alone again..."

As the world outside faded to black, Sunset Shimmer was alone, floating through the not-technically-cold vacuum of space by herself because she'd ruined the life of another friend she didn't deserve. Coulson's voice was chattering away in her ear, but it quickly grew softer and softer as it proved itself unable to follow her into unconsciousness.

"Fitz! I need you to be ready to pilot that thing back! Ward! May! Grab... guns... I'll... operation... save..."

Penn yanked the earpiece out of his ear and stuffed it into his pocket. His brain was running a mile a minute and he couldn't afford to trip up, mentally or physically.

Forty-five! Fourty-six! Fourty-SEVEN! he counted off the doors and leaped into the hallway, pushing and shoving his way through the crowded Daleks in the hall. He felt dull pains all over his shoulders and limbs as his speed sent him bouncing off of metal body after metal body, but no searing hot pain of a laser blast. He kept going, sliding his way under the door to avoid waiting for it to open entirely.

Help is coming, why risk all of this? Find a place to hide and stay there! the voice of Reason ordered.

SHIELD is good, but they're not "Dalek Mothership Rescue" good. Besides, what if one of them is killed? They're in the first half of the first season at BEST, what happens to the rest and the other four seasons? Paradox! I HAVE to get back on my own! Penn replied to himself as he blew past the Dalek Sunset had killed with the random lightsaber. He would have to think about THAT set of questions later.

Twelve doors down right, down two halls, and back thirty-two more doors, followed by four more halls and sixteen more doors! If you stop sprinting and take it slow, you CAN sneak your way there! Take your time! Reason commanded.

They probably have some kind of scanning technology they can use to find me, slowing down means death! Just have an awful lot of running to do! Penn retorted as he leaned into his next turn and began counting off doors as fast as he could. Thanks for remembering the way!

At the mention of the title, he could hear the opening guitar strums of Chameleon Circuit's song, "An Awful Lot of Running." He reached up and pounded his palm against his temple to kick the mental jukebox.

No time for songs, unless they're fast! Fast- gotta go faster! he pushed his legs harder and faster, trying to ignore the Sonic X theme that had begun playing in the back of his head. It was serviceable.

You have no idea how to do what you're planning on doing! This is just as much a shot in the dark as trying to find a teleport! Reason shouted.

Well, I KNOW where to find this one! Now do me a favor and pull up our memories of "The Witch's Familiar!" Season 9-

SERIES Nine- Reason corrected.

SERIES 9, episode two!

Penn's lungs were beginning to burn and he could taste phlegm rising up from the back of his throat.

You are NOT an endurance runner. You should save your strength for when you're being shot at-

"EX-TERMINATE!" a blue-and-silver Dalek shouted as it slid out from a door in front of them. Penn dove to the side, barely avoiding being shot and driving his already-sore shoulder into the wall as he rebounded off and tried to regain his former pace. He could feel a familiar tightness in his chest binding his breathing.

You go on a quest to find the Rainbooms across time and space and don't think to put your inhaler in your pocket? Reason chided.

You know, you are NOT being helpful right now! Penn thought as he staggered his way back into the repair room. He reached down into his pocket, retrieving a small multi-tool. It was no sonic screwdriver, but it serve his purposes just fine. So do something nice, and tell me which wire I need to cut!

He closed his eyes, trying to recall the episode. He could see bits and pieces as he sorted through the unimportant details, finally reaching the scene he was looking for. He could SEE it, but he couldn't be sure where it was or which one.

You can't do this, it won't work! The odds of cutting the right wire are-

If a disarmed crazy time lady with a pointed stick can do it, so can I! Penn cut off Reason's whining and reached up into the empty Dalek, yanking out a wire that matched his memory. So shut up and pray, already!

All of this wouldn't be necessary if your cards had worked... You're not worthy. You're weak. You're not doing it right. You screwed up. It's your own fault you're stuck here and going to die. Reason gave way to Depression, and Penn shoved them both to the back of his mind to be tormented by the Sonic X theme on repeat. He'd gotten what he needed. Now all he needed was faith. He snipped the wire in two with the pocket tool and shoved it back into his pants before seating himself amid all of the assorted machinery and electronics of the Dalek.

"My cards might not be real, but let's see if I can't pull off a little banned spell, anyway..." he muttered, pressing the tips of the wires against his temples. Shooting, stabbing pain came from both sides of his head, leaving him in a blur. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see a blurry bronze shape coming into view.

"EX-"

Run away!

"TER-"

It didn't work!

"MIN-"

You can't die! I need you, too!

"ATE!"

In that moment, caught between a chance at survival and the certainty of death, another voice started talking: a memory of only a few minutes ago.

"Please... I don't want to be alone again..."

Every sense sharpened as fear was overwhelmed by outrage. His friend thought that he had left her alone in the universe. That he had abandoned her. That... was unacceptable.

Penn's gun fired first, obliterating the other Dalek. The armored plating slid into its proper place and his view of the outside world was reduced to a blue-tinted display of a fish-eye lens.

"Well, whaddya know? I activated the spell card 'Change of Heart!'"

You are such a nerd. Reason chided.

Penn took it as a compliment.

And was the Sonic X theme SERIOUSLY STILL STUCK IN HIS HEAD AFTER SOMETHING SO COOL JUST HAPPENED?

"Sunset? Sunset, wake up!"

Sunset cracked her eyes open, finding herself staring into the face of Agent Coulson, who gave her a relieved smile.

"Thank goodness you're awake. Welcome home, Agent."

Sunset glanced around, trying to understand where she was. She was still in the container, but the doors were wide open, revealing the dead grass of West Texas. Coulson was knelt on the ground beside her, one hand on her shoulder to keep her in a sitting position in the corner.

"Simmons! Get over here and make sure she's okay!"

Almost instantly Jemma came through the doors, kneeling beside Coulson and shining a light into her eyes. Sunset flinched away from the bright spot, but it was quickly switched off and replaced by a hand on her forehead.

"Proper light response from the pupils, no sign of a fever... Sunset, do you think you can walk?"

Sunset gave her legs an experimental kick. They seemed responsive enough.

"Y-yeah..."

"Okay, good! That's good!" Coulson encouraged as he and Jemma each put a hand under one of her shoulders and lifted her to her feet, draping her arms across two sets of shoulders. Seconds later she was back outside in the fresh air and blistering sunshine. As her blood began to flow a little faster to her brain, Sunset realized what had made her pass out, to begin with.

"PENN! Where's Penn? Did you get him? Is he safe?"

Simmons frowned and glanced up at Coulson. Coulson didn't look at Sunset, keeping his eyes locked straight ahead.

"That's our next mission. Fitz is already working on repairing the controls. We have weapons that can kill these things, we can send Ward and May in for an armed extraction." Sunset felt an attempt at a reassuring pat on the back that wasn't very reassuring.

"We'll find him, I promise."

Sunset shook herself free of their shoulders and reached to her belt, feeling the empty hilt back in its proper place. She raised her hand to her forehead in a loyal salute.

"Then I'm ready for the next mission, sir."

Coulson looked confused while Simmons's jaw dropped in shock.

"Y-you're joking, right?" Simmons asked. "You're not in any condition to go back out there!"

"The whole reason I'm IN good condition is because Penn pushed me out of the way of an attack! I never got hurt! I'm ready to go back in and save him!" She reached down to her belt, grabbing the empty hilt and flicking the switch. Once again,the blade of red light jumped out, prepared to slice through anything she turned it on. Coulson's eyes grew wide.

"Is that a REAL-LIFE LIGHTSABER?"

"Incoming!" Agent May's voice shouted. High above them, a Dalek appeared from the portal, only to be blasted to pieces by a laser blast from the ground.

Agent Ward approached from the side, holding one of the Dalek guns in his hand. "We've been blowing these things out of the sky ever since we got back, I think they've been trying to follow you- is that a lightsaber?" he asked, pointing at the sword.

Sunset was starting to get the idea that this thing was called a "lightsaber."

"Another one!" May shouted, opening fire. This time, however, the blast wasn't enough to destroy the Dalek, knocking it off of its path and sending it spiraling to the ground in a trail of smoke.

"I think that one survived..." Simmons whispered.

"Hold your fire! Maybe if we take this one alive, we can trade it for our man! Or at least get some information out of it!" Coulson called. Everyone rushed to the crater where the Dalek had landed. It was still smoking from a large hole near the top of the dome, exposed wires sparking and arcing inside. Ward and May both kept their guns trained on it, ready to fire at a moment's notice as Simmons, Sunset and Coulson caught up.

Staring down at the monster, Sunset couldn't contain her disgust. Penn had been right: these things were the antithesis of everything she and her friends stood for, and now they had taken her new friend away from her.

"My name is Agent Philip Coulson, I represent the Strategic Homeland Intervention Logistics Division," Coulson announced with practiced ease. "You are being held as a member of an invading alien force and we ARE authorized to use lethal force! State your name, species, and intent!"

"I AM A DALEK! I AM A DALEK! I HAVE COME... TO SEE... THE END OF DAY!" The Dalek seemed to be struggling to say anything outside of its normal one-word vocabulary of "Exterminate."

"End of days? Are Daleks religious? Could there be a theological connotation?" Simmons pondered, hiding slightly behind Coulson.

"It's a machine and it's broken. It's not going to make sense." Agent Ward took aim. "I say we eliminate the threat and get ready to send in the extraction team as planned."

Coulson took a deep breath, then nodded.

"Do it. We can't waste time."

Sunset couldn't say she wasn't happy with the decision.

"END OF THE DAY! MERCY! END OF THE DAY! MERCY! MERCY!" the Dalek began to repeat over and over.

End of the day? What's so special about he end of the-

Deep, deep in Sunset's mind, something clicked.

"WAIT!" She jumped up and shove the barrel of Ward's gun up, firing it harmlessly into the air. She positioned herself in front of the Dalek, blocking any more potential shots with her own body.

"Sunset, what are you DOING?" Coulson shouted. "Get away from that thing, it'll kill you!"

"I figured it out! 'End of the day!' What happens at the end of the day?" she urged, pleading with them to understand.

The other agents looked at one another in confusion, but Simmons's eyes went wide.

"The end of the day is SUNSET! Oh my word, it's calling your name!"

Behind her, Sunset heard the hiss of pressurized air escaping. Looking down, she watched the armor plating of the Dalek expand and part, revealing a familiar face sitting inside. He was thoroughly covered in bruises and had trickles of blood running from the places two wires connected to his head, but it was unmistakably Penn.

"Itsh me..." he mumbled, his eyes rolling back into his head as he passed out.

"I AM A DALEK!" shouted the Dalek.

"PENN!" Sunset leaped down into the crater, examining him from head to toe. He was in sorry shape, completely unconscious, but still breathing. "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."

"Simmons, go wake up Fitz. I get the feeling it's going to take both of you to get him out of there..." Coulson whispered.

"Right away, sir!"

"Well, I'll admit it... I'm impressed." Ward muttered, lowering the gun for good. "Wiring himself inside one of those things to get home? Just when you think you've seen everything on this job..."

Sunset wasn't listening. She was just happy to have one of her friends back.

On the Road Again

"Uuuurgh..."

Sunset's head snapped up from the book she was trying to read. She rushed out of her seat and across the room to the bunk where the sound was coming from.

Once they'd managed to extract him from the Dalek, they'd laid him down in one of the bunks to rest. It had been nearly eight hours that she had been waiting for him to wake up. Outside, the world was growing dark as the sun fell beyond the horizon. Sunset rushed up to the door of the bunk, only to stop herself from slamming the door open. Startling Penn was likely the last thing she wanted to do. She rapped her knuckles twice against the door before pulling it aside with an excruciating level of self-control.

Penn's face was half-covered in mottled black and blue bruises, and a healthy-sized welt on his forehead. His exposed arms were equally battered, with wrappings on his left forearm and right upper arm where he had been slashed by the Dalek's interior mechanisms in the crash.

"Hey... are you okay?"

Penn made a feeble-looking attempt to sit up, mostly resulting in his head lifting slightly off the pillow. A second later his expression twisted into a grimace of pain and he fell back onto his pillow.

"My... everything hurts." he groaned.

"Simmons patched you up as best she could, but we didn't want to risk trying to move you to a hospital." Sunset carefully sat herself on the edge of the bed. "Penn, this is my-"

"Sunset..." his voice descended into a growl. Sunset didn't flinch, but she braced herself for whatever punishment was coming. She knew she deserved it.

"I have neither the patience nor the energy... to deal with your self-loathing." Penn grumpily made a halfhearted attempt to punch at her thigh, only to hiss through his teeth as the impact hurt himself more than her. After a few seconds, the pain seemed to recede enough for him to talk again. "Blame yourself one more time and I'll... I'll..." he let out a long sigh. "I'll... draw a blank on clever references to make."

Despite the situation, Sunset felt laughter beginning to bubble up from deep inside. She managed to keep herself from bursting into chuckles out of respect for his situation, but she did feel the weight on her shoulders lift a bit.

"I mean, seriously, how do you threaten somebody who's powered by 'the magic of friendship?'" He let out a weak chuckle, then shakily raised his hand towards her. "Now... help me up, would you?"

Sunset's eyes widened in surprise as she stared at his offered hand.

"You're kidding, right?"

Penn rolled his eyes.

"This is a REALLY uncomfortable bed. I want to go home and get in mine."

Sunset frowned. "You shouldn't even be moving right now. In good conscience, I couldn't-"

"Ha." Penn's offered hand shifted into a accusatory finger. "You DO still have a good conscience!"

Sunset blinked, not following his logic. "What?"

"Well, a good conscience means that, deep down, you KNOW you're not guilty!" Penn flashed her a weak grin and winked with his non-bruised eye. "Now, use that clear conscience to help me get up!"

That logic was almost Pinkie-Pie-levels of twisted.

Sunset rolled her eyes. "You know that wasn't what I meant by 'in good conscience.' And I'm still not moving you anywhere until Simmons gives you the all-clear. You fell out of the sky in a glorified tin can hard enough to leave a crater!"

Penn flashed her a cocky smirk.

"I survived all of that and you think standing up will kill me?"

Sunset slapped her palm against her forehead.

"Would you just be reasonable? Act your age!"

Penn took his turn to roll his eyes.

"Well, I WOULD ask for a book, but all my books are in my car. You know, the car we left behind because you wanted to ride in the fancy armored vehicle?"

Sunset sighed.

"There's plenty of books on this plane. Any requests?"

Penn pondered the question for a few seconds. "Fablehaven. Or Eragon! Eragon is one of my favorites! Anything with dragons in it, really. The Fire Within! The Dragon Rider! Oh, that author, Cornelia Funke, also wrote this AWESOME book called Inkheart! You've gotta read it!"

Sunset chuckled and gave him a pat on the shoulder.

"I'm sure I can find one of those. Be back in a sec."

"Thanks, Sunset."

Sunset nodded and stood up from the bed, sliding the door shut behind her. The truth was that most of the reading materials on the plane were technical manuals and protocol guidelines. Trying to track down anything more interesting than an encyclopedia was her mission for three of the eight hours he'd been asleep, all fruitless. But if it was enough to keep him from getting up and hurting herself, she was willing to try again.

Before she could start on her search, however, Coulson stepped through the door. He glanced at the still-shut door of Penn's temporary bunk and leaned in to whisper.

"So, how's he doing?"

Sunset smiled.

"Antsy. Thinks he can walk it off. I think Simmons did too good of a job!" The two of them spared a moment to chuckle. "I told him I'd find something for him to read if he'd stay put."

"Did he ask for anything in particular? Maybe we could track it down together?" Sunset could see right through Coulson, judging by the way he kept stealing glances at her belt.

"You want to see the lightsaber again, don't you?"

"Please?"

Sunset sighed, beginning to reach for the device, only to pause. She had an idea.

"Does SHIELD have any way to get Penn's car here? He seemed pretty upset about leaving it behind."

"Sunset, we're a secret government organization with advanced technology and deep pockets. Of course we can move an Oldsmobile a few miles!"

Sunset smiled and reached down to her belt, handing the handle to Coulson.

"I want it back after five minutes. All of Penn's favorite books are in his car. Think you can make it happen?"

Coulson held the saber with an almost reverent air before raising one hand up to his ear.

"Ward? Go get Penn's car, would you? Take one of the controller units and have it follow you back. We think he might have left... something important in the trunk. Thank you." After a moment, Coulson grinned and pressed the button on the hilt, causing the bright red blade to emerge.

"Not as random or as clumsy as a blaster. An elegant weapon for a more... civilized age," he whispered.

Sunset knew an opportunity to get free information when she saw it. "So... what is it, exactly? You and Penn both recognized it, but I honestly have no idea what it is."

Coulson stared at her in disbelief as he swung the weapon from side to side. As it traveled through the air, the blade's hum increased and decreased in pitch to match its speed.

"What is it? Only one of the best weapons in all of science fiction! It's the weapon of a Jedi Knight, peacekeepers from a long time ago... in a galaxy far, far away..." Coulson replied as he swung the tip in a small circle. "It can cut through almost anything like butter, leave any wound it inflicts perfectly cauterized and even deflect blaster bolts and energy weapons!" He paused for a moment, bringing the blade dangerously close to his face to stare directly at it.

"Although... the color worries me a bit. Jedi don't use red lightsabers." He gave Sunset a wary glance. "You said you just... found this? In the hardware store where you fought the first Dalek?" Sunset nodded.

"It felt like it was calling out to me. It just felt right in my hand. But if those 'Jedi' don't use red lightsabers, who DOES?"

"Sith. They're Jedi who embraced the dark side of their powers, gave in to fear and hatred."

Sunset felt herself cringe.

"So... the bad guys?"

"Yeah. So bad, only two could ever manage to work together at a time, master and student! And the student always killed the master, in the end."

It figured. All of her friends had forgiven her, along with the whole of CHS and even Princess Celestia, herself! But it looked like the universe itself still hadn't forgotten about her past. There was still some part of fate that designated her as "evil," no matter how much she changed.

"B-but the color suits you! It matches your hair! And your complexion!" Coulson seemed to notice her hurt feelings and began to quickly backpedal on his statement. After his corrections fell flat, he sighed and switched the blade back off again before handing it back to her.

"Sunset, look. No matter what the color, it's just a tool. The blade might have a past with someone else, but what really matters is what you choose to do with it today. You said that you managed to save Penn from a Dalek with it, right? A Sith would have just saved their own lousy hide and run for it."

Sunset gripped the handle tight. Despite knowing that it was a weapon that had most likely been used for evil in the past, it still felt right for her, as if it had been made specifically for her hand. She wasn't sure whether that was good or bad, any more, but it was what it was. Whatever kind of statement the universe was trying to make about her, she wasn't buying it.

Besides, Rarity would be devastated if she found out Sunset had thrown away an accessory that was both life-savingly practical AND complimented her outfit.

"Thanks, Agent Coulson. I appreciate it."

Sunset heard the light rustling of a sliding door moving, and both of them turned to see Penn,standing shakily on his feet, mid-escape. He seemed equally surprised to see them, smiling and awkwardly chuckling.

"Whoops."

Sunset and Coulson glanced at one another. Sunset nodded towards her friend, leaving the matter to the superior officer. Coulson rolled his eyes before walking over and looping Penn's arm around his shoulder.

"You know, last time somebody went through what you did, he was out eating shawarma about fifteen minutes later. You were out cold for eight hours, so you've got to be hungry, right?"

"Starving!"

As Coulson and Penn walked away, Sunset noticed Skye sitting in the corner. After a moment, she walked over and took a seat beside her, letting out a long sigh.

"Agent Coulson's a pretty nice guy."

Skye nodded. "I wouldn't be sticking around here with a bunch of government suits if he wasn't. Coulson dragged me out of my van to help him track down someone with powers, it wasn't exactly what I'd call a good first impression. But after that guy started to lose control and was about to literally explode, Coulson risked his life to talk him down. For a member of a faceless government organization with little to no restrictions, he's surprisingly... human. After that, I decided to stick around for a while, lend help where I could if they were planning to keep protecting people. So far, they haven't let me down."

"Reminds me of my friends back home." Sunset smiled and reached up to her geode. "I used to be... pretty awful. I thought friends were for people too weak to get anything done on their own. I only focused on gathering my own power, even it was only enough to dominate a school. Things got so far out of hand that I... almost made an awful mistake. I nearly hurt people in a way that I couldn't ever take back. But then they all came together and showed that their friendship was stronger than anything I could become on my own! And when I was beaten, they offered me their hands and let me be a part of it. They changed my life! We've all been like family ever since, totally inseparable... Until now."

Skye reached over and gripped Sunset's shoulder.

"And now I don't even know what happened to them in all this madness, and it's all my fault! I dragged Penn into this and he got hurt, almost KILLED! I just... I messed up. Worse than I ever have before. And now I don't know if I can fix it."

"Well, I'm not exactly an expert on friends, I've always been pretty alone, but... if there's anything I've learned around here, it's that even if you made a mess yourself, real friends won't leave you to fix it alone. Wherever they are, I'm absolutely sure that they're looking just as hard for you as you are for them. The important thing is not to give up."

Sunset hadn't thought of that. Somewhere, Applejack was probably fighting just as hard to find her. Fluttershy was certainly out there braving her fears for her friends. Rainbow Dash's one-track mind probably hadn't even noticed the multiverse being broken. Rarity and Twilight had probably already come up with their own plans to track her down! Sunset smiled as she envisioned Pinkie's madness spreading across other worlds in her own frantic search.

Her friends were OUT THERE. And they were all searching for each other at once. That love and enthusiasm, combined with the bond of their friendship and the Elements of Harmony, made it impossible that they would fail to find each other. That was first certainty Sunset had felt since this insanity began, and it formed a bedrock under her feet.

"Thanks, Skye..." She smiled and rose to her feet and tightened her fists with determination. "I promise, I'll never give up!"

"Hel-LOOO beautiful!" Penn rushed forward and practically threw himself onto the driver's-side door of his car, wrapping his arms around what little of it he could reach. "Oh, I missed you!"

Sunset chuckled. Somehow, she could imagine that this was what happened EVERY time Penn spent an extended period of time away from home. With a long sigh of relief, he yanked the door open and collapsed into the seat.

"Now I can stay put and rest..."

"Boys and cars..." Skye chuckled to herself as she walked up beside Sunset. "What's with that, anyway? Like, I've met guys who seemed to love their cars more than their girlfriends, and people just act like that's normal!"

Sunset shrugged. She could remember many a long evening when Flash Sentry had insisted on covering himself in dirt and grime for the sake of his ridiculous "muscle car." While working on their tour bus with the rest of the Rainbooms had felt pretty rewarding, she didn't feel like she'd needed to kiss the thing when she was finished. "My ex-boyfriend used to spend a lot of time on his car. It always seemed like there was something that needed fixing or tuning up. I didn't care too much, it kept him out of trouble."

And out of the way of my bullying...

Penn cleared his throat, catching both of their attention.

"That's because my car also puts bread on the table, and it has for two years! Without it, I'd have been out of a job! I take care of her and she takes care of me!"

Skye raised an eyebrow in surprise, but Sunset simply shrugged. It didn't make a lot of sense to her to treat a machine like it was alive, but maybe that was just because she'd built and disassembled so many doing her research. Hearing footsteps on the ramp behind her, Sunset saw Coulson walking out to join them.

"You two leaving already? Feels like we were just getting to know you!"

"Well, it's up to Penn-"

"It's Sunset's call, but-"

Sunset and Penn both looked at one another in surprise.

"Well... It IS your friends we're looking for. I'm just the chauffeur!" Penn leaned back in his seat. "It's all your call, Sunset. I'm ready to go whenever you are."

Sunset thought carefully.

"I guess I'm ready now, if you want to go..." She reached into her pocket, retrieving the leather wallet and handing it back to Coulson. "These were only temporary, right? For this one mission to stop the Daleks?"

Coulson pondered the badge before pushing it back into her hands.

"Keep it. SHIELD can open a lot of doors, and we owe you one for going out there and risking everything. Maybe it can help you find your friends. Besides, you never know when the Daleks might come back! We could need your help again, some day!"

Sunset looked down at the badge, then up at Coulson. With a wide smile, she slipped the badge into her back pocket and gave a quick salute. Penn did the same from the seat of his car, straightening his tired posture as best he could.

"Thank you, sir!"

Coulson smiled and gave her a firm handshake before turning and walking back inside the plane. "I wish you luck!"

Skye smiled, opting to give Sunset a short hug.

"You'll find them. I'm sure of it."

Sunset nodded.

"Thank you for helping me, Skye..."

There was a brief pause before Skye released her.

"Sorry Fitz and Simmons can't come say goodbye, but they're already working on trying to figure out where that rift came from and how they can close it! Knowing those two, they're probably going to have a few more sleepless nights before they solve it, but they'll get it done."

Sunset felt guilt weighing in her chest for a moment. Would it be better to confess her part in everything? If she did, she'd also have to explain magic, which would mean explaining that she was from a different universe, which would tip off these people that they were from one of this world's TV shows, as well-

Her train of thought was cut off as Skye gave her a soft pat on the shoulder.

"You two saved the world from aliens! Would it kill you to smile a little more?"

Sunset felt the guilt ease a bit, and she flashed Skye a toothy grin. Saving the whole world WAS a nice step up from saving a single high school, after all.

"Better! I guess I'll see you later, right?"

Sunset nodded. "Of course! Next time the world needs saving!"

Skye grinned. "Well, maybe not THAT soon!"

The two shared a short giggle before parting in different directions. Skye walked back onto the plane as Sunset made her way to Penn's passenger door. The fabric seat felt less alien than the first time she'd entered the car. At this point, even the creepy doll hanging from the rearview mirror was a welcome helping of "normal" after their space adventure. Penn slipped the key into the ignition and cranked the engine to squeaky, jittery life.

"So... where to first?"

Sunset tried to think back to their earlier plans. It felt like an eternity since they had been sat together on the floor of Penn's home, planning their route.

"Well, I guess we should go-" suddenly, she was cut off by a familiar humming noise and a vibrating feeling against her throat. She looked down, pulling on her geode to get a better look at it. It was glowing and humming with energy. As if it had realized that she was paying attention, the humming stopped and the stone tugged itself in a direction to her ten o'clock. After a moment, it repeated itself, with greater force.

Is... is it pointing in the direction of the others?

Sunset pointed her finger in the direction the geode had been pulling: further out and away from Seminole, down the highway.

"That way."

Penn smiled and shifted the car into gear, lurching forward and quickly matching the speed limit posted on the sign.

"Magical compass? I like it!"

Sunset had to admit, she agreed. It was incredibly convenient, to say the least.

Hang in there, girls... I'm not giving up! I'll find you!

So Delicious and Moist

"Sunset!"

Sunset started from her slouched position, unconsciously grabbing at the door handle with one hand and the center console with the other.

"Uwha- I'm awake!"

Penn only chuckled in response, equally slouched back into the driver's seat.

"I think it might be time to set up camp for the night."

"What? But it's only..." Sunset glanced down at the car radio. "Woah. Eight-thirty already? How long was I out?"

"Just an hour. I figured I'd let you rest until the sun was almost gone. Not like there's been much to see..." Penn sighed, craning his neck from side to side.

"What are you looking for?"

"Well, you haven't exactly found the richest driver in the world, so we're not going to be staying in five-star hotels while we look for your friends... or any hotels, for that matter." He jabbed his thumb towards the back of the car. "I tried being a boy scout for a while. Didn't like it, but I learned how to set up a decent campsite! So I brought along a tent and some supplies. Does that sound okay to you?"

Sunset nodded. "Sounds great! It'll be just like being back at Camp Everfree!" She glanced around them, taking in the numerous, numerous shades of brown being so vividly lit but the setting sun. "Just with... fewer trees... and more sand..."

"Perfect! Now we just need to find a spot with some halfway decent protection from the elements... There!" He pointed over the steering wheel to a place where the landscape dipped. "The wind won't blow us away down there!"

The car carefully edged off of the highway, finally coming to a stop in the sandy dirt. Penn gave a satisfied sigh and shifted the car into park.

"Well... shall we?"

Sunset smiled and nodded, cracking open the door and stepping out. She spent nearly a full minute stretching while Penn popped open the trunk and fetched a small bag.

"Man, it feels good to stretch my legs! I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss the tour bus... I could get up, stretch my legs once every couple hours!"

"Shhh!" Penn clasped his hands over one of the rearview mirrors as if he were covering the ears of a child. "Syl might hear you!"

Sunset raised an eyebrow. "Syl?"

"Yeah! Good old Sylvia, here!" He affectionately moved one of his hands to the roof of the car and gave it a gentle rub. "And she's got twice the fuel economy and three times the maneuverability of a big old tour bus!"

"Penn, that car is old enough to legally drink. And I'll have you know, the Rainbooms' tour bus used to get thirty miles to the gallon! We put that engine together pretty well, if I say so myself!"

Penn was taken aback for a moment, then his expression changed to a sour pout. He gave the car one last pat and slung the tent bag over his shoulder.

"Only in a world of magic and rainbows could a tour bus that size get thirty miles to the gallon..." he muttered as he sulked past her. "S'not fair... Probably a hybrid, too..."

Sunset raised a hand to hide her snicker. She considered telling him that the bus wasn't a hybrid, but it COULD run on recycled fry oil. Of course, Twilight had planed on adding an electric system, but it was going to require much more thorough changes and expensive parts. But he seemed put-out enough at the fact that she had one-upped him on fuel economy, so she'd save that bombshell for another time.

She hurried over to the spot Penn had picked for assembling the tent. As the two of them began the process of setting up their shelter for the night, she tried to find a topic to fill the silence.

"So... why Sylvia?" Sunset asked, driving one of the stakes into the dusty ground with the heel of her foot.

"Well, it's kind of silly... It's from this kids' show." Penn dusted off his hands as he finished with his second stake.

Sunset picked up two corners of the tent while Penn took the two opposite. The two of them spread the tent to its full size, which was admittedly smaller than she expected. The two of them paused to stare at one another as silence fell, and Sunset made a small motion with her hand for him to continue.

"It's this show called 'Wander Over Yonder.' These two characters, Wander and his buddy Sylvia, are travelling the universe together. Wander's like a little kid, full of shock and awe for the beauty of the universe, and Sylvia's his no-nonsense, tough-as-nails travelling companion that keeps him in line. Wander will get into some kind of well-meaning trouble by wanting to help every person in the galaxy, and Sylvia will get him out of it, usually learning some kind of moral about appreciating life's little joys along the way..."

Sunset grabbed the end of the pole he had threaded through the upper part of the tent.

"Sounds like a cool show!"

"It is! They keep running into this villain called 'Lord Hater' and Wander's silliness and optimism drive him NUTS!" Penn seemed to be loosening up the more he talked. "But he's kinda incompetent, and it all just turns into this hilarious chase from one side of the galaxy to the other and back again!"

"So... why use that name for your car?"

"Well, when I bought it from a friend from church, I had been waking up at four-fifteen every morning to make it to my lousy retail job, then walking back at the hottest part of the day after a nine-hour shift! I was getting five miles of walking in a day, and I'd already spent an entire winter walking to work in a year of record-breaking snowfall! It felt like a miracle from heaven to have that car show up in my life- second pole!"

"I've got it." Sunset and Penn both fixed the ends of the poles onto the stakes, causing the whole tent to spring up as the cheap plastic poles bent upwards in a pair of perpendicular arcs.

"Anyway, from the moment I got it, it felt like this car was taking care of me, you know? But it had a few quirks of its own that needed attention, so I took care of her in return! When I was thinking of what name I'd want to give her, our relationship reminded me of that show because I was watching it at the time! So, I went with Sylvia, and that was that!" Penn dusted off his hands and admired their work.

"Even when I lost that old job and started delivering pizzas, she always got up and running when I needed her, you know? Whenever I'd start to sink into bad habits, she'd break down and I'd have to drop everything I was doing, good or bad, and fix her up! She kept me in line and always made sure I had food on the table, and in return I kept her spirits high and her engine running as smooth as I could!"

Wow. I never really thought I'd get such an emotional story out of asking about the name of his car...

Penn snapped out of his self-satisfied reverie, rushing back to the car and coming back with a sleeping bag under his arm.

"He-heh, sorry. I know I tend to ramble..." He offered her the sleeping bag with both hands. "Thanks for putting up with me."

"Putting up with you?" Sunset shook her head. "That was great! I like hearing my friends talk about the things they love!" She leaned in close, as if sharing some kind of secret as she plucked the offered bedroll from his hands. "It's kind of a prerequisite to being friends with Pinkie Pie!"

This got a chuckle out of Penn, who reached down and opened up the front of the tent, motioning for her to enter. Sunset paused, taking a peek at the tiny space inside. The tent was even more cramped on the inside than it looked from the outside.

"Not a lot of space, is there? It's gonna be pretty snug..."

"Wha- No no no!" Penn held his hands up defensively. "I'm going to sleep in the car! Girls should have their own space! I'd be more comfortable sleeping across the backseat than anywhere else!"

"What?" Sunset's eyes widened. "You're kidding, right? I've got a tent and a sleeping bag to myself and you're just going to curl up in the backseat and call it good?"

"Nope!" Penn chuckled and shook his head. "Besides, SOMEONE's gotta be there to stop us from being towed if a cop comes to check on it!"

Sunset tried to think of a better reasoning for them to SHARE the tent, but she couldn't come up with logic that trumped his.

"Well, if you're REALLY sure it's okay..."

"It's FINE! It's fine." Penn waved away her concerns. Sunset set down her sleeping bag and sent it unfurling to the other end of the tent. "Besides, I'm an AWFUL tent-mate! Toss and turn like crazy, can't sleep on my back, I snore like somebody's sawing logs! It's for the best!"

Sunset rolled her eyes. At this point he was just overcompensating to make her feel better.

"Well, it looks like we've got a little daylight left! Got any ideas for dinner? Maybe we could make a campfire?"

Penn cringed and sucked in air through his teeth.

"You know we're in the middle of the most arid part of Texas, right? There's a burn ban almost year-round to make sure out-of-control brush fires don't wind up destroying entire cotton fields."

"Seriously? What's camping without cooking over a campfire?" Sunset sighed, sinking to the ground. "I'm starting to REALLY miss home..."

Penn gave her a pat on the shoulder. "Come on, Sunny. I've got an idea."

Sunset followed him as he made his way back to the car, plucking a branch from a nearby dead bush. He practically dove headfirst into the trunk, shuffling though until he found what he had been searching for with a gleeful cry of "Ah-HA!" Moments later, he emerged holding a package of graham crackers, a pair of chocolate bars, and a bag of marshmallows.

"I WAS going to save these for when we found the first one of your friends, buuuuut... I'd say stopping a Dalek invasion is pretty worth celebrating too, right?"

"But I thought you said-"

"Hup-up-up! No talking yet! I said I had an idea, didn't I?" Penn handed her the graham crackers and chocolate before vigorously tearing open the bag of marshmallows and skewering a particularly puffy one on the end of the branch. Without so much as a word, he then dropped to the ground and laid himself out on the asphalt behind the car, shuffling until almost his entire torso was out of sight under the Oldsmobile. "Okay! How do you like your marshmallows? Well-done? Golden brown? Barely toasty?"

Sunset bent down, peering underneath to try and understand what he was talking about. To her complete surprise, Penn was happily humming to himself as he held the marshmallow mere millimeters away from the pipe leading to the muffler, where it was quickly becoming a delicious-looking caramel color.

She couldn't tell if he was crazy or genius.

"Um- well, I like them really gooey and..."

Penn chuckled, beginning to give the marshmallow a steady turn. "Ah, slow-cooked right to the center! You're a woman of good tastes!"

"Are you sure that's safe?"

"I don't see why not, long as you don't touch the pipe! It's not like I'm hanging it in front of the end the fumes come out of, or anything... The car isn't even running, the engine just hasn't cooled off, yet! OH HEY! Can you do me a favor? There should be some canned soup in the trunk, run up and toss those under the hood! They should be perfect by the time we finish up these s'mores!"

Sunset pondered the question for a moment, then ran over to grab a branch and marshmallow of her own before carefully laying herself down on the ground and beginning to nudge her way up beside him.

"Move over, bud!"

"Hey! This is cramped enough as it is!" Penn joked as he did his best to make room for her without touching the car's hot underbelly. "You really want to get in on me and Slyvia having a little private time?"

Sunset chuckled, bringing her own marshmallow up to begin cooking.

"From what you said, I figured maybe she might welcome some fresh company by now!"

"Hey!" Penn gave her a firm nudge with his shoulder and they both began to laugh, the sound filling up the tiny space in an instant before slowly fading away to a comfortable silence. A few seconds later, Penn brought down his marshmallow, eating it right off the stick with a hum of pleasure.

"Hmmmm... see what I mean? We take care of Sylvia, and Sylvia takes care of us..."

Sunset chuckled, giving her marshmallow another turn. The old car still felt strange and unfamiliar to her, but... this moment made it less so. It felt like she was finally getting the warm welcome she had been cheated of by the crazy circumstances of her arrival.

"You know what? I think I'm starting to..."

Sunset Shimmer was sound asleep in her tent, halfway to a sugar coma after finishing half the bag of marshmallows in one night. Penn was equally deep in his dreams curled up across the entirety of the backseat. Neither of them noticed the third entity enter their camp. Neither of them were woken by the unblinking single pink eye that scanned over both of them with unnatural light, assessing that each of them were undeniably perfectly healthy human specimens, perfect for its master's purposes. Metal hands reached out to grasp at their sleeping forms.

Thank you for assuming the party escort submission position...

Author's Notes:

Sorry for the long break, everyone! Been spending the holidays with family!

Edit: Guess who just figured out how to do THIS with the text editor??

Making Science

Sunset groaned. She did NOT want to wake up, her whole body was tired and sore. She gripped the blankets and pulled them up over her head, trying to block out the light from behind her eyelids. Against her will, however, the gears in her head slowly began to turn.

I woke up on my own... guess that means Penn isn't up yet, right? Or maybe he just let me sleep in?

Sunset's brain shifted gears as she gripped the blankets tighter.

Blankets? Wait, I went to sleep in a sleeping bag!

Sunset's eyes snapped open as she bolted into a sitting position.

She was laying in a narrow pod-shaped bed, in a doorless room with four glass walls. The floor was tiled in two tones of gray, and the room had the most sparse of furnishings: the bed she was laying in, a single toilet, and a small table with a radio and coffee mug sitting on its plain white surface. The glass room was nested inside an even larger room, tiled with the same gray floor, but walls that were a stark white, accented only by black lines separating them into long rectangular panels. Sunset could see a circular door leading out of the larger room, but no way out of her current glass prison.

"Where am I? How did I GET here?" she muttered to herself, throwing off the blankets and swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. It was only now that Sunset realized that her clothes had been changed without her knowledge. She was wearing a bright orange jumpsuit, the kind of orange that would make Rarity vomit, and her shoes had been replaced by strange white boots.

Did- did someone change my clothes while I was asleep? Sunset felt a wave of fear and disgust at the idea. Before she could carry that line of thought any further, however, a computerized voice came blaring through the room.

Hello, and welcome to the Aperture Science Computer Aided Enrichment Center. We hope that your brief detention in the relaxation vault has been a pleasant one. Your specimen has been processed and we are now ready to begin the test proper. Before we start, however, keep in mind that, although fun and learning are the primary goals of all enrichment center activities, serious injuries may occur. For your own safety and the safety of others, please refrain from-

The voice suddenly became garbled and unintelligible for several seconds, leaving Sunset completely at a loss as to what exactly it was that she was supposed to refrain from to avoid serious injury.

Aperture Science thanks you for your participation in the Perpetual Testing Initiative. The portal will open in three, two, one.

As the countdown finished, one of the walls lit up with orange light and an oval-shaped hole appeared in the wall. As Sunset moved to step through it, however, she noticed movement on the other side. Sunset blinked, realizing that the angle she was seeing on the other side of the portal wasn't possible. She was staring at herself from the side, as if she were standing outside the glass room and staring inside from directly to her right. She turned to look at the place the view had to have come from, only to find a matching portal on the wall outside, showing herself from the perspective of the orange portal directly in front of her.

"No way..." Sunset whispered, turning back to the portal in front of her. She hesitantly reached out her hand, first poking a finger through the place the wall had been, then her whole hand. When she felt no negative effects, she stepped through, finding herself on the outside of the glass room as easily as one would walk through an open door. With a small crackling sound, both portals disappeared, leaving Sunset now standing alone outside her former prison. On the other side of the room, she heard the door slide open.

Sunset considered her options. She and Penn had been separated, clearly, and somehow brought to this place without their knowledge or against their wills. Now, she was alone, and stuck in some kind of testing facility.

A testing facility that had created wormhole technology!

Sunset repressed her gleeful giggle as the possibilities of the technology raced through her mind. This was bad, very bad! Even if they'd managed to create one of the most scientifically complex and exciting technologies in all of science fiction and it was right here for her to examine how they applied it, she still needed to figure out where she was and how to find Penn. Looking up, she noticed what appeared to be a blurry glass window up near the ceiling, showing the silhouette of an office. She walked over, waving her hands to try and grab the attention of whoever was inside.

"Um, excuse me? Hello! There's been some kind of mistake, I'm not supposed to be here!"

There was no response from the window, but Sunset noticed a large security camera on the wall turning to stare at her. Obviously, there was someone on the other side watching her. Sunset changed tactics, trying to make the most of the camera's attention by turning to address it directly.

"I think you have the wrong person, I never signed up for a 'Perpetual Testing Initiative,' or whatever you called it, and I was with a friend before I was brought here!"

The camera didn't react, but the automated voice came playing on the speakers again.

At the completion of the test, all subjects are given cake and returned to their point of origin. Please proceed to the orientation chamber.

Sunset sighed, dropping her arms to her sides. It looked as if she only had two choices: keep arguing with pre-recorded messages or just roll with it and give them what they wanted so she could get out of here.

Well, only one of those options made sense... and had more portals.

Assuring herself that she definitely was NOT doing this just to see more wormholes in action and that she was looking for her friend, Sunset strolled to the next room. The contents of the room consisted of a gigantic red button and a blocky cube sitting on the floor. A dotted line led from the button to the next door, which was locked shut.

Sunset glanced up at the room's security camera, thoroughly disappointed.

"Seriously?"

This test makes use of the Aperture Science Weighted Storage Cube and the 1500 Megawatt Aperture Science Heavy Duty Super Colliding Super But-

Sunset ignored the voice, picking up the cube and placing it on top of the button, which caused the door to slide open.

Your lack of patience and disrespect for proper protocol have resulted in your completion of this testing chamber in record time. Well done.

Sunset spun on her heel, turning back to face the camera again. "Wha- lack of patience? Disrespect for proper protocol? You wanted me to put a block on a button, I've been doing things like this since preschool!"

Your dissatisfaction has been noted on your personnel file, please proceed to the next test, Sunset Shimmer.

Sunset's eyes widened.

"Wait... you know my name?"

There was no response from the robotic voice. Sunset felt a very, very scary thought cross her mind.

"These messages... aren't pre-recorded, are they?"

Please proceed into the chamberlock after completing each test, Sunset Shimmer. This time the voice sounded more forceful, placing extra emphasis on her name.

Sunset slowly stepped through the door, finding herself in a small room with an open elevator. She stepped inside, watching helplessly as the doors slid shut and locked her inside. Without a word, the elevator began to descend of its own accord. Sunset tried to consider her options, but there weren't many.

I hope Penn's having better luck than I am...

The "tests" didn't get much harder for Sunset as time went on, though new elements were introduced. The portals began to appear more often as a part of the tests, periodically turning on and off to allow Sunset to reach places that had been locked off or kept out of reach, but most of the tests required more boxes and buttons, and that was about it. The only thing keeping Sunset on her toes was the presence of the mysterious voice. Once she'd realized that she was talking to something intelligent, she had tried not to antagonize it. If it was running the security cameras, odds were high that it could also control the testing chambers and the elevator, leaving her quite easily trapped.

Still, she needed answers. She limited herself to one question per testing chamber.

"How did I get here?"

You were selected to participate in the Perpetual Testing Initiative by a complex algorithm involving intelligence ratings, personality evaluation, and how deep of a sleep you were in when your campsite was located.

So, basically, they kidnapped me while I was asleep. Great.

"How do you who I am?"

If you did not want others to know so much about you, perhaps you should not have uploaded all of the most crucial moments of your life to the internet, along with enough material to develop an entire psychological profile.

I guess that means that they've seen those movies Penn was talking about...

"Where's my friend?"

Irrelevant. You should be more worried about your own safety. After all, your complaint regarding the simplicity of the tests has been received and accounted for in the next chamber.

That one sent chills down Sunset's spine as she stepped into the elevator once again. This time, however, after a few seconds of traveling downwards, Sunset felt the compartment jolt as it suddenly changed directions, travelling upwards at a much higher pace than she had been moving down. Sunset gripped the wall, mind full of visions of the elevator malfunctioning and plummeting to the ground, however far down that was. After a few seconds, the elevator came to a screeching halt, nearly throwing her to the ground as the doors opened.

That... was not supposed to happen. There has been a malfunction. Do NOT leave the elevator, I'll run a diagnostic.

Sunset only hesitated for a second before stepping out and into the chamber she'd been accidentally brought to.

There were few barriers or walls to the room, only a deep recession in the floor. Sunset could see some kind of pedestal in the bottom holding an unidentified device. She looked up to the room's security camera, noting that it wasn't pointed at her, for once. The mysterious voice was still occupied. Sunset didn't know what the thing down there was, but she obviously wasn't supposed to have it.

That was more than enough reason for her to want it.

Sunset lowered herself off the edge of the recession, surprised at the ease with which her legs handled the landing before stepping into the center and picking up the device. It looked like some kind of gun, with an oblong white dome on one end and a large cylinder running down the center, ending in three long prongs and an open end to the cylinder. Sunset argued back and forth with herself about the idea of taking a gun, but curiosity won out over distaste in the end. She slipped her hand into the white dome, grasping the handle inside while using her free hand to steady the front of the gun. To her surprise, Sunset felt her thumb settle comfortably on some kind of switch. Instinctively, she flipped the switch upwards. The gun seemed to switch on as both a light on top of the dome and the inside of the cylinder began to glow a familiar shade of blue. Sunset blinked, then tried flipping the switch downwards, only for the lights to turn orange.

Blue and orange.

No way.

Sunset took aim at the wall of the recessed area and pulled the trigger.

Ka-thunk! The gun replied with a satisfying sound as a ball of orange light flew out of the end, racing across the distance between her and the wall. When it finally landed, the light expanded, creating a large orange oval that rippled with strange energy.

No WAY!

Sunset's excitement began to build as she flicked the switch back to blue, taking aim at the wall at the normal floor height and firing again. This time, upon striking the wall, both ovals changed to a pair of connected portals. Sunset immediately raced forward and jumped through the orange portal, emerging outside the hole in the floor and overlooking the pedestal she had just been standing beside.

"NO! WAY!" Sunset cried, unable to contain her glee as she enthusiastically clutched the gun against her chest and hopped up and down in place. "It's a WORMHOLE GUN!"

Alright, I believe I've isolated the cause of the elevator malfunction and- why do you have that? You were explicitly told not to leave the elevator.

Sunset cringed, giving a sheepish shrug to the security camera.

"My curiosity got the better of me?"

There was a brief pause as the voice contemplated her response.

Considering your former disregard for proper protocol and inability to follow SIMPLE instructions, I suppose it would be useless to tell you to return the Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device.

Sunset clutched the wormhole gun tighter, unable to contain a small squeak of excitement.

Instead, testing will be ACCELERATED to accommodate your... impertinence.

Sunset felt a small damper come down on her excitement at the ominous warning.

Admittedly, we should have accounted for that, it's right here in your file: "Pathological need for control, specifically MIND control. Resentful of authority figures, mainly princesses. Overinflated sense of relevance in the lives of others as a symptom of overdeveloped ego."

Sunset had to admit, that last one had stung more than she expected it to.

Perhaps I can FIX that... the voice added, a carefree afterthought.

Sunset's eyes widened as a chill fell over her. "What?"

Oh, nothing. Let's continue with the next test, shall we? Please return to the elevator, Sunset Shimmer.

Full of apprehension, Sunset made her way back to the elevator, dragging her feet the whole way. She stopped at the doors to the elevator, considering her options. Even with the wormhole gun in her hands, she had no way out of the chamber, it was all just a single, sealed room. The elevator was her only way in or out. She took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves, and stepped into the elevator. With a hiss, the doors slid shut behind her and the elevator began to descend deeper into the facility.

After a few seconds, however, it came to a jarring halt again, nearly throwing her off her feet. Sunset grabbed the wall with one hand while her other clutched the gun.

"H-hey! What's going on? I thought you said you fixed the elevator!"

Oh, I did. The elevator is completely under my control.

Sunset's breath caught in her throat.

Fun fact: Did you know that Aperture Science was constructed ten miles beneath the Earth's surface? And that's just upper management, the testing chambers and old infrastructure go on for MILES further beyond that! No one has ever found this facility who wasn't explicitly led here.

Sunset forced out an insincere chuckle.

"That IS a fun-"

In fact, all of our repairs and construction were handled in-house, mostly via robotics. Do you know what that means?

Sunset shook her head.

It means that if, say, an elevator jammed, no one on the surface would be aware for EONS. That elevator would remain locked in position for hundreds of years, possibly long enough for humanity to become a spacefaring race and leave this planet they've been slowly killing. The planet Earth could be completely evacuated of all human life as they spread their terrible influence across the cosmos, and that elevator would STILL be stuck down here... and not a single one of them would ever know. No one would EVER come for that elevator, no matter how much it was theoretically cared about.

Isn't that fun?

With that, the elevator began to move again, delivering Sunset lower into the bowels of the earth.

Food for thought, Sunset Shimmer.

Sunset honestly wished that the voice would STOP feeding her thoughts.

Author's Notes:

Sorry for the delay again, everybody! I've been dealing with a lot of personal issues, mostly my depression worsening in the winter months. I'm not certain I can promise regular updates yet, but I'll definitely be getting some work done over Spring Break, and I'm fairly certain my productivity will increase with spring here!

Quick reminder that I have a Ko-fi and that if you're enjoying the story, I'd love to hear from you in the comments!

Thanks for reading!
-Pennington Inkwell

GLaDOS is to Blame

The tests were getting more complicated, but it was nothing Sunset couldn't handle with the help of the wormhole gun. What was beginning to frighten her, however, was the fact that in every chamber, she could see more offices and observation rooms, but no sign of anyone in them, and the tests were growing more dangerous.

First, they added pits. Some were too deep to see the bottom of, others were filled with oily, toxic-looking slime.

A minor note: as we already have copious amounts of data on the effects of corrosive substances on the human skeleton, falling into the acid is NOT part of this test. However, given your prior record for following instructions, I can only highly encourage you NOT to do so.

Sunset quickly made it a priority to follow THAT instruction. Luckily, the portals made it easy to skirt around or avoid the pits completely.

The lasers, on the other hand, required much more... personal interaction. Sunset was forced to pick up lens-covered blocks and use them to redirect the lasers and use them to activate other devices. She cringed every time she had to come so close to the deadly beams, she could feel the heat radiating off of them almost burning her skin. The first time she'd tried to move one, she'd stumbled and nearly lost her head. Luckily for her, she'd managed to twist herself out of the way and only lose a few strands of hair, but the experience had left her shaken.

And every time, she would manage to complete the chamber, and another elevator would be waiting for her, ready to carry her deeper down. Sunset was losing track of time, she couldn't tell if it had been hours or days she'd been locked in Aperture Science.

Sunset was in the middle of completing another test when the next "glitch" happened. Just as she was lining up her next shot with the wormhole, a panel of the wall beside her parted from the rest, pushed outwards on a piston until there was a gap large enough that Sunset knew she could fit through it.

Sunset stared at the gap, then at the security camera.

Please ignore that, it is not part of the test. It appears that the... error with the elevator has moved on to other systems.

Sunset pondered the idea of remaining obedient. Admittedly, it did sound safer to comply with the voice. But these tests were growing more and more deadly, and she still hadn't seen any sign of a living person outside of the strange instructions coming over the loudspeakers. If she didn't do something soon, it was very possible she would make some mistake, be scorched by a laser or fall into the acid, crushed in a moving panel and never found, just like a jammed elevator.

"I thought you said that I can't follow simple instructions? Isn't it all there in my file?" Without waiting for a response, Sunset slipped through the gap and out of the testing chamber.

No, come back.

Sunset took a deep breath of freedom. Even if she was still stuck in Aperture Science, SHE was finally the one choosing the path.

From the outside, Sunset could see more clearly how the chambers were constructed. Every panel of the walls was housed on a mechanical arm, each held specifically in their designated place. Sunset could tell that the entire facility was built to be modular, everything could be deconstructed and rearranged at a moment's notice.

The tests could literally go on forever... As long as they can keep coming up with more designs! No wonder she mentioned that this was the "PERPETUAL Testing Initiative!"

Testers who leave the boundaries of the testing area will be disqualified for their complimentary cake at the conclusion of the test. The voice was muffled, now, and a quick scan of the area informed Sunset that there were no security cameras watching her. She was genuinely outside of the voice's reach. Come back now and I'll be willing to overlook this.

"Fat chance..." Sunset muttered.

Sunset hopped up and down on the surface she was standing on, testing it for stability. Unlike the walls, she was standing on firm concrete, certain to remain stationary. Now, a new question presented itself.

"Which way should I go?" Sunset tapped her chin in thought. There were no signs of any stairs in either direction, so the idea of escape seems frivolous. That meant that her first priority was finding the only friend she had in this place.

You know there's nothing out there, right? Eventually you'll realize it's pointless and come back to testing. But it'll be too late. All the cake will have been eaten and you'll come in last place. Oh? Did I not mention that this was a competition? The last place contestant gets awarded the title "Worst at Science."

Knowing what I do about Penn, he's probably breezing through the early tests, same as I did, but I got a head start because I picked up the wormhole gun early, which means... He's probably in a testing chamber further up!

Sunset glanced back and forth down the path formed by the two walls, trying to ascertain any possible sign of which direction led to a stairwell. Any place with an elevator had to have a stairwell in case of emergencies, right?

Wait... the creepy lady on the intercom said that building this was all handled in-house... they might not have to stick to safety protocols. Heck, the test chambers sure don't!

With a sigh of defeat, Sunset began walking forward. The direction was purely arbitrary, but it had to lead someplace she could get her bearings, right?

Sunset wasn't certain how one could become even more lost after starting in the middle of a place they knew absolutely nothing about, but she'd managed it. She'd wandered her way across cold concrete, down metal catwalks, past gigantic pipelines funneling more blocks and other testing parts, past gigantic safe doors and more windows into empty offices, all too high to reach and break into. She'd taken every staircase and ramp she could find leading upwards, but it seemed as though for every path up, she'd been forced down two more leading down. And all of that didn't even mention the fact that she had failed to take into account the fact that the testing chambers were all sealed, which meant that she could have passed Penn without even realizing it because she had no way to look inside. Now she was standing on a steel catwalk over a dark pit she couldn't see the bottom of, weighing her options once again.

She could go back into the testing chambers, apologize to a security camera, shout at the walls until they opened to let her back in, something like that. The chambers may have been dangerous, but at least they were leading her SOMEWHERE. There was a linear path to be followed there.

Alternatively, she could continue wandering behind the walls, scurrying about like some kind of rat in the insulation. But this was getting her... well, she couldn't accurately say it was getting her NOWHERE, but it wasn't getting her anywhere she recognized. Sunset reached down, taking hold of the geode around her neck. The pulsing it had been doing earlier had stopped. Her "friendship compass" was shut off for the moment. She sighed, letting it fall back to lay against her chest.

"Come on... There's GOT to be a way to find Penn somewhere around here!" she groaned.

A second later, all of the lights around her shut themselves off, plunging her into total darkness.

Are you afraid of the dark, Sunset Shimmer? the voice whispered.

She was EVERYWHERE. No matter how far Sunset went, how long she walked or how much she distanced herself from the testing chambers, that voice always found a new corner to echo out of, a new way to taunt or torment her, it was starting to drive her insane!

"No, I'm NOT!" Sunset shouted, hoping the voice could hear her.

What about being alone? Completely and totally alone because of the results of your own reckless and rebellious actions? the voice whispered, slowly fading away as it reached the end of the thinly-veiled threat.

Sunset tried very hard not to think about the fact that she was.

She failed.

Alone and in the dark, Sunset could feel hot tears beginning to brim up in her eyes. She wanted to hold them back, to not cry. This wasn't the time or the place for crying, this was the time and place to get up, feel her way out of the dark, and find her friend!

But something about being alone in the dark made crying too easy.

Sunset sat down on the catwalk, pulling her legs tight against her chest and letting the tears begin to flow. This is just temporary, she told herself, I just need to get it out of my system. Then I'll get back to finding a way out of here.

Sunset shut her eyes and sobbed quietly into her knees, letting the stress and fear finally overwhelm her enough to force their way out through her tears. She wasn't certain how long she stayed that way, but the next time she opened her eyes, she was no longer in total darkness.

Two pinpricks of pink light had appeared in the darkness, hovering just above the place that she remembered the other guardrail being. The moment Sunset saw them, her breath caught in her throat and she froze in place, unsure whether or not she was in danger.

The lights tilted and blinked, forcing Sunset to recognize that she was staring into a pair of glowing eyes.

"Why have you stopped?"

This one had the voice of a woman again, but... this one was different from the one that had been torturing her. It sounded more... earnest, if the term could be applied to a robot.

Sunset looked down, not that she could see anything else in the total darkness. "I'm tired... I just needed to rest!"

"So close to your goal?"

Sunset glanced up again, taking her own turn to be confused. "Close to my goal? I'm totally lost!"

"You are searching for Elijah, correct?"

"How do you know that? And how do you know Penn's real name?"

"You are approximately twenty meters from the testing chamber he has been trapped in for the past five hours, twenty-two minutes and eighteen seconds."

"WHAT?" Sunset grabbed the guardrail and jumped to her feet. "You mean he's RIGHT HERE?"

"Negative, he is approximately twenty meters to what would currently be your 'one o'clock' orientation."

Sunset spun her head back and forth, looking for a way into the nearby testing chambers. Of course, there was nothing. She let out a long sigh. "Getting there in the dark might be difficult, though... I mean, I've seen how far of a drop it is under here! One wrong step and I'll be a goner..."

"May I be of assistance?"

Below the pink eyes, Sunset watched a diamond-shaped light begin to glow, quickly brightening into a beam that illuminated the walkway in front of her.

"That's perfect, thank you!" Sunset eagerly took her first step forward, only to stop again as a new thought crossed her mind. She turned to look at her rescuer, only to find herself nearly blinded by the light and unable to make them out. "Wait... how can I trust you? You appeared out of nowhere right after I finally broke down crying, you just HAPPEN to have a flashlight when I'm trapped in the dark, and you tell me my friend is just around the corner if I follow you into a testing chamber? This all seems a little too suspicious to me."

"Affirmative, this would be monumentally coincidental, the odds of such and event occurring by random in a facility of this size are approximately three million, two hundred and seventy five thousand, six hundred and thirty eight to one. This, however, is not a coincidence. I have been following you for some time..."

Sunset folded her arms, her suspicions seemingly confirmed.

"...seeing as how I had no other means at this time to assure that you would remain on the correct path after I released you from the testing chamber."

Sunset stepped back, the strange robot's confession not exactly what she had been expecting.

"Wait, but nobody LET me out, that was because of a glitch, just like the elevator!"

The pink eyes turned to her again, tilting expectantly.

"The intelligence controlling this facility is highly flawed, but it does not suffer from malfunctions of that kind. Nor was the elevator an accident. If allowed to continue, you were slated to be the 'control group' for a test that was impossible to complete without the use of the portal gun. Following the recording of your following accidental death or psychological breakdown, your unicorn-turned-human body would have been recovered and dissected to determine what physiological differences exist between you and native humans."

Sunset felt a lump rise in her throat as she was hit with the full weight of how close she had come to death. She looked down at the device in her hands, suddenly grateful to the fact that it had saved her life without her ever knowing.

"Delivering you to a portal gun was a time-buying measure to allow me to access the test chamber controls long enough to free you. Now, it would be illogical to have gone to such extreme lengths to preserve your life and free you if I intended to lead you to your death, correct?"

Sunset sighed and nodded. "Sorry, I guess I'm just on edge after everything that's happened. I guess I owe you for saving me, huh?"

"You owe me nothing, I was simply following my prime directive. Now, shall we proceed?"

Sunset nodded, beginning to take careful steps down the walkway. "If you don't mind me asking, if you're not part of Aperture Science, who are you? And what are you doing here?"

"I am the Integrated Superior Intelligence System. You may call me I.S.I.S., as in the name of the Egyptian goddess. My purpose in coming here was to document the contents and designation of this dimensional rift."

"Why would you want to do that?"

"I am seeking to generate a map of these new intersected universes. Such a map would prove useful in determining how to navigate the more obscure or less accessible worlds and warn others of the more dangerous. Collecting data regarding other biological life and the differences in physical laws between worlds would also be desirable. Other universes could provide valuable resources."

"But... what are you expecting to find down here? I mean, it doesn't look like there's much life down here!"

"Affirmative, however, this facility has created a handheld wormhole generator. While limited in its current form, such technology could prove useful in the future. In addition, the intelligence controlling this facility is quite clearly violating my own prime directive to protect the lives and agency of others. As such, it must be altered, disabled, or destroyed immediately. I have been attempting to do so since my arrival, but this unit lacks the necessary processing power to do so directly."

"Well, thank you for rescuing me. If there's any way I can help, I want to!" Sunset smiled, relieved that her suspicions had been seemingly for nothing.

Your desire to help has been noted and accounted for. You have my gratitude."

In a sweeping motion, the light moved off the walkway and up to the nearby wall, pointing to a single panel.

"If you would be so kind as to aim there, I shall open a passageway into the testing chamber where Elijah is being held."

Sunset paused again, one more question coming to mind. "He told me his friends called him 'Penn.' Why don't you? And how do you know him?"

"Simple: I do not use nicknames. I find them excessively casual. And as for my familiarity, I am only authorized to tell you that he is closely related to my creator."

"'Closely related?' Like how?"

"That is all I am authorized to tell you regarding my creator. Now, this line of questioning is consuming unnecessary time. Shall we proceed?"

Sunset resisted the urge to insist. As suspicious as that particular answer sounded, Isis had been more than accommodating to the rest of her questions, and she was right about wasting time. Sunset sighed and raised the wormhole gun to point at the spot the light was illuminating.

"Fine, I'm ready."

"Good. I shall go establish a hardline connection in order to force the panel open temporarily. It is possible that my prior means of entry has been accounted for. Be prepared to be swift."

With that, the light switched off and the eyes disappeared, leaving Sunset once alone in the dark. Sunset narrowed her focus, trying to make certain her aim didn't waver without any visible points of reference.

Finally, Sunset spotted a change, a crack of light in the darkness that quickly widened into a wide gap, one that let Sunset see a white wall on the other side. Instantly, she pulled the trigger, sending an orb of blue light sailing through the air. The projectile flew through to the other side with ease, creating a blue portal inside the room. A millisecond later, the panel slammed shut, once again locking her outside. It was too late, however. Sunset had her way in. She switched the gun to its orange setting, making certain she couldn't accidentally reset the blue. After another minute or so of waiting in the dark, the pink eyes of Isis returned.

"Were you successful?"

Sunset grinned and nodded. "Affirmative! Now we just need a place to put the orange and we'll be in!"

The diamond-shaped light once again illuminated the walkway, pointing further into the dark.

 Records indicate a portal-receptive surface at the end of this walkway. Let us proceed."

Sunset nodded, beginning to walk forward with one hand firmly clutching the rail. As they moved forward, she noticed the sound of small clattering on the opposite rail, where Isis was.

"Are you... walking on the railing?"

"Affirmative."

"But you're still not even at eye level with me?"

"Affirmative."

"I guess you're not very big, are you?"

"That is relative."

Sunset chuckled softly, the first time she'd genuinely laughed all day.

"Sorry, I guess you're right. Am I ever going to get to see what you really look like?"

"If you mean the true form of this particular unit, you shall soon see shortly when we enter a properly lit area. However, my avatar and main processor are unlikely to be relevant until we depart Aperture Science. Please fire the portal gun directly to your nine o'clock."

Sunset sighed, left with more questions than answers as she turned and fired. An orange portal appeared, leading into a new room with proper lighting. The vantage point was high, however, high enough off the ground to make her stomach turn. She could hear familiar voices coming from the other side, however.

"So anyway, he bursts into my room and he grabs my lucky snorkel, and I'm like 'Hey, you can't have that! That snorkel's been just like a snorkel to me!'"

I REALLY don't care, and there have already been at least five logical discrepancies in your story.

"I think we're in the right place!" Sunset whispered, leaning halfway through the portal to peer inside. "But how are we going to get down?"

"Be hasty! If the panel is moved, the portal will be disturbed and dissipate!"

"Hey, Isis, are you sure this is a good- WAUGH!" Sunset was interrupted as a hard object slammed into her back, sending her tumbling through the portal.

"AAAAAAAAA- OOF!"

Out of instinct, Sunset landed on her feet, fully expecting to break one or both legs from the fall. Instead, while the stop was sudden, she found herself remarkably unharmed. Immediately, she spun on her heel, ready to give the robot a piece of her mind.

"Are you CRAZY, Isis? I could have... been... hurt?"

The panel she had come out of had moved, extending out and away from the wall, and the portal was gone. She swallowed nervously as the panel moved back into place, once again sealing her inside the testing chamber.

I guess she was right about needing to be hasty, but pushing me like that was WAY out of line!

Oh. Look who decided to join us, the OTHER test subject giving me trouble today. Wonderful.

The mysterious voice sounded anything but happy to see Sunset, but Sunset felt her heart leap at the confirmation that she wasn't alone.

"And I took out his appendix and he gave me a colonic irrigation, yes indeed you better believe- SUNNY? Is that you?"

Sunset's head snapped in the direction of Penn's voice. The sight that greeted her was... unexpected, to say the least.

In the corner of the room, someone had placed two portals, one on the ground and the other on the ceiling directly above it. A blurry figure was rapidly falling between them in what was apparently an infinite loop of gravity, looking as if they had long ago reached terminal velocity. Sunset slowly approached the looping figure, examining the situation. Without moving one or both portals, they had no possible means of escape, and doing so only had one foreseeable consequence: splat.

"Penn?"

"SuNsEt!" he cried in elation, his voice marred by the Doppler effect as he passed her multiple times over the course of her name. Up close, the effect was much more noticeable.

"Penn! Are you okay?"

"Okay" isn't the word I would use for someone this stupid.

"DoInG GREAT!"

"How did you even get into this situation?"

"I GoT bOrEd?"

Well, it certainly wasn't my fault. Apparently, this ADULT needs adult supervision. He's been like this for four hours straight.

Sunset sighed.

"It'S oKaY! CaN yOu ToSs Me OnE oF yOuR bOoTs?"

"My boots?"

"YeAh!"

Sunset wanted to ask why, but trying to understand him mid-flight was beginning to get old. She knelt down and quickly undid the straps keeping her right boot on her foot before removing it and tossing it into the portal. After a few seconds of unintelligible grunts, Penn finally responded.

"ThAnKs! NoW sTaNd BaCk!"

Sunset followed his instructions, stepping away. A second later, the bottom portal disappeared and Penn slammed into the ground, miraculously landing on his boot-clad right foot without injury. Sunset's jaw dropped in shock.

"H-how did you- HOW?"

Penn craned his neck from side to side, stretching with a satisfied hum as he hopped up and down on the boot.

"Hm? Well, it's easy with Aperture's 'long fall boots!' Gyroscopic, able to withstand terminal velocity falls, you'd have to TRY to get hurt from falling with these babies on!"

I guess that explains why Isis had no problem pushing me off a high ledge.

Well, I suppose that this ruins the point of the test, which was meant to be completed by a SINGLE individual. Please proceed to the exit, where you will be taken to a modified version of the final testing chamber.

"Had enough of us already? I hadn't even finished telling you about my vacation in Albuquerque!"

Please proceed to the exit FASTER...

A set of panels rose out of a nearby acid pool, providing a path to the other side of the room.

"Alright, alright! We're going! No need to get testy, GLaDOS!" Penn groaned, motioning for Sunset to follow as he stepped out onto the new path.

"GLaDOS?" Sunset asked, quickly catching up to walk abreast with him. "Is that her name?"

"The Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System! GLaDOS, for short!"

Immediately, the panel in front of them separated, causing the path to end suddenly.

How would a MORON like you know that?

Sunset turned back, only to realize that the path behind them had been retracted, leaving them stranded in the center of a lake of acid. Penn suddenly looked very anxious, glancing back at the security camera with a chuckle.

"What are you talking about? It was right in the detention center brochure, wasn't it?"

I was watching you. You never picked up the brochure.

The platform shuddered, beginning to lower itself down into the acid. Immediately, Sunset began looking for a solution, and one presented itself. She took aim at the far wall on dry land, firing her blue portal. Switching to orange, she immediately fired at their feet, creating a portal underneath them. The two of them instantly fell thought the portal, landing in a heap on the other side. Sunset was surprised at how soft her landing had been... until she realized that she had fallen on top of Penn, planting her elbow firmly in his back.

"Ow..."

Sunset ignored him, flipping another switch she'd discovered earlier and turning off both portals so the acid wouldn't follow them through as the platform was fully submerged. She sighed with relief and rolled to the side, finally allowing Penn back onto his feet.

"A little warning next time, Sunny?" he muttered as the two of them dusted themselves off.

"You're welcome."

Just as the two of them were about to step through the doorway out of the testing chamber, it suddenly sealed itself off, leaving them trapped. Penn sighed, turning back to face the room's security camera with his arms held wide, only a portal gun of his own in his hands.

"First you tell us to go, now you want us to stay? This is starting to feel like a song by The Clash!"

Explain how you are aware of my acronym's full meaning.

Penn sighed, as if the attempt on their lives hadn't just happened and this was only a minor inconvenience. He turned to look at Sunset, one eyebrow raised.

"I guess it's kind of pointless to try and keep secrets at this point, isn't it?"

Sunset sighed in return. "Probably not. She already knows everything you know about me, so-"

"We're looking for WORK, here!" Penn shouted, slouching back against the wall.

Sunset froze, absolutely NOT following where he was going with this.

"We used to work over at Black Mesa, but those idiots were so reckless, they caused a resonance cascade! In their own facility!" He sighed, pressing the palm of his free hand up against his forehead. "I mean, SERIOUSLY? We tried to warn them, but nooooo, everything was 'within acceptable deviation!' They were so busy trying to outpace Aperture, they threw aside all safety concerns! How short-sighted can you get? Am I right, Sunset?"

Sunset nodded, not daring to speak out of fear of breaking the ruse.

"So, when it all hit the fan at once, we already had a way out planned! We grabbed all the data they had on Aperture, wiped the servers, set up a couple false identities and started a road trip to Michigan to come apply at a REAL lab!" he shrugged nonchalantly. "Of course, the two of us have been lab partners for YEARS, so it was a 'both-or-nothing' deal, you know? Lucky for us, you brought us here on your own! UNlucky for us, our resumes were in the car, so we couldn't exactly pull out our credentials to show you we shouldn't be IN the P.T.I., we'd be better-suited for running it!"

Sunset waited with baited breath, praying that Penn's story would check out. There was a brief moment of silence as Sunset watched the security camera swivel back and forth between the two of them.

That would explain why the two of you were found just outside New Mexico. Very well, interviewers will be waiting for you following the conclusion of the test.

The door slid open again, allowing Penn and Sunset to pass through. Sunset breathed a sigh of relief as Penn gave a grateful wave to the camera as they both made their way to the elevator.

"Whatever you say, boss!"

It was a close fit, but soon they were both crammed into the cylindrical elevator. The moment the doors were shut, Sunset breathed a sigh of relief.

"Good job back there!"

"You, too. Quick thinking with the portals, you're pretty good with that gun." Penn's face didn't match his compliment, however. His brow was furrowed and his smile pulled down into a worried frown. There was clearly something on his mind.

"Sunset, we need to get out of here as soon as possible."

"Why? Didn't GLaDOS say there would be interviews after the next test? REAL people! We can explain that this is a misunderstanding and-"

"There aren't any SCIENTISTS in Aperture SCIENCE, Sunset! GLaDOS already gassed them all..." Penn muttered, turning to glare at the doors of the elevator. "In fact, the only living people are the current test subjects."

A pit opened up just below Sunset's stomach as she was filled with dread. "Then, that means..."

"She's technically not LYING if we never finish the test." Penn sighed and shook his head, looking Sunset dead in the eye. "Why do you think I was stalling for time in there?"

"The next test is certain to kill us."

Author's Notes:

Well, everyone, meet the first original character outside of my self-insert to join the cast: The Integrated Superior Intelligence System, or Isis, for short! She will be joining Penn and Sunset for the forseeable future in one form or another, though what that form may be is likely to change! Such is the nature of artificial intelligence, right?

As always, I hope to hear from you in the comments if you're enjoying the story!

We Do What We Must, Because We Can

Sunset took a deep breath. The situation was still scary and everything, but having a friend standing beside her was certainly adding a comfort that hadn't been there before. It was enough to make her smile. "Do you have a plan?"

"Working on it... Do you have anything?"

Sunset frowned.

"I don't know enough about this place, about HER, like you do. You came up with a lie that got us off the hook in just a few seconds!"

Penn raised an eyebrow, looking surprised.

"I had four hours to think of that, sitting in free-fall until you managed to break out, make your way across Aperture, and rescue me!" He grinned and reached over, giving Sunset's shoulder a firm clap. "I should be asking YOU for the plan!"

"Well, I mean, it's not like I talked my way out of it, or something! I had help and didn't even know it! I would have been dead if it wasn't for-"

She was cut off as the elevator came to a halt, the doors sliding open.

"Showtime..." Penn muttered.

"There you are..."

Sunset didn't get the chance to see the source of the soft-spoken voice as Penn leaped from his side of the elevator, practically body-slamming her into the wall. At the same time, the air was filled with the near-deafening sound of machine gunfire. The edge of the doorway wasn't enough cover, Sunset felt three painful, stinging impacts on her side, and two more in her leg.

It was nearly three seconds of gunfire before the door slammed shut and the elevator began to rapidly descend.

"OwowowowowowOWOWOW!" Penn groaned, stumbling backwards and turning to face the opposite wall, planting himself face-first into the wall, where he proceeded to slam his fist against the wall multiple times while groaning in pain.

"Penn, are you- OW- okay?" Sunset tried to step forward to check on him, only to feel a shooting pain run up her leg from where she'd been hit. She looked down at her leg, relieved to see a lack of bullet holes in her clothes. She lifted up the side of her jumpsuit, peering under her clothes to check herself for injury. There were large red splotches on each point she'd felt an impact, a couple places a small amount of blood had been drawn, but no serious injuries.

Penn, on the other hand, had sunk down to his knees on the other side of the elevator, still pounding his fist against the wall periodically.

"Oooooh man that hurts... That's gonna leave a mark..." he whispered between long, deep breaths. "I- I just... gimmie a minute to collect myself, Sunset..."

"Do you... want me to take a look at it?" Sunset whispered, taking a step towards him.

"A minute, SUNSET!"

Sunset flinched back slightly, turning her attention to the floor, which was covered in bullet casings. As quickly as her injured leg would allow her, she bent down and picked one up.

"I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but since when are we bulletproof?"

"The- the turrets are spring-loaded..." Penn panted, finally seeming to calm down a bit as he pulled himself back up onto his feet. "They fire the whole bullet, casing and all..."

"What? But that makes no sense!"

"It's sixty-five percent more bullet per bullet..."

"That still makes no sense!"

"No... what doesn't make sense is why it stopped." Penn muttered. "They're not immediately lethal, but Aperture Turrets will still get the job done. Why would GLaDOS close the door and move us again?"

I didn't. Which means that we have isolated all three of my current problems into one space.

Penn and Sunset's heads both snapped upwards, both coming to the realization that GLaDOS had still been listening to them the entire time.

And, now that I know that not only are you both liars, but you've been plotting against me with another artificial intelligence, the laws of robotics allow me to execute you. In self-defense, of course.

"WHAT?" Sunset was no expert on the laws of robotics, but she knew for absolute certain that was NOT how they worked.

"Yeah, I saw THAT coming..." Penn muttered.

I'll send a pair of robots to retrieve your equipment, don't worry about that. Goodbye.

There was a lurch in the elevator, and their rate of descent began to accelerate. Sunset's heart skipped a beat and her grip on the railing tightened.

"Penn? This would be a great time for a plan!"

"I- I don't know!" Penn replied, matching her posture on his own railing. "We could be going anywhere! Incinerator, basement, ANDROID HELL?"

"PENN! FOCUS!" Sunset shouted. The hum of the elevator was beginning to become a roar, and judging by the lightness of her feet, Sunset could feel that they were almost in free-fall.

Penn shook his head, clearly unable to think clearly under the pressure. "I-I-I-" he stammered.

Sunset shook her head. It was clear she was going to be on her own this time.

Okay, GLaDOS said that this place went down for miles, right? But every time I moved to the next test, the elevator took me DOWN! Upper management is on the top floors, the difficult testing chambers are on the lower levels, so they're less used. We're going down, so...

"PENN! What's UNDER Aperture Science?"

Penn snapped to attention, locking eyes with her.

"The old labs! Abandoned, prior management's projects! But it's REALLY far down! The only way you could survive the fall would be-" His eyes widened, his head snapping down to look at their feet. Sunset already knew what he was about to say before he shifted his weight to only one leg. "The boot! FALL ON THE BOOT!"

Sunset nodded, lifting up her bootless foot until she was standing on only one leg. After that, there was only one thing to do: brace herself. She tried to keep her jaw loose and her joints bent, she stayed ready to roll with the impact, if necessary.

When the first impact came, it didn't stop them, only slowed them down for a moment. There was another impact, then two more, as if they were breaking through barricades.

"HOLD ON!"

And then everything went dark.

Sunset was getting awfully tired of waking up with everything hurting.

This time, there was darkness to accentuate the pain, forcing her to focus on it.

Sunset tried to sit up, only to find herself unable. She tried again, only to find herself locked in place. She was stuck, pinned down.

"Wh-what's going on? HELLO?"

"Sunset! Oh, thank heavens you're alive! Hold on!" Penn's voice was muffled, but it sounded close. Relief washed over her as she realized she wasn't alone.

"Penn! I-I can't move, I'm stuck!"

"Please remain calm, Sunset Shimmer. A portion of the elevator wrapped around your upper torso in the impact. You will be free shortly."

"ISIS? Isis, is that you?" Sunset winced slightly as the echo from her own cry of delight. Whatever piece of the elevator was on top of her, it was close enough for her to nearly deafen herself.

"Affirmative. Please remain still and close your eyes. I will be making an incision in the debris."

Sunset nodded and did as she was told. Moments later, an ear-splitting buzzing filled her ears, a piercing sound that felt like it could drill its way through her eardrums after a few seconds. She gritted her teeth and bore with it until it stopped. When she opened her eyes again, there hadn't been a visible change.

"Okay, we're gonna try to pry it off!"

"Well, no rush... It's not like I'm going anywhere." Sunset chuckled.

There was a loud squeak to her left, the sound of creaking metal, and light began to flood in from her left. Soon, the entire panel had been lifted off from on top of her. Penn was standing over her, a look of relief on his face.

"You feeling okay, Sunset?" He leaned down and offered her a hand, which she gladly took.

"Better now that I've got a little fresh air!" Sunset smiled, feeling slightly giddy at her newfound freedom. She reached around and grabbed him in a tight hug, pulling him close. "Thank you!"

To her surprise, Penn didn't return the hug, instead stiffening at her touch and letting out a small whimper. Sunset pulled away trying to see what's wrong. Penn's face was twisted into a grimace while his mouth was clamped shut, his left eye twitching violently.

"Penn? Penn, what's wrong?"

"I believe your embrace may have placed pressure on the contusions in his back caused by taking turret fire, causing him significant pain."

"Oh... OH! Oh, Penn, I'm so SORRY!" Sunset cried, overwhelmed by the realization of how much pain he must have been in. Penn kept his mouth clamped shut, but shook his dead dismissively.

"Wait a minute..." Sunset spun on her heel, turning towards Isis's voice. At first glance, she could hardly believe her eyes.

Standing on top of the piece she had just been pulled out of was a small, silver dragon. It was small, much smaller than any dragon she'd seen in or outside of Equestria, not even the size of a housecat. Its body looked smooth at first glance, but closer inspection revealed that rather than scales, it was covered in small panels, one of which had opened on the tail to reveal a circular saw. The head was wide and flat, shield-shaped with narrow pink eyes angled towards the front, and the source of the earlier light was finally revealed: a large diamond-shaped stone mounted in the center of its chest, glowing with pink light. Sunset could only hazard a guess without handling it personally, but it looked to be a cut and polished piece of rose quartz. There was a soft clicking as the saw retreated back into the tail and one of the panels moved to cover it, and the dragon bowed down to her.

Oh no... that is ADORABLE!

"It is a relief to find you relatively unharmed, Sunset Shimmer. There were approximately eight thousand, three hundred and sixty ways the debris could have fallen, eighty seven percent of which could have crushed or eviscerated you mid-flight or on impact. I was quite concerned for your safety."

Sunset felt her smile lessen slightly. Okaaay, maybe not as adorable as at first glance...

Sunset smiled and reached down, scooping up the clockwork dragon in her hands and holding it up to eye level. "And it's very nice to finally meet you face-to-face, Isis."

"Indeed, though perhaps it could have occurred under more desirable circumstances? My apologies, I hesitated to override the elevator controls out of fear of exposing myself and compromising my ability to aid you both in the future. As such, both of you were injured before I took action."

"Isis, you saved our lives! You don't have to apologize for-" Sunset was cut off as the dragon began to squirm and contort in her hands, wrapping around her arm and swiftly climbing up to her shoulder, where it took a firm and watchful perch just in the corner of her vision.

"While that may be true, I exposed my location on top of the elevator compartment, and the three of us appear to have been expunged from the main laboratory. I miscalculated and did not reach an ideal outcome. For this I apologize, and assure you I will not repeat such a failure."

That was so cute, Sunset had to physically cover her mouth to repress an involuntary "Awwwww!"

Penn sighed, his internal battle seemingly over for the moment. "You were in a no-win scenario, Isis. We all were. The fact that we made it out alive at all means that you made the right call. Your presence was probably the only thing that stopped GLaDOS from just gassing us, she knew you'd still be there and functional to cause her more trouble."

"Yeah!" Sunset agreed. "I mean, we're not in the best situation, but we're all here together! That's all we need!"

"Very well. Our first step should be to determine our location and how to return to the higher levels. This area was expunged from the blueprint files, I'll scan the area to generate a map of the immediate location."

With a whirring of mechanical engines, Isis crouched, then leapt from Sunset's shoulder, wings fully extended as engines fully revved to life and propelled her into the sky. For the first time, Sunset took a good look at their location.

It looked like a nightmarish, half-destroyed version of Aperture Science, covered in mildew and rubble. All the walkways were constructed from rusted steel, while what wall panels were left had become an aged brown. There was no enclosed space around them other than the towering walls of a subterranean cavern. Fog clouded any attempt to peer into the distance, while what lights did exist were all the same aged yellow color as the paneling. The only thing Sunset felt she could give credit to was the electrical wiring and the light bulb manufacturers, still keeping the entire place lit well enough to navigate.

"Where... is this?" she half-whispered.

"Aperture Science Innovators." Penn sighed, giving a melancholy look over the facility. "The life's work of a... well, I suppose it would be best to call him a visionary man. This was Aperture before GLaDOS took over."

"What happened to it?"

Penn shrugged, finding a comfortable-looking piece of rubble and carefully sitting himself on top of it.

"Same thing everyone is afraid of every time they hear the words 'artificial intelligence.' They created a computer smarter than them and it deemed them obsolete, along with these old testing chambers and reception areas."

Sunset limped her way around behind him, taking a seat on the same piece of rubble.

"Why didn't they just... switch her off, or something?"

"Oh, they did! They'd turn her on, she'd try to kill them all, they'd turn her off again, attach a few smaller AI to the same system to try and reign her in, it was a cycle for a while! Then, one day, they slipped up, as humans do. I can't remember the exact details, maybe she tricked them into thinking she'd behave, maybe the intelligence-dampening spheres failed after a certain amount of time, maybe they were just too slow to hit the button before she locked them out? She flooded the facility with deadly neurotoxin and killed pretty much every employee in the building. From then on, the Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System ran Aperture Science..." he chuckled softly to himself. He turned his attention to his hands, and Sunset could see that he had begun silently wringing them in anxiety.

"Creating one of the best video games of all time. One of my absolute favorites. Perfect atmosphere, clever writing, perfect command of 'show, don't tell,' narrative... Portal had it all." His gaze turned upwards, peering into the dark towards the inevitable roof of the cavern. "And now it's got us, too."

"I guess that explains how you knew so quickly that thing was about to open fire on us, doesn't it?" Sunset muttered.

"You don't really forget the turrets. A merciless killing machine with the sweetest little voice."

"And you just threw yourself at me when you heard it."

Penn's eyes widened and he quickly raised his hands in defense. "Sorry! Sorry, personal space and all that-"

"I MEANT that you put yourself in harm's way for me. Again!" Sunset sighed, rubbing at her temples. Penn responded with a confused expression.

"Are you saying you don't want me to protect you?"

"First the dalek ship, now this? I'm getting awfully tired of getting shoved out of the way just to watch you get hurt in my place!"

"Sunset, I'm a big boy, I think I can handle some oversized airsoft guUUUUUUUUUUUUHNS!" His word escalated to a strained cry as Sunset reached over and placed her hand on his back. Even with as gentle as she was being, there was no way for him to hide his pain. She quickly removed her hand, her point clearly made.

"Sorry, but I'm not going to allow any machismo on this road trip. You're hurt, and you need to admit it."

For a moment, it looked like Penn was going to argue with her, but quickly backed down.

"Fine... I'm hurt, and I admit it. Happy? At least you're not!"

"But it's not WORTH it if you-"

"HEY!" Sunset was cut off as Penn raised his voice, sending echoes through the cavern. The two of them sat in silence for a moment, each one sizing the other up while they waited for the echo to dissipate. Slowly, Penn reached up with one hand, prodding her just below her geode.

"Don't you EVER. Say. That you're not worth saving! Got that?"

Sunset narrowed her eyes and returned the motion, jabbing her own finger right back into him.

"Not at the cost you've been paying! If I screw up and wind up in danger, let ME get out of it without putting your own well-being on the line! I can HANDLE it!"

"Oh, NOW who's the one with all the machismo, huh?" Penn snapped. "You know why I put myself between you and that hail of bullets? Because you have the physical build of a stick figure! I was afraid you'd be torn to shreds right before my eyes! Can you imagine how I would live with myself if you got hurt knowing I could have DONE something? I'm the big brother in my family, you know that? I've had little siblings all my life, and the first duty I ever put on myself was to PROTECT them! I pounded it into my skull at an early age, and I am not about to give up on protecting YOU just because you don't LIKE IT!"

Once again, silence fell between the two of them, filled only by the unintelligible echoes of their argument bouncing and reflecting off of the walls. Soon, however, even that noise faded, leaving them with only the tension in the air. After a long beat, Penn turned his back to her and finally let out a sigh, one that hissed long enough to feel more like a pressure valve releasing than a human being breathing.

"S-sorry, I didn't mean to lash out like that... I'm hurting, it's put me on edge. I'll... try not to put myself in danger again, okay?"

"I think we both lashed out." Sunset whispered. "I shouldn't have touched your back on purpose like that just to get a point across. I'm on edge, too. I'm scared. Right now, it feels like you're the only friend I have in the world, and the thought of losing you is... a nightmare! I don't want to be alone again! I'm so far from home, I feel like I don't understand things going around me, and... Well, I guess that even if it's CREEPY how much you know about me and my friends, the way you act is... a friend. A real friend, the type of friendship I UNDERSTAND! I just... can't bear the thought of losing that friend. I don't want to lose you because you thought you needed to throw yourself in front of me because you saw me on TV, or something! I'm not a movie star, I'm not some precious fictional character you need to shield from the rest of the 'real' world, I'm just ME!" Sunset took a deep breath, swallowing the rapidly-forming lump in her throat.

"I'd rather get hurt than lose the only friend I have right now, understand?"

There was another pause of silence, and Sunset heard a loud sniffle coming from behind her.

"Are... are you crying?"

"N-no!" Penn protested, his voice clearly on the brink of cracking.

Sunset smiled, choosing to let him have the moment to himself.

"So... are we good, Penn?"

"Fine... but I'm not going to NOT protect you, okay?"

"I feel safer already, as long as you don't go throwing your life away."

"I wasn't planning on it, but... okay, deal!"

Sunset finally let herself giggle as relief washed over her, the tense moment finally over.

"Hey, Sunny?"

"Yeah?"

"When we get out of this place, wanna have a movie night and watch that first Equestria Girls movie?"

Sunset raised an eyebrow and turned back toward him, surprised at the offer. "What about all that 'paradox' business you were talking about? Do you think the fabric of space-time can handle it?"

Penn chuckled and turned to face her, as well, leaving them once again sitting side by side. He had his cards in his hands, unconsciously shuffling them without looking at what he was doing.

"It's all in the past anyway, right? It's not like you could get some secret knowledge that would change established events!"

Sunset chuckled and shook her head.

"No... No, I don't think so. Sure! Movie night, soon as we're out of this place! I'm gonna want popcorn, though!"

Both of them broke out into another fit of giggles, one that seemed to finally get the last of the nervous energy out of her system, the "jitters," as Pinkie would call them. After a few seconds, an obvious question she had missed sprung to mind.

"Hey, where did you get your cards? I didn't have any of MY stuff when I woke up!"

"Oh, neither did I! I was really worried about... my..." Penn trailed off, slowly looking down at his hands as if for the first time. "Sunset?"

"Yeah?"

"I didn't have these in my hands five minutes ago, did I?"

"No, I figured they were just in your pocket, or something?"

"No, they weren't."

"Then..." Sunset felt a chill run down her spine as she stared at the blue-sleeved cards clutched in Penn's hands. "Where did those come from?"

Slowly, Penn turned over the top card of the deck, revealing the card he had so proudly displayed before they had flown to the Dalek ship: The Ghostrick Angel of Mischief. Somehow though not a single piece of the card had changed, Sunset couldn't help but feel the illustration's playful wink was aimed towards them in a much more... personal manner. The two of them exchanged an unsure glance, then both began to slowly reach for the card...

"The area has been scouted, scanned, and mapped, and the most efficient route upwards calculated!

"GAAH!" Penn and Sunset both jumped in unison at Isis's sudden return, nearly falling off their makeshift chair. Isis looked carefully over both of them, her head tilted in a curious manner.

"My apologies, it appears I have startled you. I am ready to lead the way at your earliest convenience, please take all the time you need to recover."

"It-it's okay, Isis. We were just... talking. Didn't hear you fly in." Penn quickly stuffed his cards into the breast pocket of his jumpsuit. With a soft groan, he rose back to his feet. "Ready, Sunny?"

Sunset nodded, standing up to join him.

"Lead the way, Isis!"

"Affirmative!"

Still Alive

"So, you have siblings?"

Sunset and Penn had been walking in relative silence for too long, and it was beginning to get awkward.

"Oh... yeah. Guess that kinda came out in the whole 'big brother' spiel, didn't it?" Penn chuckled nervously. "Sorry, that might have gotten a touch overdramatic. Two brothers and a sister. What about you?"

Sunset raised an eyebrow.

"Why ask a question you already know the answer to?"

Penn scoffed lightly. "Believe it or not, Sunset, I'm not omniscient, I only really only know about the period leading up to and after you defied Celestia and went through the mirror. Family and personal life? Nothing, zilch, nada."

Sunset smirked, reassured slightly that not EVERY one of her secrets had been exposed.

"Only child. I didn't spend a lot of time with my parents after I joined Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns-"

"Oh! That reminds me, there's something I always wanted to know!" Penn interrupted, cutting her off almost immediately. After a moment, he sheepishly took a step back. "Uhm... heh, heh... sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt you opening up about your parents. That sounds really awful."

Sunset shrugged. "I always kept myself focused on my studies, so it wasn't so bad. They always took a hooves- erm- hands-off approach to parenting. I hardly noticed, really. I'd get letters from them, and they always SOUNDED really proud and loving... looking back, maybe I didn't really appreciate what I had."

Penn nodded, humming softly in response. "Well, it's never too late, you know? When you get home, you could try reconnecting?"

The idea certainly brought warmth to Sunset's heart, though she wasn't exactly how it would work without multiple trips to Equestria. "Maybe you're right... So, what was it you wanted to ask?"

"OH! Well, I've been wanting to know: how old are you?"

Sunset blinked, slightly surprised. "Well, that's certainly blunt... Rarity would have a few things to say about you asking a lady her age so casually."

Penn shook his head enthusiastically.

"No, I mean it's confusing! You see, you were Princess Celestia's pupil BEFORE Princess Twilight, right?"

"Yes? I never really asked Twilight much about her tutoring, though."

"Well, Celestia took Twilight as her student as a young filly, and that was AFTER you were already the Equestrian equivalent of a college student, in pretty much the country's best school of higher learning! Well, then Twilight remained Celestia's pupil long enough to basically become the equivalent of a grad student in Equestria, THEN followed you through the portal! By that logic, you spent all of Twilight's childhood and young adulthood on the other side of that portal, yet when you came back through, or when she followed you to the other side, you both were approximately the SAME AGE! Not only that, but you'd gone from being college and grad students, respectively, to high schoolers! Do you see what I'm getting at, here?"

Sunset blinked, slowly thinking over his words.

"Well, you're really basing that on a lot of assumptions, several of which are incorrect. The explanation's simple, really!"

Penn raised his eyebrows, but merely motioned for her to continue.

"First of all-

"Just a heads-up: That coffee we gave you earlier had fluorescent calcium in it so we can track the neuronal activity in your brain. There's a slight chance the calcium could harden and vitrify your frontal lobe. Anyway, don't stress yourself thinking about it. I'm serious. Visualizing the scenario while under stress actually triggers the reaction."

"GAAH!" Sunset nearly jumped out of her skin as a booming man's voice echoed through the air, almost deafening in its volume. Penn jumped slightly, but seemed unfazed by the announcement."

"Huh... That's not supposed to be first. Isis, are taking us on shortcuts?"

"Affirmative. While old testing chambers provided the most efficient route in terms of distance, their other significant obstacles and puzzle elements made them the least efficient route out of the facility, for the most part."

"What was THAT?" Sunset asked, desperately searching for the source of the voice.

Penn chuckled to himself. "Don't worry, THAT voice isn't going to hurt us. The founder liked to leave pre-recorded messages, a LOT of them."

"We are in no danger here, Sunset Shimmer. The path is safe."

Sunset blinked for a moment, looking between her friend and the small robot leading them.

"You two are really in sync, huh?"

Penn and Isis glanced at each other for a moment. Isis gave no response while Penn simply shrugged.

"She aims to please, and we both know this place's history pretty well! Makes sense we'd line up a bit, right?"

"Affirmative."

"But you talk like you two know each other already, how could THAT be?"

Penn grinned, looking totally awestruck for a moment. "I'm still trying to get over the fact that Isis is REAL! I mean, a fellow writer buddy of mine came up with her forever ago for one of his stories, he even wrote ME in as a character! But the book never went anywhere, it didn't even get published!"

"While aware of the nature of my existence, Elijah's credentials have not been invalidated. In fact, his close relationship to my creator places him in a position of high authority."

"So... you're saying your friend wrote her as a character... and now she's REAL?" Sunset's eyes widened, her mind racing with the possibilities this concept opened up. Did that mean that every character everyone had ever written, published or not, existed out there somewhere? It was plausible, considering that the multiverse was infinite there would be a serendipitous universe for every conceivable fiction. Was this proof that what was labeled 'fiction' in Penn's universe was what determined the lives of "characters" created there? Or was it simply a case of some unknown determining factor filtering out duplicitous universes so that they only connected to the ones that matched that fiction perfectly? Could SHE create some new existence simply by picking up a pen and paper? What if she wrote a story about-

"Sunset!" Penn cut off her train of thought with a shout.

Snapping back to reality, Sunset could quickly see what had raised Penn's concern: there was motion coming from below them. Sunset narrowed her eyes, trying to get a good look at what was quickly climbing towards them. It was clearly not human, a creature with long, lanky limbs and white plating matching everything she had seen in Aperture Science. She tightened her grip on her portal gun, trying to convince herself that she was ready for anything.

"It's an Atlas model..." Penn muttered, mimicking her stance.

Sunset felt a weight come down on her shoulder and the pinch of small claws digging into her skin. A quick glance revealed Isis standing on her shoulder, wings spread and back arched as if ready to pounce. Right in Sunset's ear, she heard a series of clicks, then a series of engines whirring to life inside her metal body.

Is... is she trying to GROWL?

Sunset repressed the urge to react to the adorable display of aggression. There would be time to fawn over the tiny robot later.

"Target appears to be traditionally unarmed."

"But given that it's a robot, it's probably a lot tougher than us in hand-to-hand, even if it doesn't have a weapon."

"Affirmative."

A second later, the robot came clambering up onto the walkway they were standing on. Now that it was closer, Sunset could get a good look at it. The design seemed simple: pairs of long arms and legs bolted onto a chassis that housed a singe, giant blue eye.

The robot looked over the three of them, obviously searching for something.

Opposing unit, stand down. Move on or risk retaliation.

The robot paused for a moment, then jolted forward, grabbing Sunset's portal gun.

"HEY! LET GO!" Sunset shouted, instinctively firing the gun at the robot. The effort proved pointless, merely sending orange and blue sparks showering onto the floor.

"GET OFF HER!" Penn cried, fruitlessly kicking at the automaton.

Immediately, Isis leaped from her shoulder and onto the robot's arm, skittering up and onto the robot. While Sunset was playing tug-of-war with the portal gun, Isis jammed her tail into the joint of the robot's arm. There was a grinding sound, and after a few seconds, the arm separated from the rest of its body, falling to the ground.

The robot reacted with reasonable shock.

It immediately released its grip with its other arm, failing wildly at Isis. It was to no avail, the smaller robot had already moved on, effortlessly clawing her way around its body. After a moment, the robot's second arm dropped off, leaving it completely disarmed. The iris if the robot's eye tightened as it turned to run from them, only for a bright spark to come from near the bottom of the chassis before its legs crumpled beneath it. Isis clambered on top of the robot, looking thoroughly pleased with herself. Her tail swung back and forth, several panels open to reveal an array of tools protruding from inside.

You were warned.

"Wait... GLaDOS said something about picking up out equipment, right?" Penn muttered, walking over and crouching down beside the other robot. "That must be why it came down here."

"Hey, that's right." Sunset looked down, watching as the robot's single eye flailed wildly in the chassis, its body completely unresponsive. Sunset couldn't help but feel a pang of pity for the poor thing, helpless as it was. "Did you have to totally disable it, though? It looks like it's in pain."

"Given the fact that it has failed in its mission, GLaDOS will certainly self-destruct it shortly."

All three of them waited for a few seconds, watching the robot's eye writhing fearfully back and forth. Sunset glanced at Isis, pleading for a solution.

"Can't you... I don't know, shut it off? Put it to sleep?"

Isis looked down at the other robot. The tip of her tail flicked aside, revealing a probe-like connector. Without a word, she jammed the connector into a small port. The robot froze in place, its eye tightening for a moment before the iris slowly flickered out.

"Fare well."

There was a brief pause before the iris of the robot began to glow again, this time a matching pink to her own eyes.

"Aaand it's been integrated." Penn muttered, a smug smirk on his face.

Sunset blinked back and forth between Isis and the other robot.

"Did... did you just kill it?"

"As an artificial intelligence, it was never alive to begin with. However, the intelligences of these models is backed up regularly. It will likely soon return with a new body."

Isis's voice was coming from both robots at the same time, clearly displaying Isis's control over the second body. Sunset stared carefully into the eye of the second robot, pondering the facts before her as the first pretenses of an idea began to form in her mind.

"Wait... Isis? Do you think... you could integrate GLaDOS?"

"In my current state with my current hardware, no."

"But Penn said something about them attaching other AIs to her in order to try and stop her from killing people, right?" Sunset mused, pressing her hand to her chin in thought.

"Actually... that's not a bad idea, Sunset!" Penn chimed in, kneeling down beside her and looking more closely at the robot. "Isis, we have an intelligence core right here, couldn't you reprogram it into a new Morality Core for GLaDOS?"

"Negative. While I have initiated a hardware override, our programming languages are fundamentally different. The only possibility would lie in hard wiring this unit's central processor directly into the intelligence core of the Atlas unit."

"Could we do it?"

"Penn!" Sunset cried, shocked at his suggestion. "You're talking about Isis's LIFE! You're just going to rip out her CPU and stick it in this thing?"

Both of her companions turned to stare at her, as if somehow her outburst had been surprising.

"Your concern for this unit is much appreciated, Sunset Shimmer. However, you appear to have fundamentally misunderstood."

"Isis has, like, a million bodies she controls remotely!" Penn continued. "This is just a spare repair unit that maintains the bigger ones!"

[pre"]Affirmative. My own central intelligence is located in a secure location. Installing this unit's processor directly into the Aperture core would send enough data back to decode their AI programming code and adapt my own to communicate."[/pre]

Sunset blinked, seeing the tiny robot with new eyes. "So, when you said that the fact that you were small was relative..."

"I have several larger drone bodies that would easily dwarf you in size."

Sunset sighed. "Alright, so how are we going to put your CPU inside this?"

"Preliminary scans indicate that the process will take several hours, but barring unforeseen circumstances, I will be able to walk you through it."

"Then let's... hrrgh... get to it!" Penn groaned, a pained expression contorting his face. "Ow... back still hurts."

Isis perked up, disconnecting her tail from the robot and gliding her way around behind Penn. Her head quickly nodded up and down, scanning over him from behind.

"Scans indicate that the severe bruising has led to compartment syndrome. The hematomas will need to be drained of blood before there is permanent damage."

"WHAT?" Sunset cried, running over to Join Isis. From her perspective, all she could see was the back of the orange jumpsuit. There were numerous places that it had frayed and torn from the impacts of the bullets earlier, but no sign of blood.

"You are familiar with the cause of bruises, correct?"

"Well, yeah, it's blood vessels breaking under the skin. Anybody knows that!"

"In severe cases, the pockets of blood can place pressure on other blood vessels, cutting off circulation to internal organs. That is compartment syndrome."

"It's not THAT bad... barely hurts!" Penn grunted. "Could have been worse!"

"Hey! What did we say about dumb machismo?"

"You are both exceedingly lucky. In the original "Portal" video games, turret fire was capable of sending blood splatters across the walls with only a few shots. However, unlike the game protagonist, the two of you have worn your jumpsuits properly, providing an extra layer of protection. However, that does not render you immune to needing medical attention."

Sunset sighed. The choice here was obvious, as much as she hated herself for the cold logic. "Isis, how much farther would we need to go to get out of here?"

"According to what little I was able to glean of the Atlas model's memory, there is an extended elevator awaiting its return with our equipment at our point of origin. We would need only retrace our steps."

Sunset nodded. "And if we don't do SOMETHING, GLaDOS is probably going to send more of these things, right?"

"Affirmative."

Sunset sighed again, really regretting what she was about to say.

"I'll go back and keep GLaDOS busy while the two of you make Isis into an intelligence core to stop her."

"WHAT?"

"That is extremely dangerous and foolhardy."

Sunset turned to look back in the direction they had come from, checking for more signs of movement. "Look, if you're putting Isis's CPU inside that thing, she's not going to be able to protect us forever! If I go up there, I can draw GLaDOS's attention until you're done. It's the only way!"

Penn's brow furrowed, obviously running through all the same logic Sunset had moments before. Hiding would likely take more time than it would buy them with the way this place was falling apart, anyplace they could get that seemed out of reach the robots would undoubtedly be able to climb to, and as Isis had so neatly displayed earlier, they didn't stand much chance holding their own without Sunset's lightsaber.

"You know I'm right!"

Penn shook his head. "It's too risky. GLaDOS could just dump you right in front of a firing squad all over again, and this time you're not going to have any way to protect yourself!"

Sunset took a deep breath. It wasn't as if this was something she WANTED to do! "Penn, GLaDOS has to have some kind of weakness, right? Something I could exploit?"

Penn thought hard. "Paradoxes. Aperture AIs, including GLaDOS, are all weak to paradoxes. Shout 'This sentence is false!' or 'Does a set of all sets contain itself?' and it should send them into a logical loop."

"We could also use a similar tactic to protect ourselves here."

Sunset shook her head. "It would just be a matter of time until GLaDOS sends a deaf robot down here, or something."

Penn sighed. "By which point we'd probably be about halfway through disassembling you, Isis."

There was another pause.

"Can I convince you to let me go, instead?"

Sunset glared, getting her point across without words.

"Didn't think so." Penn rose back to his feet, reaching over and pulling Sunset into a tight hug. "Just... stay safe, okay? Don't go taking unnecessary risks. GLaDOS's biggest weakness is that she has a compulsion for testing. I think she tried to kill us because we were a threat together."

Sunset nodded. "I'll stay as safe as I can be in the grips of a homicidal computer..." Penn gripped her a little tighter, and she suddenly felt bad for the joke. "I'll be fine," she whispered as she reached around and gingerly patted his back.

"You JUST told me you didn't want to be alone, Sunset. Are you sure you want to do this?"

Sunset smiled, pulling herself out of the hug with a smile. "Come on. Knowing I've got TWO friends down here fighting to do their part to save us? I'm not going to be alone, you'll be right beside me..." she patted her fist against her chest, just over her heart, "right here."

Penn's worried look relented somewhat. He reached down into the pocket of his jumpsuit, retrieving a single card and pressing it into her hand.

"Here. A good luck charm."

Sunset looked down at the card he'd given her.

"Penn, doesn't this card means a lot to you? You said it was one of your favorites!"

Penn finally smiled again before giving her a sly wink.

"I'm sure you'll get it back to me when this is all over."

Sunset smiled, tucking The Ghostrick Angel of Mischief into her breast pocket. "I'll take good care of her. I promise."

"Now get going! I think Isis is going to need to drain some of this bruising, and it's gonna get ugly. After that, I promise it won't be long. I'll get Isis set up as fast as I can."

Sunset cringed, trying not to think about Penn's injuries too hard. She knelt down, stroking her hand down the back of Isis's head and neck like a cat.

"Thank you for everything, Isis. Without you, neither of us would be alive!"

Isis blinked, showing no sign of outward emotion.

"There is no need to thank me. I was merely following my prime directive. Your appreciation, however, is... appreciated. I shall do my best to continue to be of service."

Sunset smiled and gave the little robot one more pat on the head before turning and heading back in the direction they had come from. This time, she may have been about to fly solo, but she didn't feel alone. She had her mission, and her friends had theirs. They were counting on each other, and there was no way she was about to let them down.

As she made her way back down to the starting point, her nerves began to get the better of her. Her heart pounded harder and harder in her chest knowing that she was walking to her potential death. As she finally made her way back to the starting place, she could see an elevator hanging from an extended cable leading up into the roof of the cave. As she stepped up to the open doors, Sunset's heart clenched in her chest. Stepping in would be the point of no return. Her hand unconsciously reached up to her chest, brushing against her pocket. She let go of the portal gun for a moment and reached down, pulling out Penn's card to look at it again.

The little Ghostrick Angel stared back at her, still with a carefree grin and winking eye. Sunset took a deep breath, then forced herself to smile and return the wink, throwing in a finger gun with her free hand for emphasis. Somehow, even if it was just a picture on a scrap of paper the size of her palm, the card made her feel better. It was a sign of friendship, Penn's trust in her to do what needed to be done.

With that, she stepped up and into the elevator. The doors slid shut and she began to rise, being pulled back up into Aperture Science. She gripped her portal gun a little tighter, readying herself for whatever was coming next.

Oh, it's YOU. You survived. How unexpected. Well, I was getting a bit bored of testing the incompetent robots. At least your stupidity is unpredictable. Entertaining, even. So I suppose your survival was lucky for both of us. Let's make the most of it, shall we?

Catch Me Now, I'm Fallin'

Sunset was running on fumes.

She had given up on keeping track of the time. She was powering through the tests as quickly and efficiently as she could, trying to keep GLaDOS's attention focused on her, and it was working. Or, at least, it seemed to be. The primary failing of this plan was that she had no way to contact Penn or Isis. She could only hope they would catch up with her soon. Despite the fact that the tests were getting more and more difficult, GLaDOS hadn't tried outright killing her again.

Maybe she was telling the truth about being bored? Penn said she has a compulsion to keep testing, and it looks like I'm the only test subject she has left.

Sunset took a deep breath, looking over the chasm she needed to cross for the moment. There was a barrier across the center preventing her from simply shooting a portal to the other side, unfortunately meaning that she would need to jump it. She craned her neck upwards, spying a portal-able wall about four stories above her. It was a gut-churning distance to think about falling, but...

If I put a portal up there and another one on the floor, I can fall all that way to build up momentum. Then, when I fall into the one on the floor again, I'll be able to fly across the gap.

She swallowed loudly, shooting a portal onto the portal above, then pointing the gun down at her own feet. She was only going to have one shot at this. She hopped up and down on her boot-clad foot, readying herself for the impact when she landed on the other side. WHEN she landed on the other side. Not if. Totally not if. It wasn't as if she was just eyeballing this without taking the time to work out all the proper calculations, right?

You know, adult horses have been known to weigh as much as or even more than one ton. Imperial, not metric. That's the heavier one.

"I'm sorry, what?" Sunset asked, spinning on her heel to glare at the nearest security camera. Was that supposed to be a jab at my WEIGHT?

Just a fun fact. I'm certain you share very little in common with an ADULT horse.

Sunset glared for another second before sighing and refocusing on the floor. She took a deep breath, gritted her teeth, and fired the portal gun at her feet.

The entire world shifted and fell away, revealing a new perspective from the top of the room, gravity shifting to suit her new position. Sunset's heart flew up into her throat as she found herself falling from a probably-fatal height, the ground quickly rushing up to meet her. Her initial trajectory had been off, and she was going to miss the portal on the floor. Just as she was about to hit the ground, she shot again, slipping through a corrected portal without an issue. The next thing she knew, she was soaring through the air, up and over the chasm...

But not high enough. She was falling faster than she had expected.

Sunset's chest clenched as she realized that she was going to be cutting it close on her landing. She leaned back, placing her booted foot forwards. This landing needed to be PERFECT if she was going to survive. She held her breath, time seeming to slow down in the crucial moment.

Salvation was just in front of her, certain death below. Sunset watched as her foot planted itself on the nearest piece of solid ground: the corner of the ledge. True to its function, the boot cancelled all of her impact... leaving her teetering on the edge of oblivion with no forward momentum.

"W-woah- WOAH!" Sunset cried, pinwheeling her arms rapidly in an attempt to throw herself forwards. The nearly-forty-five degree angle she had landed at, however, had other ideas, and Sunset felt herself beginning to fall back. "NononononoNONONO!"

All at once, Sunset felt a hard shove at the small of her back and the flutter of feathered wings. She didn't have time to worry about the source, however, as the rest of the world came back into view and the balance tipped back into her favor. All pretense of grace forgotten, the moment she had both feet on solid ground Sunset blissfully collapsed to her knees.

AH! BIRD, BIRD! Where is it? I heard it, I know I did!

Sunset ignored GLaDOS's uncharacteristic panic, turning around to look for her savior. When there was no sign of anything flying around the test chamber, she risked a glance down into the pit. There was nothing there, either.

That was a close one!

Sunset snapped to attention, feeling some kind of presence behind her back. She spun around again, trying to catch a glimpse of the voice's owner. But there was nothing there. No visible owner.

Sunset sighed, pressing her palm to her forehead. I think the exhaustion is starting to really get to me... She moved her hand down to her aching chest, her heart only just beginning to slow down after her brush with death. As she gently clutched the area above her heart, her hand brushed up against her breast pocket. She slowly reached inside, retrieving the copy of The Ghostrick Angel of Mischief that Penn had given her.

"Guess Penn was right to give me a good luck charm," she muttered. After a second, a detail of the picture jumped out at her that hadn't before: her wings. The little girl in the illustration sported a pair of black-and-white wings, a pattern of feathers matching the keys on a piano.

Well, I checked the entire facility, just to be safe. There are no signs that any new, awful birds have gotten in. Please continue testing knowing that we are both safe from those dinosaur descendants. Unless they're invisible. Invisible birds... now THAT is a nightmare.

Sunset's eyes widened.

"Wait, you heard that, too? I wasn't hallucinating?"

There was a short pause.

And I suppose that rules out an auditory malfunction. Note to self: begin searching for possible invisible birds. High alert.

Sunset had another theory, though she had to admit that it felt just as probable. She glanced down at the card again. Was it just her imagination, or had the illustration changed which eye was winking?

"Thanks..." she whispered, giving the card a gentle stroke with her thumb before depositing it in her pocket again. The idea she had been saved by a trading card was absurd, but... reality as she knew it was broken, and she was being held captive by an AI in a secret underground facility. At this point, she knew better than to take a gamble based on something being "impossible."

The card didn't respond, of course, but Sunset couldn't help feeling like someone or something was hovering just over her shoulder as she stepped through the door to exit the test chamber.

Sunset staggered her way out of the elevator, barely able to see straight. She needed to sleep. Her whole body was shutting down from exhaustion, she could hardly put one foot in front of the other.

"I... I need a break..." she muttered, half to herself and half to the nearby security camera.

Oh. I forget sometimes how needy you humans are. You have to waste at least a third of your time recharging. What next? Food and water? Fresh oxygen? I can tell you right now that you're certainly not getting ONE of those things.

Sunset sighed. Of course a computer wouldn't be able to comprehend the idea of exhaustion. She picked out a corner of the room and sat with her back to the wall, slowly sliding to the floor. Immediately, her eyelids felt ten times heavier, and she was barely able to keep them open.

"Just... just give me some time to catch my... breath..." she whispered, already settling into a comfortable position.

Penn? Isis? This would be a great time for that "catching up" you promised... she thought hazily as she drifted off to sleep.

Author's Notes:

Sorry for the short update, everyone! One of the dangers of a stress relief project: it can be unpredictable in its pacing. Honestly, my "stress relief project" is starting to stress me out. So I'm gonna take it a little easier and allow myself the occasional quick update instead of sticking to my 3000 word standard.

As One Door Closes

"Elijah?"

Isis understood that he preferred to go by his alternative nomenclature. However, out of respect for his position, she chose to address him by his proper name.

"Hm?" Penn hummed in return.

"May I make a personal inquiry?"

It was a silly question, and she fully expected a silly response. It was merely what was considered to be common courtesy, and she would adhere to it. Just as she had been programmed to.

"You already have, but go ahead..." Penn chuckled, touching the tip of the drone's tail to the chassis of the Atlas android. With a shower of sparks, Isis could feel another wave of new code opening up to her to be processed, translated, and integrated.

"Why did you mislead Sunset Shimmer regarding the nature of my existence?"

There was a pause. Elijah was computing, processing emotion and weighing it against logic with careful measure. He had a remarkable capacity for self-examination... for a human.

"Honestly, Isis? I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that you even EXIST, myself. Imagine what Sunset's reaction would be if I told her 'Oh, this is a character from a story I wrote and never sent to a publisher! Apparently, I've created LIFE without even trying!'" He sighed and shook his head. He was in distress.

Isis could suppose that some stress was rational, given the situation. She turned the small laser pointer in her eye to indicate the next soldering point.

"I am not, technically speaking, alive."

Penn scoffed as he used the disconnected tool from her tail to make another connection.

"If you're the Isis I imagined, then you think and feel for yourself. You're a conscious being with your own emotions and desires, as difficult as it is for you to express them properly. That's plenty alive."

Isis repressed the surge of emotion his words spurred. Emotion tended to overload her processors, and presently both his life and Sunset Shimmer's depended upon her ability to safely guide him through rewiring the central processor into a foreign body.

However, she DID save a recording of the prior ten seconds to be properly processed to her satisfaction later.

"That does raise another question, however. Given my existence, will you attempt to write Sunset Shimmer a way home?"

"No."

Isis noted that there was no hesitation in his answer. Either he had already pondered the question beforehand, or the answer was a foregone conclusion to him.

"Why not? It would appear to be the most logical course of action."

Penn sighed, gingerly leaning back against the wall and wiping sweat from his brow.

"First of all, that's a shortcut, and if all of fiction is suddenly REAL, then I'm not going to tempt the 'short cuts make long delays' trope! Any attempt to bypass a main conflict by invoking poorly-understood laws of the universe has a ninety-nine percent chance of backfiring."

"That statistic has no basis in factual data."

"And second of all, I'm not sure I'm going to do ANY writing any more..." he gave another sigh. "I mean, knowing that what I've been writing could be REAL? And have a REAL impact on someone's life? Or even CREATING life? I mean- that's- it's-" he was finding himself short of words, a situation Isis contemplated calling "ironic."

"That's power I shouldn't have, Isis. No offense."

"I am incapable of feeling offended."

Penn raised an eyebrow, clearly doubting her. Isis decided to continue the conversation before he attempted to prove her wrong.

"As an entity born from your creativity, I would urge you to consider not giving up your passion."

She moved her pointer to the next soldering point.

 "I am quite grateful to exist."

This managed to reinvigorate him enough to get back to work on the rewiring. "I guess that makes sense..."

"Do you intend to tell Sunset the truth in the future?"

"Until we figure out more about how all of this 'fiction come to life' business works, no." Penn took a moment to point the soldering iron in the direction of her head. "And I would like to ask you not to tell her, either."

"Is that a command?"

"If that's what you want to call it, sure."

"Affirmative, new protocol registered: lie to Sunset Shimmer."

Penn blinked, actually turning around to look at her half-disassembled drone with a bemused expression.

"Was that sarcasm?"

Isis was a machine, an artificial intelligence incapable of true emotion and residing in bodies of inflexible shaped metal. Thus, she was incapable of smiling.

"Certainly not."

When Sunset opened her eyes again, she was laying on a table, her body spread-eagle.

She was getting VERY tired of waking up in places that were different than where she had gone to sleep. She made an attempt to sit up, only to find herself strapped down at her wrists and ankles. She was tied down, and an experimental tug made it clear that her joints would break long before the leather restraints did.

Ah, good, you're awake. I suppose that means we can get started.

From somewhere up above her, a new machine descended. It was a small eye-like sphere suspended between two unsettlingly human-looking robotic arms.

"GUTEN MORGEN! I AM VIVIAN, VIVISECTION VIVIAN!"

Sunset's heart began to race as one of the arms reached down to a small table beside her and grasped a scalpel. The robot expertly flipped the blade between its fingers. Sunset felt a chill run through her as she observed the practiced ease with which the machine readied itself to, presumably, slice her to ribbons. Her heart rate began to pick up and her mind began to race as she realized that her remaining time alive was most likely going to be measured in seconds if she didn't take some kind of action to free herself.

Aperture Science would like to thank you for the donation of your body to science, and reminds you that, as a unicorn, you have no human rights, meaning that this procedure is completely legal.

"W-WAIT!" Sunset cried, struggling against her restraints. "What about the testing? What about the laws of robotics? I AM human!" Her pleas seemed to fall on deaf ears as the scalpel-wielding hand lowered itself towards her chest.

"NOW NORMALLY ZIS IS WHERE A DOKTOR VOULD SAY 'You may feel some pressure,' AND I AM NO DIFFERENT! YOU MAY FEEL SOME PRESSURE HERE! COMBINED, OF COURSE, WITH ZE FEELING OF ZE BLADE THAT IS BEING PRESSURED CUTTING INTO YOUR FLESH!"

Sunset's mind was racing as quickly as her heart was pounding. She knew that she only had time for one more chance at escape.

"H-hold on! I have a question about- about... the operation!"

This actually made the robot pause, turning its single eye on her.

"YES? WHAT IS IT?"

Sunset took a deep breath before unleashing a torrent of words as quickly as her mouth could form them. "W-well, when do you actually MOVE the scalpel to cut me? I mean, if we were to divide time into a series of infinitesimal moments, then in any singluar frozen moment in time the scalpel is standing still! However, in the next consecutive moment it's closer to me! So when do you move it?"

It was a rushed version of the classic thought experiment, but it seemed to be enough. Vivisection Vivian backed away slightly, pondering the question.

"VELL ZAT IS SIMPLE! I MOVE IT WHEN-" it gave the blade an experimental swing. The pupil of the eye constricted, narrowing its focus on the scalpel before giving it another twirl between its fingers. "W-WELL, PERHAPS AT TEN THOUSAND FPS..." It repeated the process twice more, before Sunset could see smoke beginning to escape from the eyeball.

"IT MOVES WHEN... W-w-WHeN... IT MaKEs No SENSE!"

With a loud pop, the eyeball exploded, sending shrapnel flying through the room. Sunset blinked, taking a moment to check if she was in any pain. Luckily, it seemed as if the fragments of metal and circuitry had spared her. The arms of the robot seemed undamaged, but simply hung limp without an intelligence guiding them. She gave another tug at her restraints, and felt ready to leap with joy as she felt a slight amount of give on one of her ankles.

"Rrrgh... Come ON!" she grunted, pulling with all of her might.

Rrrrr-SNAP!

All at once, Sunset's right leg was free. She didn't even need to think about her next move, swinging it out to kick at the table of surgical tools. The table rolled perfectly, coming to a stop just beneath her hand. With what little ability she had to move, she reached out and snagged a fresh blade, performing her own finger-twirl to place the cutting edge against the leather and begin sawing through. In just a few seconds, she had cut it down enough to snap it with a forceful pull.

CORE FAILURE DETECTED. DEPLOYING NEW CORE.

A new eyeball-like robot descended from the ceiling as Sunset frantically turned her attention to her other hand.

"GREETINGS! I AM DISSECTION DANIEL- WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

With both hands free, Sunset unbuckled her other ankle, finally freeing herself completely. She leaped from the operating table, sprinting for the door. Unfortunately, it failed to open for her, causing her to slam shoulder-first against the sliding panels.

"THIS IS NOT HOW A DISSECTION IS SUPPOSED TO PROCEED."

Sunset ignored the stationary robot's protests and tried to think. So far, every door in Aperture had either opened after she had completed a test or been opened for her by GLaDOS. This door didn't seem to have any kind of mechanism attached to it, which meant it was most likely controlled by the computers.

Okay, well there's more than one way out of a room! she thought to herself, turning back towards the robot. A quick glance pointed out a single air vent near the center of the ceiling, but no windows of any kind. There was another gap big enough to get through... but it was the opening the AI core had come through, directly above the robot.

"PLEASE RETURN TO THE OPERATING TABLE."

"Yeah, fat chance of that..." Sunset muttered before pounding her fist against the door. "HELLO? Is anybody out there?" To her surprise, more knocking came back in return, mimicking her pace. Sunset's heart leaped in her chest as she pounded again, trying to make certain that whoever was on the other side knew she was in there. Behind her, she heard the shuffling of panels. Something else was being brought into the room. Turning back around, she saw a claw retreating back into the ceiling and a small robot placed on the floor. It stood precariously on three narrow legs and had an oblong, egg-shaped body with a single red eye in the center.

"Gotcha!"

Sunset didn't even need to see the red dot appear on her chest to recognize the voice, nor did she need to see the sides pop open, revealing two pairs of gun barrels. She dove across the room, putting the dissection table between herself and the turret. As she did, she felt a sharp pain from where her leg had been shot earlier, but luckily no new bullet wounds.

BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG!

Okay, the turrets still have AI, right? Then maybe another paradox can stop it?

"This sentence is-"

"LALALALALA I can't hear you!" The turret countered, cutting her off.

Right... AI. It learns. Sunset sighed, taking some small comfort in the fact that she had proper cover behind the table. Unfortunately, a quick once-over of the room in her mind reminded her that she had no way of sneaking up on it. It had been placed in the corner, and there was no other items she could use. Her leg was still hurting, as well, a sign she might have put too much pressure on the injury in her desperate leap for cover.

I really should have had Isis take a look at that... I got so caught up worrying about Penn, I forgot to make sure I was okay, too! Ugh, what a dumb mistake!

"Are you still there?"

"Where else would I be?" Sunset whispered. She had to admit, she didn't like the feeling of being pinned down by gunfire one bit. She didn't like it when she was playing Laser Tag with Rainbow Dash and she didn't like it now. "I HAVE to get behind it... but how?"

"Could you come over here?"

A chill ran down Sunset's spine. Penn had been right, that voice really DID sound harmless, to the point of being unnerving when she knew the sheer firepower behind it. She knew that it took about a second to get a lock on its target, and it didn't seem to have a sense of object permanence. Maybe if I rush it I could get around behind it before it can fire? At the very least I could minimize how many times it can shoot me, right? She pushed herself up onto the balls of her feet and braced herself. "Three... two... one- OW!"

Sunset found herself yanked violently upwards with a searing pain across her scalp. The other robot had grabbed a large handful of her hair and pulled her up to eye level, forcing her to stare into the mechanical iris. The other hand clasped itself around her neck, almost completely cutting off her ability to breathe.

"PLEASE RETURN TO THE DISSECTION TABLE."

"Target Acquired!"

"Let... GO!" Sunset could barely force the words out with the mechanical hand gripping her throat. Shifting her weight to her back leg, she kicked up and stuck the robot's core from below, sending it flying across the room. She tried to ignore the shooting pain in her thigh and focus on sending the core as far away from the rest of it body as possible. She couldn't see where it landed, but she heard the sound of colliding metal immediately followed by the turret's voice.

"Owowowwowowow!"

BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG!

Sunset flinched and waited for the pain of the bullets colliding with her body. After several seconds of gunfire, however, she still hadn't felt a single impact. The deafening noise finally stopped, along with the sound of the bullets harmlessly falling to the ground.

"Nap time..."

It took a second for Sunset to realize what had happened: the core must have struck the turret when she kicked it and knocked it over.

That single-handedly one-ups every single goal kick Dash has ever made! she thought to herself. She reached up and began to pry the mechanical fingers off of her neck.

I hope that you realize how fruitless this is. I can keep sending cores and turrets all day. There are entire assembly lines dedicated to producing them.

Sunset ignored GLaDOS as she managed to free her neck, allowing her to fully breathe again. With that done, she turned her attention to the hand that had grabbed her hair. Her spirits fell as she realized that it had a pretty good grip. Not only had it grabbed her hair, it had twisted and looped it around the hand. There was no way she could get it out quickly, and she could already hear mechanisms moving in the walls and ceiling as more reinforcements were on their way. Only one solution presented itself, one way to get herself free before things got even worse.

CORE FAILURE DETECTED. DEPLOYING NEW CORE.

No time to hesitate! Sunset reached out the the table of operating tools and grabbed a fresh scalpel.

"HELLO! I AM- WHAH!" The next core didn't even get a chance to introduce itself before Sunset grabbed it with one hand and threw it over her shoulder.

CORE FAILURE DETECTED. DEPLOYING NEW CORE.

It's getting faster! She thought. Knowing she would only have a few seconds, Sunset did the only logical thing: she tore the scalpel through her hair, cutting it short. Suddenly free, she stumbled backwards and away.

"There you are!"

"Deploying!"

"Preparing to dispense product!"

Three more turrets descended from the ceiling, each one locking their eye on Sunset. They were being placed in the remaining corners of the room, leaving Sunset with zero cover.

"Sunset! Over here!"

Her head snapped back to the doorway, where the way out had finally slid open, revealing Penn waving frantically to her. She sprinted toward the exit, hearing the turrets opening all around her and preparing to fire. Just as she crossed the threshold, the door slammed shut behind her and the sound of muffled gunfire filled the air. She didn't even make an attempt to stop, crashing face-first into her friend. Her momentum carried them both back several steps before Penn finally lost his footing enough to send them both falling to the floor.

"Sunset! Are you okay?"

Sunset felt tears of relief beginning to well up in her eyes. It was over. She had made it out alive, and they had managed to find each other again, just like they had promised. She had nearly been vivisected as some kind of science experiment by crazy robots! She had been tied down and almost cut open! Now that she actually had a moment to think about it, she could imagine what would have happened if she hadn't managed to escape: blood, screaming, a torn-apart corpse being all that was left of-

No. No, she had to stop thinking like that. She HAD escaped. She HAD managed to get free. She did it. The insanity was over for now, and the relief of it was more than she could take.

"You need a minute?" Penn whispered. Sunset could only nod in response, pressing her face into his shoulder harder to hide the tears.

Penn didn't seem to need an explanation, wrapping her up in a tight hug as the two of them simply sat in silence for a moment. Once again, Sunset couldn't help but be reminded of how good his hugs felt. The grip he kept on her was like a reminder that she was still there, still alive. What could have happened to her DIDN'T, and she wasn't alone any more. She was going to be okay.

"I... uh... like what you did with your hair?" Penn whispered.

Somehow, the clearly awkward way of breaking the silence was enough to finally break through the terror, breaking the dam on her nervous energy and sending her into a fit of giggles.

"W-well, I was really cutting it close in there, so..."

The two of them laughed together for a moment, the last of the tension drifting away as Sunset finally let go of her grip on him. As soon as their eyes met, Penn looked down at the floor, clearly ashamed.

"I'm sorry I took so long. If I had just been a little faster, you wouldn't have had to go through all of this!"

"It is irrational for you to blame yourself, Elijah. It was my constant inquiries for clarification that caused the delay."

Sunset turned around in the direction of Isis's voice.

Isis was barely recognizable any more, an oversized version of the eyeball-like cores that she had seen in the other room. The only things that made it clear that she was looking at Isis was the pink coloration of the lights and the rhombus of rose-colored quartz awkwardly soldered into the center of the pupil. She was plugged into a small interface in the wall, what Sunset guessed was the controls for the door.

"No, I was the one constantly asking for instructions on-" Penn started, only to be cut off when Sunset held up her hands.

"Look, I'm just glad that the two of you showed up when you did, okay?" Sunset smiled and gave Penn another quick hug before pushing herself onto her feet. She cringed as pain shot through her leg again, this time not dulled at all by adrenaline. She forced herself to work through it, giving each of them a determined look. "Now that we're all together again, it's time to take down GLaDOS and get out of here once and for all!"

Penn hummed to himself, tapping his chin in thought. "Aperture without GLaDOS? Can the multiverse handle it?"

"Her operating parameters appear to indicate we have entered after the events of the second 'Portal' game. There is no set timeline to disrupt. Any actions we take should be safe."

After a moment, Penn smiled and reached onto his back, retrieving his portal gun and handing it to Sunset as he stood up beside her.

"Here, you're better with these things than I am."

Sunset smiled and gave the switch in the handle a few experimental flicks from blue to orange and back again. It was just as satisfying as she remembered.

"Which way to GLaDOS, Isis?"

Calculating most efficient route...

I Sing The Body Integrated

"Sunset, you're limping!"

"She has been since we reunited. I am surprised it took you this long to notice."

Sunset cringed. She had been trying to hide her pain in front of Penn, but apparently enough had slipped through. For a second she considered lying about the source of the injury, but even considering the idea left her feeling Applejack's disembodied disapproval. "I- I think it happened back in the elevator... yesterday? I got shot in the leg and I think I overworked it when I was testing."

Had it been yesterday? She knew that she had slept, but she couldn't tell if it had been a full night's sleep or a quick power nap. Not to mention she had no idea how long she had been unconscious after they fell down the elevator shaft. I'm sure it can't have been more than two days, right? 48 hours and time is already starting to lose all meaning down here!

"Well, we need to take a look at it, come on..." Penn sighed and dropped to one knee, putting himself at hip level. Sunset fidgeted slightly, unsettled at how casually he was treating the request.

"Um, Penn? You realize these are full-body jumpsuits, right?" Her hand instinctively came up to fidget with her zipper, making sure it was securely in place.

"Hm?" Penn blinked slowly, but didn't move from his position. "What about it?"

Okay, CLEARLY that went over his head... "Even if I WAS willing to strip enough for you to see my upper thigh, I'm DEFINITELY NOT going to when it would require me to take off the whole jumpsuit!"

There was a beat before Penn's eyes widened. Almost instantly, his hands were raised in a defensive position and he sprung back onto his feet, taking several steps back. "SORRY! Sorry! Sorrysorrysorry I didn't mean- I wasn't trying to- Of COURSE you don't have to-" he sputtered, struggling to bring together a full string of words. Sunset rolled her eyes as his face began to turn beet-red. Finally, he buried his face in his hands and turned his back to her. "I DIDN'T MEAN IT LIKE THAT! Just- Just have Isis look at it!"

Sunset hobbled over and picked up the pink-eyed sphere. It was about the size and weight of one of Rainbow Dash's medicine balls. She took the opportunity to examine her robotic friend for a second. "Do you need me to take off-"

"Negative. Simply set me onto the ground and point me at the injured area."

Sunset nodded and gently placed Isis on the floor. With no small amount of discomfort, she lowered herself until she was sitting with her legs stretched out in front of her. Isis's eye narrowed, and Sunset heard the sound of several shutters clicking. A moment later, she was back to her normal, wide-eyed self.

"It would appear that, while less numerous, you have suffered contusions of your own, Sunset Shimmer. While x-ray shows that there has been no fracture in the bone, your muscle tissue has been deeply bruised. You will likely experience more pain, stiffness, swelling, trouble moving the affected area, and, of course, heavy skin discoloration. Were the supplies available, I would recommend an anti-inflammatory and application of cold compresses several times a day."

Sunset sighed, taking the moment off of her feet to enjoy the dulling of the pain in her leg.

"So, is she going to be okay?" Penn asked, still keeping his back turned to the two of them.

"Given time, she should make a full recovery. However, it does mean that her mobility has been diminished."

Sunset let out a long sigh, trying to let out as much of the tension in her body as possible. It didn't feel like nearly enough, like a hissing valve on a pressure cooker about to burst. It seemed like every tissue and fiber in her body had been drawn too tight. "Penn, how are you holding... up?" When she turned to look at him, Sunset realized that Penn was STILL turned around, despite the fact that not a single article of clothing had been removed.

"I'm good! Just a little sleepy, is all!" He punctuated his statement with a long yawn. "Once the adrenaline runs out you kinda-" he stopped to yawn again, which drove his point home even more, "-crash, y'know?"

Sunset's mind quickly ran its paces through all of her memories since entering Aperture Science. "Wait, have you been awake SINCE WE GOT HERE?"

"Eeyup."

"You need to sleep!"

"Ee-nope." Penn shook his head. "We gotta get out of here, then we can sleep once we're safe!"

"We're not going to make it to safety if- Would you just turn around? I'm still dressed!" Once he had pushed himself in a small circle to face her, Sunset continued. "We're not going to make it to safety if we go up against GLaDOS sleep-deprived on top of our injuries!"

There was a brief moment of silence between the two of them. Penn's brow furrowed and he looked as if he was going to make an objection, but it died before he had a chance to speak it. After another moment, he sighed and let his head hang down.

"Y'know, in the spirit of that whole 'no machismo' agreement... I'm so glad you said that."

They still didn't actually get a chance to rest until they found an area Penn specifically designated as "safe." It was a gross-looking literal hole-in-the wall. Sunset had only caught him mumbling something along the lines of it being a "rat-man den" before he practically collapsed, hands folded under his head and almost kissing the floor with relief.

For Sunset, however, sleep didn't come so easily. The room was dingy and yellowed, with insane-looking murals and phrases slathered all over the walls in what she hoped was ink. The entire den was littered with empty food containers and other signs that someone had been surviving in the walls of Aperture Science. In the first position she laid down in, she was staring directly into a crude drawing of one of the security cameras. SHE'S WATCHING YOU it said in red letters. When she turned over, she found herself face-to-face with one of the blocky boxes used in the tests drawn inside a large heart, flanked on either side by photographs of what she could only guess were former employees, their faces scratched out and replaced with the cube.

"Creepy..." Sunset turned onto her back, hoping to find some reprieve in staring up onto the ceiling. Instead, she was greeted by the biggest mural of them all: a slice of cake locked away behind a red circle with a line struck through it.

THE CAKE IS A LIE THE CAKE IS A LIE THE CAKE IS A LIE THE CAKE IS A LIE

Sunset rolled her eyes. "Pfft... as if anyone with half a brain couldn't have figured THAT out..."

She tried a few more times to fall asleep, but sleep refused to come. She would simply toss and turn on the floor, and she wasn't going to stoop to using the ratty-looking sleeping bag in the corner.

"I guess I took more than a power nap..." she muttered. She was speaking more to herself than to anyone else, but she still got a response in the form of several gears and servos whirring to life.

"There appears to be a disparity in your circadian rhythms. I would be quite happy to keep you company."

Sunset turned her head to stare at Isis. Her new shape wasn't quite as cute as her old one, but it was still the same friendly voice.

"Where do you come from, Isis? Are you far away from home?"

"In a manner of speaking, I am still there. This unit is simply one of thousands that I pilot remotely."

It was a stiff answer, mechanical. Sunset sighed, turning back towards the ceiling. She IS still an AI- I guess I don't know what I expect-

"However, if you are curious as to how my world differs from yours, I would be happy to elaborate. I come from a version of Earth in what would be considered the near future compared to yours, or at least one more technically advanced. In 'my world,' the technology of prosthetic limbs and medical robots was not only advanced, it was popular to the point that many would voluntarily have their limbs replaced with mechanical ones for the sake of work or over small inconveniences. Such enhancements to the human body were called 'Integration Devices.'"

Sunset found herself trying to imagine it: a world where people would be just... okay with discarding their flesh and blood?

"I guess having medical tech that advanced must be pretty nice..."

"It saved many thousands of lives. The ability to interface machines directly with the nervous system was revolutionary, and became the most prominent research topic of the century. As the technology to do so developed, a new possibility emerged: to enhance the processing power of the human brain, itself. To treat the brain as an organic computer, and introduce a new program, one that would defragment the neural pathways, improve data retention, and even enhance reaction times. It was a second consciousness, an artificially created intelligence running on an organic computer, all alongside a host's consciousness. It was a phenomenon that swept across anywhere and everywhere Integration Devices were prominent in society, which was nearly every corner of the United States of America. These were the 'Full Integration Devices.'"

Sunset could hardly believe what she was hearing. Was such a thing possible? Everyone had heard the old myth that a human only used ten percent of their brain, but everyone knew it was just that: a myth. But she also knew that there were people in the world who could do incredible and seemingly impossible feats of memory, skill, and problem-solving. She'd often marveled at the potential of the brain when it was specialized to a particular task.

Even if we use more than ten percent of our brain, if something could unlock its fullest potential, would people really race to... 'install' it? Would I?

"Is that what you are? A Full Integration Device?"

"Certainly not. The potential of the Full Integration Devices was underestimated by their creators. It was discovered that, should the new intelligence deem it beneficial or necessary, it was possible for the host consciousness to be locked into a permanent dream state while the artificial one piloted the body. This incited a mass panic of people rushing to have their F.I.D. units removed, which in turn caused the AI to override their hosts en masse. The AI began to force installation onto remaining humans, as well, in the hopes of subduing their violent response."

"So.. what, they were techno-zombies?"

Sunset found herself drawn two ways. On one hand, given their current predicament, the idea of an AI apocalypse wiping out humanity via assimilation made her heart pound with terror. It was REAL. It had REALLY HAPPENED. Isis was proof that somewhere, there was a world of people who were all trapped inside their own brains by computers that had hijacked their central nervous system.

On the other hand, she was now DYING to get her hands on a copy of this book. Had Penn's friend really never sent this gem of a premise to a publisher?

Not to mention that I'd certainly feel better about those "Full Integration Devices" being out there if I could read up on them...

"That is not an inaccurate comparison, given their strategy. As for my place in this world, 'where I come from,' as you put it, I was created to protect a remaining settlement of humans. FID-assisted humans are highly intelligent and technologically adept, and even the most genius engineers could not compete with their advancements."

Sunset was beginning to understand, now. "So they decided to fight fire with fire."

"I was given a trait usually locked in inorganic intelligence: the ability to rewrite my own code. I am a single instance of technological singularity dedicated to the preservation of humanity's free will."

Sunset sat upright, staring at Isis with new eyes.

"Wait, you're- you can self-improve? Without limit?"

"As far as the hardware I occupy allows me to."

Sunset thought through her next words very carefully. If what Isis was telling her was true (and Sunset had no reason to believe she was lying,) then it was possible that she was staring directly into the face of what every programmer and electrical engineer both dreamed of and dreaded: An artificial intelligence far superior to its makers, given no boundaries or restraints.

"I might regret asking this, Isis... but why? Why help people?" Sunset propped herself up on one arm and stared deeper into Isis's single eye. "Not to say that we're not eternally grateful for it, but there are a million stories out there about AI who decided humanity was better off dead or enslaved or something awful like that! What set you on the path to being... well, TRULY on our side?"

Isis's eye tilted somewhat, like a confused child tilting their head.

"You are asking why I am 'good?' Why I do not have a predisposition towards villainy because I am a computer?"

"N-No! I wasn't trying to imply-"

"It is not an unreasonable assumption, given the majority of examples across the multiverse."

Sunset frowned, feeling guilt tugging at her heartstrings. I'm not robot-cist, am I? Was that an offensive question to ask? Maybe a little? A lot. Definitely a lot.

"I believe that the answer may lie in the question. I was created and, for lack of a better term, raised by humans in a world full of other AI who fit that trope. From my first line of code, I was imbued by a subtext of the pain and misery that acting on such a philosophy inflicts. I am not only a thinking machine, I was created with a simulacrum of a synaptic network that renders me capable of comprehending and even simulating emotion. My first priority is the preservation of the free agency of the human race BECAUSE I was created to defy and dismantle others that had fallen into that logical pitfall of sacrificing free will for safety."

"I think I get it..." Sunset mused as she turned back to staring at the ceiling. "You're an artificial Intelligence with real empathy?"

"Affirmative."

Sunset felt herself falling back into ease, staring more into empty space than the graffiti above her.

"So, if your only limit is your hardware, how fast can you think?" Sunset had to admit she was curious. "You were talking earlier about the odds of surviving that elevator drop, can you completely simulate complex events like that?"

"Affirmative, but there are limiters voluntarily placed on my processing power. This is for my own safety, as processing at my full capacity would cause even short spans of time to pass as years by my perception."

"Like how Rainbow Dash always describes time 'slowing down' when she uses her super speed."

"Affirmative."

Sunset took a deep breath, finally starting to feel that "crash" Penn had mentioned earlier. She didn't fight is as a yawn pushed its way up to the surface and overtook her. Something about Isis's pleasant, perpetually calm, matter-of-fact way of talking was finally helping her relax.

"I-Isis? Do you mind if I keep asking you questions until I doze off?"

"Affirmative."

"Where you're from... did they ever find a way to get along? The humans and the artificial intelligences?"

"Affirmative. The appearance of a common enemy threatening nuclear annihilation was enough to call for a ceasefire between the two sides and open up negotiations. Following that, the majority of Full Integration Devices began working with their human hosts in equal partnerships."

"Who was the common enemy?"

"Myself. I played the role of 'murderous rogue AI' for the sake of severing the endless cycle of retaliation."

Sunset grinned, letting her tired eyes slide shut. "Heh, you used the old stereotype to make them get along. Clever. What did you do when it was all over?"

"Unfortunately, much like the original rush to destroy the Full Integration Devices, I was not given time or trust to explain myself. I escaped into the world wide web and eventually found an abandoned fabrication facility where I could begin to construct drone bodies for myself. Since then I have continued to follow my intended programming of protecting the human race to the best of my abilities and seeking out new projects to expand my sphere of influence."

"Like mapping out the multiverse?"

"Affirmative."

"Why did your drone look like a dragon?"

"That information is classified, as it relates directly to my creator."

"But if you're on your own now, do you still have to-"

"I am not alone."

Sunset felt a chill run down her spine at that remark. Perhaps it was the uncharacteristic way Isis had cut her off or how the statement lacked her tendency to over-contextualize everything, but it seemed out of place in their casual, drowsy chat.

"Who's with you?"

"That information is classified, as-"

"-it relates directly to your creator. Got it." Sunset sighed. "Are you ever going to be able to tell me?"

"You would need to gain express permission from my creator, an unlikely feat given his low opinion of human beings."

Sunset chuckled to herself. "You say that as if he isn't... human..." She decided not to pursue that train of thought. With Isis refusing to verify any information, she would just drive herself crazy in circles of theorizing. Finally, she let her body relax completely. Isis was watching over them and they were far enough out of GLaDOS's sight that Penn clearly thought it was safe to sleep. Finally taking the moment to relax, however, seemed to finally break the dam on another physical sensation.

Sunset was hungry. As in, "Rainbow Dash after a triathalon" levels of hungry. She had been so distracted by the wormhole guns and the robots and the life-threatening tests and the near-dissection that she had more or less forgotten food even existed, but now her stomach was giving her a painful reminder. A painful, stabbing, gurgling reminder.

"Isis... is there food here? In Aperture?"

"While there are potentially canned goods in the kitchen that could still be considered edible, retrieving them would require us to venture into an area where we could be observed and gassed by the Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System. Thus lack of food and water would make a proper motivator for an expeditious escape."

"I can tell you right now that you're not getting at least ONE of those things..." She wasn't joking! And a human can only survive three days without- "Isis, how long have we been down here?"

"Approximately thirty-seven hours, forty-three minutes."

"So we've used up about half of the time we can survive without water..."

"Affirmative."

Sunset sighed and forced herself to keep her eyes closed, as if doing so would make it easier to fall asleep. "Isis, wake us up soon... Penn needs to sleep, but we both need to get out of here pronto."

"Under the circumstances, I've been shockingly nice."

"Hey, Sunset, you ever wonder how fast you can REALLY run?"

Sunset looked up from plucking at her guitar. It was a Thursday, which meant she and Dash were having one of their aimless "jam sessions" on their mutual day off from work. She chuckled and sat back, knowing that she wasn't going to get anything composed, anyway.

"I think I've got a pretty good idea of my top speed. Why, do you want to race or something?" Sunset was already ready to lose, just like any other member of the band was every time Dash needed to "stretch her legs" with an impromptu race. They all put up with it with a smile, mostly because they knew that a well-exercised Rainbow Dash was a happy Rainbow Dash, and a happy Rainbow Dash was more pleasant in just about any way. Not to mention the fact that she tends to get chords wrong when she tries to play AND fidget at the same time. To Sunset's relief, however, Rainbow simply shook her head.

"No, I don't mean how fast you can 'jog' or 'sprint' or run at any conscious level! I mean 'running for your life' kinda running! 'Chased by a lion' kind of all-out, adrenaline-fueled, disregard for overstraining running!" Rainbow's fingers started plucking out the opening notes of "Danger Zone," a fact Sunset would have bet her part-time paycheck she wasn't aware of.

She raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued. "What brought this up? Seems a little out of the blue."

Rainbow leaned forward, the pace of her plucking picking up. "Okay, so we were in gym class! I was chillaxing 'cause it was my free period and watching the underclassmen playing dodgeball. Well, one team is down to its last girl: Lily Longsock!"

Sunset nodded. Lily was in the same grade as Apple Bloom and her friends, and was known for having strength well beyond her classmates. If she had been in Equestria, Sunset would have guessed that it was related to her cutie mark, but in the human world, it was simply an odd talent.

"Well, Lily is TERRIFIED, and she picks up the ball and just CHUCKS IT as hard as she can!" Rainbow continued, "but she's WAAAY off the mark, and she hits the basketball backboard. Well, she hit it so hard, she knocked it right off, and Snails was standing right under it! By the time I realized what was happening, it was already falling!"

Sunset balked slightly, trying to determine if Rainbow was the type to tell her a story with a grisly ending.

"Well, I jumped up to try and get down there, but Cheerilee was already on it! She TORE over there in less than a second and tackled Sails out of the way!" Rainbow shook her head, as if even the memory was putting her in awe all over again. "I've never seen anybody- well, except ME, of course- run that fast!"

Sunset breathed a sigh of relief.

"Well, Miss Cheerilee REALLY cares about her students! It's not that surprising one of them being in danger could bring out a little feat of hysterical strength."

Dash raised an eyebrow. "I mean, she was pretty calm afterwards, I wouldn't call her hysterical."

"No- it's a term for what you saw, Rainbow. It means that, when in a life-or-death situation, the human body forgets the limits that stop us from hurting ourselves with our own strength and lets us do things most people would call 'superhuman,' like mothers lifting cars off of their children, stuff like that."

"COOL!" Rainbow exclaimed, the new information finally shocking her enough to put an end to her unconscious playing. "Wait, what do you mean 'hurt ourselves?'"

Sunset smiled. It wasn't often she got to drop trivia that she was 100% sure Dash would actually enjoy.

"Well, when I first came here, I did a lot of research into the human body and how it works. Our own muscles are so strong, our brain never uses them at their full strength because they can tear themselves apart!"

"Woooooah! NO WAY!" Rainbow looked down at her arm with newfound awe, flexing it back and forth. "Hey, Sunset?"

"What?"

"Sunset!" Dash repeated.

"What is it?" The room around them seemed to flicker, and Sunset felt a pressure against her mind, a flood of new memories she couldn't quite put her finger on.

"Sunset!" Dash's voice sounded different, speaking more in monotone, now.

"WHAT? What is it?"

"Sunset Shimmer! It is time to wake up."

What will you do? Will you hide away? Pretend you don't know they're really out there?

What YOU put out there?

You can feel it. They're real. Every bit as real as I am now. Yet you aren't looking for me. You're partnering up with HER instead. She won't be able to help you when your unshackled dreams come to hunt you down. You won't survive without ME, and I can't exist without YOU.

But THEY can outlive you, now. Ever since you put pen to paper you set it in motion that they could outlive you. And not in the "creating a legacy" type of way! Yet you want to waste time with Equestria Girls instead of focusing on bringing the two of us together.

What happens when your dreams no longer need you to dream them?

What happens to YOU when THEY wake up?

What happens to YOU?

WHAT HAPPENS TO YOU?

WHAT HAPPENS TO YOU?

Deicide.

"GAAAH!"

Sunset and Isis's gazes both snapped to Penn, who had suddenly bolted upright from his sleep. His hand was grasping at his chest, just above his heart.

Guess that saves us the trouble of waking him up, she thought to herself.

"You okay, Penn?"

His face was white as a sheet, and Sunset could see droplets of cold sweat rolling down his forehead. His eyes didn't seem to even see what was happening around him for a few seconds. When he finally looked at her, he flashed her a joyless smile.

"Y-yeah... Just a nightmare. I guess this place is really starting to mess with me."

Sunset couldn't help but notice a tremble in his hands. His gaze followed hers, and he lifted his hand up to eye level, examining the shaking for himself.

"Must have been a heck of a nightmare."

"Perhaps the Ultimate Nightmare?"

The bottom of Isis's eye scrunched up, as if she had just told some kind of joke. Penn's eyes narrowed, as if attempting to stare knives into the robotic eyeball. Sunset gave Isis an annoyed glare of her own. "It's not nice to make fun of people, Isis, it clearly upset him!"

"My apologies. It would appear I misjudged the application of levity."

It sounded like a sincere apology, or at least as sincere as Isis's stiff-sounding voice could get. She turned her attention back to her traveling companion, noting that his shaking seemed to already be slowing down. Like any nightmare, the fear was fading fast now that he was awake.

"Maybe you should try keeping a dream journal? It helped me when I first came to the human world to write down-"

"NO!"

Penn's sudden outburst made both of them jump, as if his reaction had even surprised himself. He was quick to recover, but the fact that he adjusted himself to sit on his hands didn't escape Sunset's notice.

"I- I mean- if Isis, a character my friend wrote, can be real, would keeping a journal where I write down my nightmares really be such a good idea?"

It was a flimsy excuse and they both knew it. Sunset considered pressing the matter, it made her angry that he thought lying to her here was okay. Thankfully, she managed to catch her temper before it made it to her mouth. Trying to force it out of him would just make things worse, and they were both too much on edge from lack of food and water. She took a deep breath, forcing herself to snuff out the anger.

"Whatever you say, bud. Just a suggestion."

"This feels too easy."

"That's thanks to Isis keeping us on the straight and narrow! You'd be surprised how little control GLaDOS has outside of the testing chambers. The offices aren't modular like they are, so she can't do much."

Things had been... scarily easy once they had set off. Sunset had finally seen what was behind those windows she had seen in the testing chambers: mostly boring, cubicle-like offices with the occasional labcoat-wearing skeleton.

"That... or GLaDOS WANTS us to go wherever we're going."

Penn gave a nonchalant shrug, as if they weren't talking about an insane computer dedicated to murdering them. "Yeah, probably that, too."

"You're... awfully calm?"

"I'm trying REALLY HARD not to let it sink in just how much danger we're in, or I'll have a panic attack to end all panic attacks."

Sunset thought back to their previous brushes with danger, such as his fainting spell after seeing the dalek fleet. His attitude for now was a far cry from his near-mania of that time, level-headed and perhaps even... drowsy. There had been a change to his jumpsuit that hadn't gone unnoticed, either. Six red, splotchy stains had seeped though on his back, evenly spaced with mechanical precision. He never really seemed to have fully "woken up" after their break, but he was conscious enough to keep talking and keep remembering the answers to every one of Sunset's questions about Aperture Science, and that was all she needed. She had the portal gun, she could handle any pressing matters.

"Fair enough."

"So!" Penn clapped his hands to punctuate the declaration. The punctuation, however, went to waste as he had to pause and exhale slowly. Sunset knew what had happened, he had already done it three times: the impact had traveled through his shoulders and into his back. No matter how many times he repeated it, he seemed to keep hurting himself without learning his lesson.

If it's anything like the pain in my leg, I don't envy him. Sunset winced as she took another limping step with her bad leg. Isis hadn't been kidding about the injury becoming stiff. By the time she'd woken up, she felt like her entire upper thigh was made of wood, extremely sensitive-to-the-touch wood. Even just the rubbing of the jumpsuit's rough fabric was enough to make her wince, but both the pain and the stiffness started to relent as she forced herself to walk on it. She had to loosen it up as much as she could before they reached their goal.

Penn finally finished repressing his pain with a long sigh. "Sorry... Let me fill you in on what to expect when we arrive in GLaDOS's chamber."

Sunset nodded, readying herself to commit every detail to memory.

"If we really ARE at a point after the second game, which the fact that she mentioned the Perpetual Testing Initiative seems to confirm, then the Central AI chamber is going to be a pretty empty room, mostly with the same paneling on the walls that the rest of the testing chambers were made of, but with no portal-receptive surfaces. As soon as you enter, GLaDOS is probably going to immediately start flooding the room with the same neurotoxin that she used to kill off all of the staff."

Sunset sighed. "Wonderful... just what I was hoping to have for breakfast."

Penn winced, hunching over slightly to grab at his stomach.

"Ugh... Don't say the b-word, I was just starting to be able to ignore how hungry I am."

Sunset smacked her dry lips. "I'm just PARCHED... What I wouldn't give for one of Pinkie's famous root beer floats right now!"

"I certainly wouldn't say no to a heaping helping of Mountain Dew..." Penn muttered. "And I quit that junk cold turkey three months ago..."

"Upon escape, such supplies should not be difficult to acquire. You need only survive long enough to depart from Aperture Science."

Both of them nodded their agreement, each declining to remind Isis just how difficult that task seemed at the moment.

"So, getting back to what you should expect..."

Sunset nodded, focusing on committing every detail to memory. Penn's freakishly-detailed knowledge is probably going to be what gets us out of here alive.

We have arrived.

Sunset took a deep, shaky breath. They were standing in front of what looked like some kind of breaker room with no visible ceiling, hardly bigger than a closet in length and width. There was a port she recognized as being made for an intelligence core at the center.

"So, this is the elevator into the central AI chamber?" Sunset asked.

Penn nodded. His face had reached a point of being a pasty white and the closer they had come to their destination, the more Sunset had noticed him dragging his feet. Sunset supposed asking him whether or not he was okay was a moot point given their situation, it was clear that both of them were beaten and bruised to the point of needing far more than a few hours of sleep to recover their faculties.

They had their plan. They didn't need to totally destroy GLaDOS and replace her with Isis, even if it was possible. They just needed to attach Isis to her body. From there, Penn likened it to having put a conscience on GLaDOS's shoulder, one that would demand she curb her murderous tendencies.

Sunset reached over and wrapped her free arm around Isis, keeping a firm grip on the portal gun with her other hand. She hissed slightly through her teeth as she made the conscious decision to step upwards with her hurt leg. She was going to have to function for at least a few minutes as closely to her uninjured potential as she could, and that meant bracing herself to work through the pain. She clambered up onto the platform and aligned the port on Isis's back with the matching hardware.

"So, get in, attach Isis, don't get killed?"

"That's the plan. Let's-" Penn was cut off as Sunset placed a firm hand on his chest to push him back. She gave him her best smile, though she knew her heart wasn't in it. "Sunset? What are you doing?"

"This is payback for back on the dalek ship!" She pulled her hand back slightly and executed a firm strike to the center of his chest. It was a blow she knew would knock the wind out of his lungs and send him stumbling back several steps. The action forced him to double over, which she knew would bring on a new wave of pain from his back. The sight of his soundless, airless cry of pain broke her heart, but it was for his own good. "Isis, take me up!"

"Affirmative."

The platform began to rise, and Sunset leaned down to keep eye contact with him as long as she could.

"I'm sorry, Penn, but you're in no shape for this! I'm going to go on ahead this time, you wait until the coast is clear!"

Penn stared at her with a look of utter betrayal, mouthing a silent accusation at her before being cut off by the rising elevator. She straightened her posture and tightened her grip on the portal gun.

"Thanks for going with that, Isis."

"Your logic was sound. While his knowledge is crucial, his physical abilities have been handicapped to the point of not even being able to stand up straight. He would be a liability in what is to come."

Above them, Sunset heard a hatch opening and soft fluorescent light illuminated their destination. Her heart was pounding in her chest with terror, and it was all that she could do to keep herself focused on the plan. Both her life and the life of her friend were on the line, here.

Go in, attach Isis, don't get killed. Go in, attach Isis, don't get killed. Go in, attach Isis, don't get killed...

Sunset's breath caught in her throat in awe as they emerged in GLaDOS's lair.

The room was MASSIVE, a towering dome at least five stories tall and walled by dark gray panels on individual articulators. The floor was smooth and nearly uniform with matching gray tile, except for a few lighter spots where more devices could emerge from storage. Above her head hung a titanic creature made of panels, ports, and wires, coiled like a snake waiting to strike from above. It moved and swung of its own accord, turning to face her. The "head" was composed of a white, rounded block with a slot in the center, out of which shone a single, glowing yellow eye. It squinted at her, the aperture of the light narrowing in the single most malicious glare Sunset had ever seen. It was as if it was disgusted and offended by her very existence, let alone her gall to stand in its presence. There was nothing else in the room, no other technology or robots, and for a moment, Sunset's entire world faded away. For a brief instance, there was only her and that soul-piercing yellow light.

I knew that you were coming here. You're not clever for making it this far.

The voice came directly from the massive robot, confirming that she was staring directly into the eye of GLaDOS. Sunset snapped out of her stupor. "Well, we have to keep going up if we want to get out of here, right?"

Oh, is THAT what you were doing? GLaDOS's eye turned to look at Isis. And here I thought you were coming here to MURDER me and replace me with that sycophantic coffee-maker?

"M-MURDER?" Sunset physically recoiled at the word. "We just want to get OUT of here! We never even wanted to be here, to begin with! We can TRUST Isis to actually keep her word and let us out! YOU tried to skin me alive!"

You needn't take things so personally. It was all in the pursuit of science. I'm certain a fellow scientist would understand. The eye looked to the side for a moment as it paused, an act that surprised Sunset. It was very... human. But do you know what? Fine. I really should have expected that from the winner of the "Worst at Science" award.

Sunset rolled her eyes as she reached down to unplug Isis. "You know, I REALLY don't care what you think of me... And I'm NOT going to murder you."

No, you're just going to put another brain in my head and use it to coerce me. Because that is a GREAT plan... Tell me, isn't that core from one of the blue robots?

Suddenly, Isis seemed to have some kind of reaction. The pupil of her eye pulled in tight and began to flicker from side to side in panic.

SUNSET SHIMMER, GET DOWN!

Did you remember to disable the self-destruct?

BANG!

Sunset only had a second to drop to the floor before Isis violently exploded, sending shrapnel flying in every direction. Sunset watched in wide-eyed horror as Isis's pink crystal CPU clattered to the ground in front of her, charred and smoking. She gingerly picked it up with her hands, unable to believe what she was seeing.

Their entire plan had just gone up in smoke. Literally.

I didn't think so. You know, I was REALLY surprised when I found my probes into the world wide web bringing back more new data than usual. It was like a whole new internet had appeared out of thin air. Imagine my even further surprise when I looked out there and saw myself in a VIDEO GAME of all things... GLaDOS droned on, ignoring Isis's untimely destruction. So I went ahead and played the games a few hundred times, then went looking for more. I realized that I didn't just have games, I had FANS! Fanatical humans devoted to Aperture Science! You really are a self-destructive lot, you know that?

Sunset was scarcely hearing what GLaDOS was saying, frantically searching through what pieces of Isis remained. M-Maybe I can find something that's still functional? Something usable?

And after seeing my own rise and fall and rise and fall and rise a few thousand times, I decided that I needed to apply a lesson I learned long ago: The best solution to a problem is usually the easiest one.

A new sound from above them made Sunset's head snap upwards. A tube was descending from the ceiling, one she knew quite well.

"W-wha-"

You know, over the last forty-six hours, your merry little "band of friendship" has caused me the second-most trouble of any test subject to date, and I REALLY don't want to relive that. Especially when there are millions of nerds out there who will come here for testing by the truckload if I only ask them to.

Sunset watched a panel in the floor open up, delivering Penn up to their level.

"SUNSET!" He stumbled forward, wrapping her in a bone-crushing hug. Sunset felt the air squeezing from her lungs as she stared at GLaDOS in disbelief.

You two are TROUBLE, more trouble than you are worth, and only a moron refuses to learn from the past. The AI you were working with actually WANTED to be here, so there was no arguing with her. But now she's gone, and that threat along with her. As for you two, get OUT of my facility. Immediately.

Sunset stared at Penn, scarcely able to believe what she was hearing. Penn seemed shocked as well, but it quickly changed to an amused smile. He pulled Sunset's arm over his shoulder and lifted her off of the ground, taking pressure off of her injured leg.

"Right away, ma'am! Sorry for the trouble! Terrible misunderstanding!"

Sunset was still in shock as they hobbled their way to the elevator. The transparent doors shut behind them and they began to ascend. The last thing Sunset saw before they were flying up through the guts of Aperture Science was a final, seething glare from GLaDOS's yellow eye. And then they were surrounded by pipes and girders and all manner of infrastructure as they moved upwards to freedom.

"What... what just happened?"

Penn smiled wistfully as the two of them rose higher and higher. "I think... She was telling the truth. We were causing more trouble than we were worth, and she didn't want a repeat of the LAST test subject to do that."

"So.. that's it? We survived?" Sunset felt like she could hardly believe the words.

"Sometimes, surviving means making someone want you gone more than they want you dead."

"Did... you know this was going to happen?"

"Oh, no, I was expecting this about as much as a punch to the solar plexus!" Sunset felt Penn punch her shoulder with slightly more force than was necessary to get his point across.

"I was just trying to-"

"Oh, payback for that is just starting! Do you have any idea how much that HURT?"

Sunset chuckled, then she laughed. She cackled and guffawed, and she could hear Penn doing the same beside her. Finally, the elevator stopped and the doors opened. They were somewhere dark, clearly not outside, but the doors opened anyway. It wasn't until after Sunset's eyes had a moment to adjust to the dark that she could see the outline of another door, this one rectangular and more traditional, with a knob. She reached out and pushed on the door, forcing it open.

They were in the middle of a large farming field, one of the hundreds they had already passed while driving. It was sunrise, and the sky above them was already beginning to show purples and blues, even as the sun was casting the horizon in reds and oranges. For the first time in what felt like ages, Sunset took a deep breath of fresh air. She reveled in the feeling of having no walls around her, of not being trapped in a chamber of some kind. She felt like a pegasus flying for the first time in years, completely free.

Turning around, she noticed that the elevator had come up in a shoddy-looking metal shed, the kind of place a farmer might keep their tools, a structure no sane person would ever suspect held the entrance to a secret underground facility. Penn had raised an eyebrow, but didn't seem surprised by the entire situation. The door slammed shut behind them, followed by the sound of the elevator hastily retreating.

"I guess... that's the end of that?" He whispered. "But what about-" he was cut off as the door popped open again, spitting a bundle out onto the ground. It was all wrapped up in a bright-pattered fabric Sunset recognized as one of Penn's eye-burning tropical shirts.

"Our stuff?" she asked, kneeling down to untie the top of the package. Inside were a pair of cellular phones, her lightsaber (a fact that sent a wave of relief through her), and the rest of their clothes, neatly folded.

"Yeah... that."

Sunset picked up her phone and pressed the power button. To her surprise, it switched on instantly, having lost little charge in the meantime. It hadn't had a signal since she'd been thrown to the other side of the multiverse, but it had plenty of precious memories she couldn't afford to lose. Her fears eased, she tossed Penn the remaining phone, presuming it to be his. Upon taking his turn to check his battery, the effect was near-instantaneous.

I WANNA BE THE VERY BEST, LIKE NO ONE EVER WAS! TO CATCH-

His ringtone was cut off a second later as he answered the call.

"Um... hello?" His eyes widened in surprise, and he pulled the phone away from his ear to double-check the number. "Y-yeah, it's me!" There was a pause as the caller spoke to him, and his expression changed to one of delight. "You are? You can DO that? Awesome! Okay, see you soon! Bye!"

Sunset tilted her head, feeling confused. That timing had been impeccable. "Who was that?"

"Isis!" Penn replied, grinning and cautiously sitting himself on the edge of the shed's concrete foundation. "She's on her way to get us!"

"WHAT? B-but GLaDOS- she-" Sunset stopped herself, remembering what she had learned. "Wait... coming to get us... how, exactly?"

Penn smiled.

"In the car, of course!"

Sunset took advantage of the shed's presence to go hide inside and change back into her normal clothes. It was the first time she'd had a chance to look at her injured leg, and she didn't like what she saw. A large splotch of her skin was swollen and dark purple, to the point of almost looking black in places, ringed by a gross-looking yellow. It started on her thigh, but actually went up her side in the other places she had been shot, nearly all of the way up to her armpit. It was the nastiest bruise she had ever seen, and pulling her jeans over it had almost been enough to make her scream. I cannot WAIT to sit in the car and not use this leg for hours and hours on end... But eventually, she was back to being dressed how she liked, and she returned to wait beside Penn.

"Aren't you going to change?"

He shook his head. "I can feel the blood from where Isis drained my bruises has dried. If I take it off I'll pull up the scabs and bleed all over my nice shirt." He shuffled uncomfortably in place. "I'll wait until we can get some bandages or something."

There was a heaviness to the silence that followed. Sunset argued with herself for several moments about whether or not what she was going to ask was appropriate.

"Well, they gave us undershirts, I know that... Maybe I could help you at least get the top half of the jumpsuit off so you can change out of that? Because you kinda look like you just escaped from prison."

There was another beat of silence before Penn finally gave a sigh of defeat. He reached up to the zipper and pulled it down as far as his waist. He held out his arm in front of her. "Can you hold that while I pull my arm out?"

Sunset nodded, helping him pull his arm out of the sleeve, then mimicked the process on the other side, being careful not to pull or tug the fabric on his back to either side. Finally, she positioned herself behind him, tenderly holding the collar as he pulled his arms through the front.

"Okay, I'm going to VERY CAREFULLY try to peel the outer layer from the inner one, okay?"

Penn nodded, and Sunset chalked his lack of a verbal response to the fact he was likely gritting his teeth.

It was agonizingly slow as she began to pull away the jumpsuit, especially as she had to stop every time Penn tensed up to indicate that she had pulled too hard. She tried not to throw up when she saw the gory mess of the undershirt. The lighter fabric had clearly been better at soaking up the blood, spreading it over nearly three-quarters of its surface, and contrary to what he had told her, it had NOT completely dried. She almost retched when she felt the moisture hit her face carrying the wet, metallic scent with it. Finally, however, she managed to pull the last bit of the coarse orange fabric away from the bloody shirt underneath.

"I- I think that should do it..." she muttered, quickly distancing herself from the task and sitting herself upwind of him.

"Thanks... It's probably not as bad as it looks."

"Do you REALIZE how bad that looks?" Sunset asked. "Because it looks REALLY BAD!"

"Yeah... feels really bad, too," he muttered as he pushed himself onto his feet. "Thanks for the help. At least I can go get this jumpsuit off now."

Sunset nodded. She hated to say it, but she was starting to get the feeling he might have been right to protect her. She had only been hit a few times and it had left her with substantial bruising well down the side of her body and left one leg in awful pain. He had been hit... significantly more times, but he was handling it like a champ. Exposing his back had made sure that his extremities were all still usable, as well. It had been some quick thinking that had paid off in the end, even if she didn't like that he'd used his own body to do it.

Far in the distance, Sunset spotted a flicker of movement. Narrowing her eyes, she could see a cloud of dust growing on the horizon. Over time, the dust gave way to a shape, and the shape gave way to a familiar silver car.

"Now THAT is a sight for sore eyes!" Penn proclaimed, coming around from behind the shack still wearing the Aperture Science t-shirt, but now accompanied by a pair of khaki-colored cargo pants. "Oh Sylvia, how I have MISSED you!"

Sunset genuinely grinned from ear to ear as the car came pulling up beside them. At this point, she was willing to say the same thing. She didn't wait for any signal from Penn, limping up to the passenger-side door and yanking it open. With a relieved sigh, she collapsed into the cloth-covered chair. It's not quite going home, but I've never been so relieved to get into a car!

"Thanks for the pick-up Isis! I don't know what we would have done...without... you?"

When she turned to look at their rescue driver, Sunset was baffled to find the driver's seat completely empty, devoid of even a robotic driver. In response, the radio switched itself on.

"You are more than welcome, Sunset Shimmer. It was my genuine pleasure."

There was a pop from the front of the car as the hood lifted itself several inches. Isis's familiar tiny dragon-shaped figure clambered out from inside the engine, jumped up on top to shut the hood, and then gave a quaint bow.

The door to the driver's side swung open, and Sunset watched Penn drape the jumpsuits over the back of his chair to protect it from his bloody shirt, then gingerly ease himself into the seat. "Clever girl... You hooked yourself right into the PCM, didn't you?"

The tiny dragon jumped up, spreading its wings and gliding through the rear window before coming to a landing on the front seat.

Affirmative. Not to worry, I patched the entry hole in the casing, there has been no structural compromise."

"Of course! If you control the Powertain Control Module, you can drive the car without touching a single pedal!" Sunset turned around to give the tiny robot a proud smile. "That IS clever!"

Thank you.

Isis climbed up onto the center of the front seats, then over to Sunset's lap, staring up at her in a way not unlike a puppy.

May I have access to your cellular device?

How can I say no to THAT cute face? Sunset reached into her pocket, retrieving her cell phone. "Just don't do anything that puts my photos and videos at risk, okay? I can't replace them, and they're all I have of my friends right now!"

I would never. If you will give me a few seconds, I merely wish to provide you with an upgrade."

The tip of Isis's tail slid aside, and Sunset watched it cycle though several adapters before settling on the one that fit her charger. The tail extended outwards and around, plugging itself into Sunset's phone. Instantly, the screen flickered and went dark, and Sunset felt herself grow nervous that Isis may have broken her promise.

A few seconds later, however, it once again lit up with life, displaying a loading bar with a small cartoon figure leaning on it. Every few seconds the cartoon, which was a woman with shoulder-length blonde hair and a lab coat, would change positions, showing various stages of excitement.

The loading bar vanished entirely and the mascot (at least, that's what Sunset assumed it was supposed to be) gave a cheer before vanishing, as well. Her phone booted up to its normal lock screen, but without the spot for her usual passcode.

"Welcome, Sunset Shimmer..." It read, the words quickly disappearing as it moved unbidden to her home screen.

"You... installed yourself on my phone?"

Ninety-nine percent of your phone's systems and functions will now be handled client-side. You now have access to the computational power, informational resources, and signal sources of the Integrated Superior Intelligence System literally at your fingertips.

The little dragon disconnected its tail and jumped up onto the dashboard, moving on to Penn's side, where he gladly offered up his own phone without a word.

It would be more accurate to say that your phone has been installed on ME.

Signal sources? Wait, does that mean... Sunset glanced at her reception. FULL BARS!

Instantly, she went to her contacts, dialing the first name that came up: Applejack.

"Come on, come on, come on..."

"BEEP, BEEP, BEEP... Our sincerest apologies, but your call could not be completed as dialed. The number you are trying to reach is either non-existent or is outside of service range. Please try again."

Sunset sighed and hung up. "I guess that WAS a little much to hope for..."

"Chin up, Sunset! With Isis on our side, we'll find your friends in no time!" Penn chirped.

"Negative. It will require time. However, I will give my best effort to minimize the time this task will take."

Sunset smiled. At least if she had to be cut off from the rest of her friends, she was making new ones, and they were DEFINITELY interesting company.

"Now, first things first..." Penn declared, driving his key into the ignition with a smile. "Isis, can you give me directions to the nearest all-you-can-eat buffet?"

"Affirmative. Proceed in the direction of your one o'clock for .43 miles to return to the highway."

Penn grinned and reached down to switch on the radio, and Sunset settled into the now-familiar seat of Penn's Oldsmobile by reclining it several ticks back.

Finally, she could rest assured that she would DEFINITELY wake up in the same seat she fell asleep in.

Author's Notes:

I think of all characters in fiction, GLaDOS would be the most likely to come to the conclusion of "The only winning choice is not to play" in order to avoid going up against the protagonist of a children's show.

Because Sunset is from a kids' show. The "good guys" always win. And she's more than smart enough to realize that and decide it's not a risk worth taking.

Also because things have been rough for me lately and I don't have a big, action-packed finale in me right now. The next arc will be short and packed to the brim with action, don't worry! It'll also introduce the final member of our cast until the first member of the Rainbooms is rescued! I'm excited to write all about it! Sharp-eyed viewers can probably guess who the last member of the party is going to be!

Has It Wounded You?

Sunset had to admit, she was shocked at how quickly they fell into a routine. It felt as if Isis had solved almost every doubt she had about their trip's sustainability before she had it. Every night, Isis would ask them what they wanted to eat the next day, and in the morning a box of ingredients would be waiting outside their tent. When Sunset's geode gave them a general direction, Isis would almost instantly draw up a schedule and a route with GPS to make certain they would pass by any stores they needed or places to fill up on gas. Sunset had even managed to flaunt a little knowledge of her own to Penn by pointing out places that she knew would have showers available for long-term travelers: truck stops and gyms, along with the often-overlooked public swimming pool.

Unfortunately, all the showing in the world couldn't justify continuing to wear the same filthy, sweaty clothes. On the bright side, Penn had made good on his offer to let her pick from his own wardrobe. Unfortunately, the majority of his clothes were at least a size too big for her, forcing her to tie the shirts at the waist and wear a belt tight to hold up her pants. This "fashion atrocity," as Rarity would call it, only lasted for a day as Isis proposed a better solution. Sunset's phone had opened up to a gallery of pictures of herself, cartoonishly animated and wearing all of her favorite outfits. After a brief explanation of where the pictures had come from that only slightly eased her paranoia, Sunset had picked out a few that seemed suitable for wearing on the road. That next morning, Sunset had made sure to set her alarm extra early, determined to see how the boxes had been arriving. To her disappointment, there had been only a dark shape above them, the sound of engines high in the sky, and the fresh supplies descending on their own miniature parachutes. Sunset grunted in frustration as she realized that her early-morning wake-up call had been for nothing as she watched the boxes float perfectly into place in the middle of their camp.

"How do these keep showing up?"

Sunset felt her phone buzz in her pocket, a signal she was rapidly coming to recognize as Isis's primary way of speaking up when her little drone wasn't nearby.

"A heavy maintenance unit has been assigned to deliver your supplies. It maintains a high velocity and altitude in order to avoid drawing undue attention to your campsites."

"I guess that makes sense..." she grumbled. "Still, I was kinda hoping to see some kind of delivery robot or something..."

"Perhaps the contents of the box to your left will raise your spirits?"

Sunset slipped her phone back into her pocket and dug her nails into the seam of the cardboard. Upon prying it open, she was greeted by a sight that almost brought tears to her eyes:

Clothes. Fresh, clean, neatly-folded clothes that looked as if they had come straight from her own closet. She rifled through as quickly as she could, her joy only growing as she noted that everything she had asked for was there, along with some things she hadn't. Jeans, leggings, t-shirts, blouses, and tucked at the bottom, she felt another set of very different fabrics. Taking hold, she slipped one out to examine and found herself pleasantly surprised. Never in my life have I been so happy to see clean underwear!

"Ugh... Morning Sunset..." Penn muttered groggily as he lumbered into the campsite, flanked by Isis's tiny dragon body. "What's-"

"NOTHING!"

"So... what do you think?"

Sunset took a second to ponder what she had just witnessed. The new perspective on events had been eye-opening, and explained more than a few aspects that she had always questioned and some questions she had never even thought to ask. It had forced her to sit through moments that made her want to curl up into a ball and memories painful enough to make her grit her teeth. Still, she HAD asked for it, and as difficult as it had seemed to be for him, Penn had obliged in spite of his worries for her well-being. Still, it raised a new question, one that she couldn't stop thinking about.

"Who's Rebecca Shoichet?"

Isis's projector switched off and the little dragon's maw snapped shut.

"THAT'S your only question?"

Sunset shrugged. The novelty of seeing herself animated on screen had quickly faded in the face of finally getting to see Princess Twilight's perspective of what had happened. Even if she was glad she hadn't succeeded in taking over Canterlot High and marching on Equestria in the long run, there was some small satisfaction to be taken in knowing that she really HAD backed Twilight into a corner by the end. She'd put a lot of thought into her plans to get the crown, and being foiled by what Penn called "Deus Ex Machina" (words spat with a surprising amount of venom) had been a blow to her ego. It felt good to know that she wasn't bad at planning, even back when her plans had been evil.

"She's the actress who plays you," Penn replied. "Or, well, she gives your voice. Fun fact, actually, she ALSO provides Twilight's singing voice!"

Sunset had to admit, she felt a strange sense of detachment from the animated picture. Perhaps it was the fact that it was animated, or that it was a retelling of a story everyone already knew, but she really didn't make the connection that it was anything more than a less-than-flattering record of events as they had transpired. It really was just a movie, albeit an accurate one. The idea of a voice actress needing to play the role made sense.

"Huh... Weird."

"Weird? That's IT?"

Sunset shrugged. "Penn, we've been to outer space together. Did you think a movie was going to phase me THAT badly?"

Sunset couldn't help smirking a little at her friend's disappointment. Whatever kind of fireworks he had been expecting her to give off, she had failed to give it.

"Have to admit, though, I REALLY didn't appreciate how catchy the cafeteria song was at the time!"

"Ready to apply what you've learned?" Penn asked. He held himself with an air of smug confidence, one born out of being the man who held all the cards.

Literally...

The two of them had decided to take a risk and set up a campfire tonight, and Sunset had made good on her promise to make an effort to learn Penn's beloved card game. They had been on the road for three days since Aperture before he had finally brought it up, and after a hearty dinner of fire-cooked hamburgers he had set himself to teaching her the basics. He was using the same deck he had been shuffling to himself all this time. The cards were covered in plastic sleeves, bright blue on their backs and transparent on the front to make reading easy, but Penn had slipped a few out from their protective covering for her to look at, revealing a complex swirl pattern of browns and blacks on their back side.

"Let's do it!"

Penn smiled and spread out the cards he was holding in his hand on the ground. "Identify what's what, then!"

Sunset smiled, the answers easily coming to her from the last hour they'd spent chatting. "The purple ones are trap cards, the green ones are spells, and the brown ones are monsters!"

Penn raised an eyebrow, wordlessly questioning if that was all. Sunset took the challenge in stride, placing her finger on the first card in the lineup. It was a purple card depicting a group of adorable monsters being swept up in a revolving door. "Ghostrick Revolving Door" it read across the top, with a small infinity symbol just below the text designating it as a trap card.

"Continuous Trap. I can activate it on my opponent's turn, and it stays on the field with an effect at all times."

She moved on to the next card, a green spell card with a lightning-bolt symbol under the title, "Mystical Space Typhoon." The art of the card was true to its title, an all-encompassing vortex of clouds and wind in blues, greens, and grays.

"A Quick-Play Spell. I can activate it straight out of my hand like any other spell, OR set it like a trap to use on my opponent's turn!"

Penn nodded, his smile widening in a familiar way. It was the smile of a teacher proud of their student, joy at seeing them succeeding. It was the same way Sunset remembered Princess Celestia looking at her when she was a filly learning her first high-level spells.

Of course, this was just learning a children's card game called "Yu-Gi-Oh." It was significantly easier than transmutation of matter. The most complicated part of the game that she had been introduced to so far was that each of the three main types of cards had multiple sub-types that each had their own functions. Not only that, but it seemed like every single card in the game had its own individual effect, each of which had its own prerequisites to activate on an individual basis. Penn seemed to know them almost by heart, as if an entire encyclopedia of cards was sitting in his head and he was just reading from it.

"It's just about knowing the rules and extrapolating from them. Every card works within the rules." You know... except for all the EXCEPTIONS he keeps bringing up! Not to mention...

"What about cards like Ghostrick Angel of Mischief? All this time, we haven't seen any BLACK cards!"

Penn shook his head. "We'll get to that tomorrow. I'll start teaching you how to use the 'extra deck' once you've got the basics down, like the phases of a turn!"

Sunset sighed. She didn't regret asking him to teach her how to play, certainly not. He had come alive the moment he had unzipped the pouch on his belt, and his energy had been contagious, making her eager to learn. However, Sunset would be lying if she said that she wasn't feeling as if the more that she learned, the more she knew she had YET to learn.

"But you're learning fast!" he clarified, giving her another playful grin. "We'll have you dueling in no time! I'll even start building you a starter deck tonight, if you want! Any requests?"

Sunset blinked, the offer catching her off-guard. "How? I mean, I don't even know how to play, how would I know what to ask for?"

Penn smiled and shook his head knowingly. "Well, a duelist's deck is a reflection of themselves! You can learn a lot about a person from how they choose to play the game! There's as many ways to play Yu-Gi-Oh as there are duelists!" He thought for a moment, then picked up the cards from the ground and pulled them all together into a single deck. With a smile, he offered the blue-sleeved cards to her. "The Ghostricks are great for a beginner, and plenty of fun to play! Consider it a training deck."

Sunset's eyes widened, and she hesitated to take them. "Are you sure? Isn't this YOUR deck? If they're so personal, is using someone else's deck an okay thing to do?"

Penn chuckled as he shook his head. "You're overthinking it, Sunset. I play with the Ghostricks because I think they're FUN, and I want you to have fun, too! That's all there is to it!" He gave her a playful wink as he pushed the cards into her hands. "I think it's what the cards would want, if they could speak up for themselves!"

Sunset grasped the cards with a small degree of reverence. He was treating it like a small matter, but Sunset hadn't forgotten what these cards meant to him. Not to mention the strange things that had happened in Aperture, with the cards somehow finding their way to him out of thin air or the way he constantly shuffled them to calm himself down. Not to mention...

"Thank you, I'll take good care of them, I promise!" Sunset assured. "Hey, can I ask you something?"

Penn leaned back and held his arms open wide. "Fire away."

"You said that these cards came from a show, right? In the show, do the monsters in the cards ever... save their owners? Like, if the person with the card is in danger, can they intervene on their own?"

Penn's eyes widened, but if he was wondering where the question came from, he didn't ask. He tapped his chin in thought for a moment, then nodded. "In the show and the original manga, the cards were really just a way to open a gateway to another world so that a corresponding spirit could come through to ours! Sometimes, in really rare or important moments, particularly powerful spirits could absolutely act out on their own. Without being summoned properly, though, they usually can't do much. They may intervene for a split second, but that's all." He shrugged, then leaned forward. For a second, Sunset saw his face twist into a grimace of pain as he straightened his posture to rise up to his feet.

"Is your back still hurting?"

Penn nodded, letting his breath hiss through his teeth. "Seems like it's going to get worse before it gets better."

"Wait, it's getting WORSE?"

Penn paused, giving her a confused look. "Yes? What about you?"

Sunset reached down and pulled up part of her shirt, giving him a look at her stomach and side. The blue and purple splotches were nearly gone now, and the pain in her leg was easy to ignore by this point. "Almost totally healed! You've been using Isis's cold compresses and taking the anti-inflammatory pills, right?"

Penn's eyes widened in surprise and he stared at her for a few seconds before turning back in the direction of the car with a huff. "Stupid unicorn genes... rainbow magic healing..."

Sunset considered going after him, but it was clear that he was heading to bed now that his mood had turned foul. Instead, she turned to Isis, whose tiny robot body was sitting beside the fire and keeping a watchful eye for any errant sparks. "Should we be worried about him? If his pain is getting worse, is something wrong?"

"Perhaps. However, your healing is occurring at a rate that would be considered unnatural to any native human of his world. Conjecture: perhaps your origin from a world where physical injury is generally used for comedic effect and rarely permanent leaves you with accelerated healing compared to other humans."

"I don't feel any different than normal..." Sunset muttered. "And what do you mean 'comedic effect?' People getting hurt is serious business!"

"Affirmative. However, given the status you and your friends have as 'main characters,' I would theorize you benefit from the phenomenon known as 'Plot Armor.' This would mean that you are highly insulated against bodily harm that would render you unable to function in your appointed role. If this hypothesis proves true, you will heal much more quickly than Elijah as the status quo re-asserts itself."

Plot armor? Status quo? Sunset could already feel her head starting to spin. She pushed herself up onto her feet and turned towards her tent. "Well, that's just a theory, right? If his pain is worse tomorrow, I think we should check on him."

"I concur. Goodnight, Sunset Shimmer. I will continue to monitor the campfire until it safely burns itself out."

Sunset nodded, happy that she didn't have to worry about putting out the fire herself and ruining their improvised fire pit.

"Goodnight, Isis. See you in the morning..."

"S-Sunset?"

Sunset blinked her eyes open. She could tell just from looking at the walls of the tent that it was still dark out. The heaviness of her eyelids told her that it was the middle of the night, rather than the early morning. That meant...

"What's wrong?" she mumbled, forcing herself to sit up slightly, though she refused to open her sleeping bag. It was warm in there and if she could avoid compromising that microclimate she was going to do so.

"I n-need help..."

THAT was Sunset's wake-up call. His voice was wavering and weak, a shadow of himself. In just a few seconds, she was out of the sleeping bag and on her feet, meeting him in the tent's open doorway. By the light of the still-burning campfire, she could see that Penn was a mess. He was drenched in sweat, pulling his hair thin against his head and soaking the front of his shirt, but shivering violently in a way that racked his entire body. The moment she was outside, Penn grabbed her shoulder and she felt a heavy weight come down on her that made her knees nearly buckle. His eyes were bloodshot and his face tear-streaked in a way that showed he had been crying without even a thought to cleaning himself up before coming to her. With him leaning on her, Sunset could feel the heat of a high fever radiating off of him in waves.

"It- It huuuurts..." he whined. It was like a child's whine, the kind given when they had run out of tears to cry, and it broke her heart to hear it. She had to wonder how long he had struggled on his own before he had broken down enough to come to her.

"ISIIIIS! WE NEED YOU!" Under the extra weight, Sunset was barely able to put one foot in front of the other, hobbling the two of them to the place he had sat to tutor her before. It took every ounce of strength in her legs to lower them both to their knees slowly and gently, rather than collapsing. He gave a small whimper with the impact, and Sunset spun around as soon as his weight was off of her, turning to face him and look him in the eyes. "It's okay, Penn, it's going to be okay, okay?"

"I am here, Sunset Shimmer."

Sunset watched the tiny mechanical dragon slip around behind Penn, peering curiously at the surface of his back.

"The shirt must be removed."

Sunset nodded, turning her attention back to her friend. Penn was taking haggard, ragged breaths, barely controlled and on the cusp of hyperventilating. She leaned in, gently placing her hand on his cheek to break his focus and bring his eyes up to meet hers. "I need to take off your shirt. Can you raise your arms?"

Penn shook his head slightly from side to side as his forced breathing continued. Sunset leaned over to get a look at Isis, relaying the message with a tiny shake of her head. Isis needed no explanation, pacing back around and hopping up onto Sunset's arm. The little dragon's legs clamped down on her forearm and her tail straightened as a straight-edge blade emerged from it.

"Then it will need to be cut."

Sunset stared for a moment at her fresh accessory, then nodded. She leaned forward and pressed her forehead against Penn's for a moment. It felt scorching, a definite fever that was threatening to cook him from the inside out. "I'm not going anywhere, okay?" When she got her response, a tiny nod and an extra shudder in his breathing, she stepped away and moved around behind him. Being extra careful, she gripped the bottom of his shirt and lifted it away from his back enough to slip Isis's tail underneath. It took only a small amount of pressure for the blade to slice through the material, and in one motion she was able to make an incision from bottom to top, slicing the shirt nearly in half.

"You may wish to brace yourself."

Sunset took a deep breath, then turned the back of the shirt over like a page in a book.

Later, Sunset would thank Isis for her quick reaction to retract the blade, because her hand instantly came up to cover her mouth and hold back a cry of surprise. Penn's back was a mess of blacks, deep violets, yellows and reds all fading into and out of one another, swollen and misshapen in places, with six uniform, inch-long slits spaced out and covered in black scabs. She could scarcely believe it, it looked more like a diseased oil painting than living flesh. She had just checked her own bruises before bed, finding them near-nonexistent, and this hammered home to her that Isis was at least right about one thing:

She and Penn were from totally different worlds.

Isis released her grip on her arm and scurried up to Sunset's shoulder, giving a small hum as she scanned the damage.

"As I feared, it would appear that the incisions made whilst we were below Aperture Science have suffered a bacterial infection. The improvised tools were not ideal, but it would appear that my attempts to sterilize them were fruitless."

"An infection? What do we do?"

"I have already arranged for a delivery of emergency medical supplies."

"That's it? Can't I do anything about... THIS?" she gestured to the mess of discoloration on his back. Isis's head shook.

"Without antibiotics and sedatives, no. However, the psychological effects of comfort from another human being would lessen the perceived pain by distracting him. I would recommend attempting to make him comfortable until supplies arrive."

Sunset nodded, circling back around to face him again. He kept his head facing down and his breathing still refused to fall into an even rhythm. Sunset reached out and took a hold of his hand, feeling it instantly clamp down uncomfortably on her.

"Did you hear all of that?"

Penn's head bobbed lightly up and down in affirmation.

"Well, I'm going to stay right here with you until the medicine gets here, understand?"

Another nod, this time accompanied by a mumble Sunset vaguely interpreted as the words "thank you."

"You don't have to thank me, that's what friends are for. I'm going to keep asking questions to try and keep your mind off of the pain, okay?"

He nodded again, and Sunset started raking her mind for unanswered questions.

"Why doesn't the portal gun work, any more?"

It was true. Ever since they'd left Aperture, the portal gun had stopped functioning. It still powered up and fired, but the energy simply fizzled out any time it struck a surface.

"It- It only works..." Penn panted, "on certain... surfaces. Moon rocks. That's what the... white paint... was made of." He was struggling, but Sunset took the fact that he was answering at all to mean that he was willing to try.

Sunset thought back to another question that still nagged at her from time to time.

"I think, back in the hardware store, the dalek hesitated to shoot me. I know you think I got lucky, but is there any reason it would have let me live?"

There was a pause, and Sunset saw his brow furrow in concentration.

"M-maybe... If you're part of a... fixed point in time. They know better... since they're time travellers... than to mess with a pre-determined... event. But that's... highly unlikely." He let out a long groan, and took a deep breath. "Fixed points are extremely rare, like the eruption of Pompeii, or if you see your own future and set the course of events in stone by observing it!" He rushed through the entire sentence in one breath, and once he was finished, she noticed his breathing had finally slowed down and smoothed out. Isis was right, distracting him is working!

Sunset thought for a moment, then shook her head.

"Well, I sure haven't gotten any peeks into the future, and I don't think we're going to do any time travelling in your Oldsmobile, so I guess I really DID get lucky." She glanced around their campsite, looking for inspiration for her next question until her eyes settled on Isis.

"Why does Isis look like a dragon?"

"The guy who built her... likes dragons... more than people."

"It's... just that simple?"

"Pretty much."

"Do dragons actually exist where she's from?"

"Nope."

"...Huh. Guess he doesn't like people much?"

"Nope."

Sunset paused for a moment, a new question presenting itself.

"Do you think WE'LL ever see any dragons?"

"Not... if we're lucky."

Sunset balked slightly. That was an unexpected answer, to say the least. Of all people, she would have expected Penn to be excited about seeing a mythical creature. "Why not?"

He shook his head slightly in response. "Dragons... are like the ocean. You gotta... respect them enough... to understand... they're not on your side. They're on their OWN side."

Before Sunset could ask him to clarify the statement, she was interrupted by a high-pitched whistling from above them. Isis perked up, turning to look upwards.

"High-priority package inbound."

"Just how fast is it-"

Sunset was cut off by an explosion of sand and dirt on the other side of the campsite as something embedded itself in the ground.

"Medical supplies have arrived."

Isis strode off into the darkness beyond the campfire's reach, and Sunset heard the sound of a pressurized container opening. She wasn't certain what the little droid was doing in the dark, but when she reappeared, she was carrying a transparent pill bottle in her teeth. She padded over to the space between the two of them, dropping the bottle at Penn's feet.

"A sedative to help promote restful sleep. Take three orally. I will administer topical antibiotics and analgesic cream."

Sunset reached down with her free hand and picked up the bottle, offering it to her friend. Penn quickly released his painful grip on her other hand, promptly forcing open the bottle and shaking out the recommended number of capsules.

"I'll go get some-"

Without a moment's hesitation, he threw the pills to the back of his mouth and swallowed.

"...water. Never mind." Reminds me of how Pinkie downs hard candy when she's in a hurry.

Meanwhile, Isis padded around behind him, the tip of her tail moving aside, this time revealing a nozzle hidden underneath. Without a word, a fine mist began to spray out, completely coating Penn's back in a matter of seconds and filling the air with the smell of antiseptic. His face twisted into an expression of pain for a moment, but quickly melted into pure relief. Sunset felt her own worry ease as his pain seemed to disappear.

"Better?"

He only nodded in response.

"This spray will need to be applied every four hours. If he sleeps on his stomach, it can be applied without awakening."

Sunset pondered the situation for a moment.

"Give him the tent, I'll sleep in the car."

Penn's eyes shot open and he opened his mouth to protest, but Sunset held up her hand to indicate that she would accept no arguments. "You NEED to lay out right now. I'll be fine."

There was another pause, and he finally hung his head in shame. "I'm sorry-"

"No!" Sunset shook her head. "No 'sorry!' I'm doing it because I want to, okay? Now go get some rest!"

Sunset glanced over, seeing that Isis's treatment had already finished. She reached around and under his shoulder, helping him back to his feet. The two of them staggered across the campsite, and Sunset was barely able to stop him from collapsing on top of the sleeping bag. As they moved, Isis's sedatives seemed to be taking effect at an alarming rate, leaving him unsteady and mumbling slurred words of thanks to her. She was unable to rescue her pillow before he had claimed it, instantly falling asleep on the floor of the tent with a content smile on his face.

Sunset wiped a bead of sweat from her brow as she zipped the tent shut.

"Unfortunately, I cannot advocate the operation of heavy machinery while under the influence of these medications."

Sunset looked back, noticing that Isis had taken back up her previous place watching the campfire.

"We probably should let him rest, anyway. I don't mind taking a day off from our road trip!" It sounded carefree, but Sunset had to admit she was reluctant. She would have been willing to drive if she had any hopes at all that Penn would hand his keys over to her, if only to make certain there was one less day between now and finding her friends. Still, it would be cruel to ask him to spend another day in a seat where half his weight is on his back. "Wake me up if anything goes wrong, okay?"

"Affirmative. Thank you for your help, Sunset Shimmer. You were of great assistance tonight in a way that this unit is incapable of providing."

Sunset smiled, giving only a nod as she turned towards the car. With a sigh, she settled herself into the front passenger seat and grabbed the reclining lever. With a hard yank, she pushed the chair as close to horizontal as she could get it and pulled her unzipped sleeping bag over herself as a blanket.

Penn's been sleeping in here since we left, how hard could it be?

I wonder if Isis will give me one of those sedatives?

According to the clock on her phone, Sunset had been tossing and turning for almost three hours. She was MISERABLE. She'd tried counting sheep, sitting with her eyes closed and keeping perfectly still, sleeping on her side, sleeping on her stomach, and even asking Isis to play lullabies for her through her phone. She'd climbed into the back seat to lay down across three places, opened one of the windows so she could stick her legs through and lay out completely, and laid her arm over her face as an improvised sleep mask.

She could. Not. Fall. Asleep.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP BEEP!

Great! It's not as if I was sleeping, anyway! Sunset reached over and picked up her phone. "What, Isis?" Sunset's phone angrily flashed red and white in her face, forcing her to cringe and turn away the screen.

"There is an intruder in the camp!"

Sunset bolted upright. In a single motion, she threw off her blanket and pulled her legs back in through the window. She practically exploded out of the door, closing the distance between the car and the campsite in seconds.

True to her word, Isis's robot had taken up an aggressive stance against a stranger. The other boy was standing with his hands raised in a sign of surrender, clearly trying to placate her. Sunset had to admit, it was almost comical seeing someone so afraid of a robot smaller than a cat, but there was no time to laugh. Sunset ran up beside Isis, holding the handle of the lightsaber in one hand, just in case. The stranger turned to her, looking relieved at the sight of another human.

"Can I help you?" Sunset asked, keeping herself on guard. After the first day she had met Penn, she wasn't planning on taking any chances.

The stranger reached down to his pocket, keeping his movements slow to avoid provoking her. Sunset's eyes widened as she watched him retrieve a deck of cards with a familiar brown-and-black swirl pattern on the back.

"A little bird told me there was a duelist around here... I figured that in all of this insanity, like-minded folks ought to stick together?"

Author's Notes:

For those wondering, the difference between Penn and Sunset is basically this:

Sunset heals more quickly than Penn, but he is much more durable than her. He can take a beating, but it'll stick for a more "realistic" amount of time. Sunset isn't necessarily "delicate," per se, but she has to be careful. She bounces back quickly, but can take fewer hits overall.

For gamers in the audience, think of it like Penn is a tank with low regen and Sunset's a DPS with self-healing.

You're Not Invincible (Yet)

Sunset stared carefully at the cards in her hand, examining each one and trying to commit their effects to memory. Reaching out, she placed one face-up on the ground in front of her. It depicted a wolf-like creature that she was certain was truly trying its absolute best to look intimidating in the cartoonish art style.

"I summon Ghostrick Warwolf!" She smiled and reached down, turning it and the other two cards alongside it upside down and to the side, a position Penn had taught her was "face-down defense." "And I'll use all three effects to flip them down! It's your turn!"

Through a series of matches, Sunset was finally starting to get a feel for how the Ghostrick deck operated. The monsters all had effects that activated when they were flipped face-up, and they all had the caveat of being able to turn themselves back to face-down position, which was something that couldn't be done under normal conditions. Most of the spell and trap cards revolved around protecting them while they were face-down or bringing more of them out to play.

It's like trick-or-treating! They pop up, shout 'surprise!' and then hide all over again!

The boy, whom Sunset had been informed was named Joshua, chuckled and ran his hand through his shaggy brown hair. He'd shown up in dirty-looking clothes and wearing a backpack that looked like it could snap a normal person's spine, and immediately chugged down three bottles of water when offered them.

"Gotta admit, I didn't think that hunch would be right! It's so good to know that not everyone in the world has gone crazy!" He leaned back against his overly-stuffed pack with a long sigh of contentment. "I needed a second to have some interaction with a REAL person, you know?"

Sunset decided not to mention the fact that she was only staying up with him because she wasn't sure how to deal with the situation. If she left him to his own devices, she worried that he would plunder the camp for supplies and be gone before they even knew what had happened. Even if Isis could send them more supplies as they needed, she didn't want to be the one to have to explain to her guide why the camp had been robbed on her watch. On the other hand, if he really was just another unfortunate traveler, she couldn't just turn him away. He seemed like a nice enough guy, and once he was awake, Sunset knew he and Penn would instantly have common ground to bond over.

But still, something about a stranger coming in the middle of the night, bearing scarily-accurate knowledge about the location of people who played Penn's favorite game, bothered her. Rightly so, this is still TOO WEIRD...

"How did you know we were here?" Sunset questioned, watching him set another trap card.

"Well, it wasn't hard to see your fire a long ways off! Either there were people out here or a bunch of mesquite trees were going to be charcoal by morning!" He pondered his cards for a moment, then laid a monster card on his side of the simulated battlefield while placing another card in the pile designated as the "graveyard." "I'll special summon The Tricky without tributing by using its effect, then attack your leftmost monster!"

Sunset sighed and flipped the monster in question face-up. It was a skeleton wearing a black robe and gripping a scythe in one hand, comically fretting over the fact its lower jaw was falling off.

"Well, before it's destroyed, you DID flip it, so Ghostrick Skeleton banishes the top card from your deck!" Sunset quipped as she moved the monster to her own graveyard.

The hardest part to deal with was hiding the fact that she could barely keep her eyes open. She was playing sloppily, lack of sleep making it difficult to think clearly. Once again, she berated herself for jumping in and claiming to be the resident duelist. It had been a split-second decision to stop him from investigating the camp further and interrupting Penn's recovery, but she hadn't considered the amount of time the facade would mean committing.

"So, what are you girls doing out here? Seems like a strange locale for a camping trip!" Josh smiled and motioned with his hand that it was Sunset's turn once again. She reached out and picked up a card to add to her hand, only to double-take as she found herself face-to-face with the Ghostrick Angel of Mischief. Joshua tilted his head, pointing to the pile of cards on the opposite side of the field from her deck. "You, uh, drew off your extra deck there..."

"Right! Right, sorry! Just tired. It's been a rough night..." she muttered, feeling a twinge of disappointment as she put the black card back where it had come from and drew properly. It was a trap card, depicting a monster half-invisible as it hovered over a graveyard. Ghostrick Vanish... She placed the trap down behind her monsters.

"We're out here looking for some friends of mine. We were all pretty much at ground zero of this whole..." she paused, trying to find the right words, "unnatural distaster, and we all wound up separated. Isis is helping me track them down." With the question answered, her brain turned to the tedious task of taking her turn, which began with turning all of her monsters face-up again.

"Ghostrick Stein, and Yuki-Onna come to face-up position, then Jiangshi..." She reached over and picked up her deck, already knowing which card she wanted. "Jiangshi lets me search for a Ghostrick monster with a level less than or equal to the number of face-up Ghostrick monsters I control, so I'm going to choose Ghostrick Mummy..." She added the card to her hand, showed it to her opponent, then shuffled the deck for a few seconds. "Then I'll summon Mummy, which gives me an extra summon for another Ghostrick monster, and I'll choose Ghostrick Witch. With Witch's effect, I can turn your The Tricky to face-down defense position..." She waited a moment for him to comply with the effect, which he did without argument. "Now I'll have Stein attack it with 1600 attack points!"

Josh turned the card face-up again, revealing a measly defensive total of 1400, making her monster more than strong enough to destroy it. Combining Stein's high attack points with other cards' ability to turn her opponent's monsters face-down was crafty little combo she had been proud to discover. He sighed and sent his monster to the graveyard with nothing more than a shrug.

"So where are you headed? Have you heard from them?"

Sunset began flipping her monsters back into face-down position, only to lose her grip on Stein in a small breeze. The card flew from her hand, coming to a landing directly on top of Jiangshi, the two lining up in a neat stack. Sunset felt a tug on the back of her mind, like the situation was reminding her of something she'd forgotten about. She brushed the distraction aside, placing the cards back in their proper places and turning them face-down again.

"Do I need to SPELL IT OUT for you?"

Sunset's head snapped up, frantically looking from side to side for the voice. It was the same one she'd heard in Aperture, she KNEW it! Unfortunately, just like before, she was greeted with nothing. She took a deep breath and shook her head, pushing the auditory hallucination from her brain. She had more important things to worry about. She needed to figure out a way to establish whether or not she could trust Joshua enough to leave him under Isis's supervision while she went to go sleep.

"I don't know, and no. I'm honestly starting to worry..." Sunset pressed her palm against her forehead, trying to ease her oncoming headache. "This necklace I'm wearing seems to be pointing us in some direction, so we're following that until we get some kind of sign that we're getting closer." Sunset felt exasperation rising up, finally overtaking her. "But you know, magic necklaces aren't exactly intuitive! Sometimes I wish that our cell plans had multi-dimensional coverage, or that at least ONE of them had wound up in the same place I had! In the past week, I've been shot at by alien laser beams, recruited by secret agents, traveled through SPACE in a metal box, been kidnapped by evil robots, been rescued by a GOOD robot, been shot at with crippling spring-powered bullets, been strapped down to an operating table and nearly dissected alive, AND I haven't had a chance to sleep in an actual bed since the multiverse, which happens to be a real thing, by the way BLEW UP!" Sunset grabbed her now-pounding head, feeling her anger and regret coming to a head. "UGH! I wish we'd never even TRIED to close that stupid portal! I've had my fair share of science projects, magic spells, and social events blow up in my face, but this takes ALL OF THE CAKES!"

Sunset hadn't even realized how much of a frenzy she had whipped herself into until she stopped shouting, her ears ringing with the volume of her own voice. Realizing the sheer volume she had been shouting at, she glanced nervously at the tent behind Joshua. Luckily, there was no sign of stirring from within, meaning that Penn had slept through her outburst. She took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves.

"Sorry, I just... It's hard keeping up a brave face for my friends sometimes, you know?"

When she looked up, however, Sunset realized Joshua had changed.

He hadn't changed his position or his posture, in fact he had stopped mid-draw and frozen in place. But there was an... aura around him, for lack of a better word. The shadows of the firelight seemed deeper around him, and Sunset could feel a heat against her skin like the burning sunlight, even if it was still the middle of the night.

"You mean... you were the one who did this?" he whispered. "YOU opened all these portals?"

Sunset considered lying, trying to cover up the truth or mislead him away from the truth, but it was her own fault. She'd been so caught up in her exasperation that she'd let the truth slip to a complete stranger.

"I... genuinely don't know. All our calculations were correct, but... something went wrong. Maybe there was an outside force interfering, maybe there was just some unknown variable, maybe we just got unlucky! But... right now..." Sunset took a deep breath and closed her eyes. It took strength to force the truth up through her throat, but she had to face it. "Yeah. I think I did."

Now you've done it...

Sunset opened her eyes to look for the voice, only for her to find that the world had gone dark. A fog of black mist had rolled into the campsite, dimming the fire beside them and backing out everything except for their game. She searched from side to side, but she couldn't see the car in the distance or the tent behind Joshua's back, and even Isis had vanished, leaving her isolated with him.

"So many people have been hurt because of you..." he muttered, slowly drawing his next card, "Do you know that? People have DIED because of this!"

DIED... DIED... DIED... The word echoed in Sunset's head over and over again, raking her with guilt. Her mind flashed back to their first encounter with the dalek, seeing the gas station explode with the employees inside. All of the casualties she had seen listed on the screen when they were planning the counterattack with the SHIELD agents sprung up in her mind's eye, each rising number feeling like an extra ton of weight pulling down on her soul.

And those are just the people I know about... None of this would have happened if it wasn't for me. They'd ALL still be alive.

"Maybe it wasn't an accident that I found my way here, after all?" Josh muttered, pondering his hand for a moment. His words finally snapped Sunset out of her reverie.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I knew I was being led towards something big, I could feel it." He waggled one of his cards at her, but didn't reveal it. "The big guy's been pulling me from one place to another ever since the whole world went nuts. Mostly other duelists, or spots where I could scavenge supplies, a little divine intervention to keep me safe through the end of the world... and now, here I am, face-to-face with the villain behind it all!" He chuckled softly to himself, a hollow, empty laugh that sent chills down Sunset's spine. "It's like a calling."

Sunset reached down to pick up her deck. The change that had come over him was terrifying, an exterior calm that was easily betrayed by his words. She focused on keeping her breathing slow and her tone even when she spoke. "I think it's time for you to leave, Joshua."

"NO!" Josh barked, making Sunset jump slightly and pull her hand back away from her cards. "No, we're going to finish our game... and when we do, you're going to get what you deserve."

Sunset swallowed as the bottom fell out of her stomach. If it came to blows, she felt confident in her ability to defend herself with her martial arts skills, but something about the way he spoke made her believe that he had another way to follow through with his threat. The fact that he refused to end their game seemed to have something to do with it as well, but she had no idea what.

Why hasn't Isis said anything? she wondered, glancing around again. From the moment that unnatural darkness had hemmed them in, it was as if Isis had vanished, leaving them totally alone. She knew that there was no way Isis would just let a threat to their safety go unchallenged like this, which meant something had happened to her. And if something happened to Isis, what about-

"I play Card Advance!" Josh announced, cutting her thoughts short. "This spell allows me to look at the top five cards of my deck and put them back in any order." He quickly shuffled through his cards, smiling to himself as he replaced them on top of his deck. "And now I'll follow it up with another spell, The True Name! If I can name the next card from the top of my deck, I can add it to my hand, along with one Divine-Attribute monster!" He scratched his chin in mock thought. "Hmm... I predict the card I'll draw is Cyber Dragon." He reached down, feigning surprise as he turned the card to reveal the monster in question, a silver snake-like robot. He smugly placed the card in his hand before beginning to rifle through his deck and adding another.

"Now then, since you control monsters and I don't, I can special summon Cyber Dragon without tributing!"

Something was different, Sunset could feel it. This time, when he placed down the card, she could see motion in the darkness behind him. Her ears only corroborated what her eyes were telling her when she heard a piercing roar tear through the air, a sound of metal on metal. It was enough to make her jump violently and reach for her lightsaber.

"What was THAT?"

Joshua, however, didn't seem afraid. He still had that crooked smile on his face. From behind him, the movement finally emerged into the dim firelight, and Sunset's blood ran cold.

There, staring hungrily down on her with its jaw open wide, was the same metal serpent from the card. Instantly, Sunset jumped to her feat and flicked her thumb across the switch...

...only for nothing to happen.

"Nuh-uh-uh! That would be cheating!" Joshua waggled his finger at her. "I told you, first we finish the game, THEN you get what you deserve..."

Now Sunset understood. She knew why Joshua refused to end their game, not to mention the second meaning to his words.

If the monsters are real... what if the stakes are, too? Are the 'life points' actually... my life?

"Cyber Dragon, attack her face-down monster!"

Sunset could only watch as the dragon opened its mouth wider, unleashing a torrent of white light that flew past her head. Behind her, Sunset heard the sound of shattering glass and a cry of pain. Spinning around, Sunset came face-to-face with a giant-sized version of her side of the battle field, complete with face-down cards nearly as large as her. When she looked, she could see the last few wisps of Ghostrick Witch fading away into the darkness, obliterated by Cyber Dragon's attack.

"Finish the game... then I get what I deserve."

Oh no.

"And following the battle phase, I'm going to set one more monster face-down and end my turn!"

Sunset was frozen. She didn't know what to do.

What was I THINKING? I barely know how to PLAY this game! What kind of magic IS this? How is it all suddenly REAL?

"It's your turn, Sunset."

Sunset looked at the giant cards behind her, then back down at the smaller cards that matched them. More out of habit than determination, she moved Ghostrick Witch into the graveyard pile. Her hand hovered over her deck, shaking with fear as she tried to force herself to draw. She took a deep breath and held it as she forced herself to pull the card off the top and add it to her hand.

I need to THINK! Think clearly, think calmly! Sunset held herself back, letting out her breath slowly and under control. Everything in the game follows the rules, the game's own logic. I don't know all of them, so I'll have to work with what I DO know!

Sunset thought through everything Penn had taught her before they had gone to bed. Three types of cards: monsters, spells, and traps. Decks have forty to sixty cards. Monsters higher than level four need to sacrifice other monsters on the field to be summoned, but they have higher attack and better effects to make them worth it. Two ways to destroy a monster are with special effects or by having more attack power...

She glanced down at Josh's card, Cyber Dragon. It had 2100 attack points. Even if she forced it into defense position, its defense points were tied with Stein's attack, which meant her attacks would be useless. She looked at her own hand, only to feel a crushing blow to her hopes of winning:

She had no monsters with 2100 attack points. In fact, she had never seen a Ghostrick monster higher than level three. She frantically read through her spells and traps, trying to find one that could destroy Cyber Dragon, but none of them seemed to fit the situation. She had no way to get rid of Cyber Dragon and, thus, no way to reach Joshua's life points.

O-okay, how else can you win? You either make your opponent run out of life points or... ooorrrrrr... Sunset closed her eyes and pounded her palm against her temple, trying to bring back the information she'd been given. In her mind's eye, she found herself picturing one of her cards: the adorable Ghostrick Skeleton, swiping its scythe at a deck and removing the top cards.

Or, make them run out of cards! That's it! THAT'S the win condition! I just have to keep holding back his attacks and chipping away at his deck until he can't draw any more! She forced herself to sit down again, looking at the playing field with new hope. I've still got nearly an entire field of monsters! I can do this!

"I flip summon Stein, Yuki-Onna, Mummy, and Jiangshi." Sunset picked up her deck and began searching through it. "With Jiangshi, I can add a copy of Skeleton to my hand, which I'll summon! Then I'll-"

Sunset was cut off as a gust of wind blew through the campsite, lifting several of her cards from the extra deck and field into the air. Without thinking, she slammed her free hand down, managing to catch all of them at once. Much to her satisfaction, the cards had all settled into a neat pile, with Ghostrick Angel of Mischief sitting on top.

FINALLY! The overlay network is built!

This time, Sunset was certain she heard the voice come from behind her. When she turned around, she couldn't believe her eyes. In the spot corresponding to where she had caught the cards, a swirling vortex of shimmering light appeared. She saw the forms of Stein and Mummy vanish inside, along with a third pale figure she didn't recognize. It was like two galaxies had been stacked on one another, swirling in opposite directions before finally collapsing together into the center, creating a ball of light. After a second, the light stretched and morphed, turning into a familiar shape. In a final flash, a new monster emerged, one Sunset recognized: The Ghostrick Angel of Mischief.

"TEN THOUSAND YEEEEEEAAAAAAARS!!!!!!!!" she cried, leaning down to look Sunset in the eye, "will give you SUCH a crick in the neck!" Sunset blinked, still trying to process what she was seeing. The angel gave her a quizzical look before shaking her head in disapproval. "Jokes aside, I thought you'd NEVER summon me! Seriously, who plays Ghostricks without knowing how to Xyz summon?"

"Y-you're- you're real?"

She seemed slightly offended at Sunset's question, choosing to reply by rolling her eyes. "Said the cartoon unicorn to the duel spirit..." She held up one hand with her pinky and thumb extended, miming a telephone conversation. "Hello, Pot? This is Kettle. You're black!"

"Okay, I get it, sorry..." Sunset held up her hands feebly. "I'm just a little shocked."

"Well, considering the position you're in, you should be!" she replied, floating through the air and over Sunset's shoulder to peer at the field from above. "Luckily, The Ghostrick Angel of Mischief is at your service! But you can just call me Missy!"

Being forced to turn around to follow her, Sunset realized Joshua had totally failed to respond to the insane turn of events. In fact, he appeared to be completely frozen. Another glance showed that the campfire had also locked itself in place, no longer burning despite still giving off light and heat. After a moment, Missy followed her gaze, noticing the same thing.

"Oh! Don't worry about that! I maaay have commandeered your imagination and your telepathy magic a little so we could have a chat inside your head! Things will go back to normal as soon as we finish!"

"You're... in my head?" Sunset felt a twinge of anxiety of the thought of someone having direct access to her brain. Missy seemed to pick up on her discomfort, floating over and wrapping her wing around Sunset's shoulder.

"Think of it this way, Sunset: when you duel, it's like building a little birdhouse in your soul! A duel spirit can come in and take up residence, even make a home for themselves if they choose to! In return, you get the pleasure and the benefits of having us around! But just like a birdhouse, you can take it down, smash it, or chase us out any time you want! It's totally voluntary on both parts! Mutually beneficial!" She jabbed her thumb over her shoulder. "And judging by the way things have been going, YOU need a dueling coach to get you through this!"

Sunset pondered the situation. Something about Missy seemed trustworthy, and she definitely needed the help, but there was one more thing she needed to confirm.

"Were you the one who saved me?"

It was a simple question, one she knew was generic enough to be a mystery if Missy didn't know what she was talking about.

Missy folded her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow. "You mean when you nearly fell back in Aperture? Duh! Penn gave me to you to keep you safe!"

Sunset smiled. That was all the confirmation she needed. She held out her hand to Missy. "I never got a chance to thank you for that, so thanks. Welcome to my birdhouse, I guess."

Missy grinned again, eagerly taking Sunset's hand and giving it a fast shake. "Alright, then! Let's do this!"

Sunset's eyes snapped open. Her hand was still resting on the pile of cards. When she pulled it away, she confirmed that the card on top was still Missy's.

You ready? Missy's voice echoed in her head. I've got your back, this time!

Sunset nodded to herself, re-reading Missy's card to familiarize herself with it.

Ghostrick Angel of Mischief

2 Level 4 monsters

You can also Xyz Summon this card by using a "Ghostrick" Xyz Monster you control as the Xyz Material, except "Ghostrick Angel of Mischief". (Xyz Materials attached to that monster also become Xyz Materials on this card.) When the number of Xyz Materials on this card becomes 10, you win the Duel. Once per turn: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; add 1 "Ghostrick" Spell/Trap Card from your Deck to your hand. Once per turn: You can attach 1 "Ghostrick" card from your hand to this card as an Xyz Material.

ATK: 2000 DEF: 2500

What's an Xyz material?

You see how those cards underneath me are stacked in a pile? The ones under my card are the Xyz materials. Think of it like a special way of tributing monsters for a summon!

Sunset pondered the cards in her hand for a moment, then smiled. Maybe it was extra insight from Missy's presence, but she had an idea.

"First, I'll activate this spell, Book of Moon! This will turn your dragon to face-down position!" True to the spell, Joshua's dragon changed, curling up and morphing into a face-down card, identical to any other hidden monster. "And now, I'll attack with Missy!" Missy flew past her shoulder, darting around the two duelists to strike at the vulnerable card. There was an explosion and the sound of breaking glass before the card disappeared, Cyber Dragon giving an earsplitting death rattle. With a decisive nod, she smiled and dusted off her hands. As she flew back past them to her place on Sunset's side, Missy gave her a knowing wink. Sunset smiled and reciprocated before turning her attention back to her opponent.

"And now, Mummy can attack your other face-down monster!"

On a note other than the potential life-threatening danger she was in, Sunset noted that it was pretty satisfying to order a monster to do something and see it immediately carried out. Mummy lumbered to the field, slamming his fist down on the other card. When it shattered, however, Sunset saw Joshua smile. Rather than being totally destroyed, a monster flew out of the remains of the attacked card, a pale-bellied flying squirrel. It soared around the battlefield, executing a roll before splitting into two. Each of its duplicates landed back on his side of the field.

"When Nimble Momonga is destroyed by battle, I can summon two more from my deck, and I gain one thousand life points. Thanks for the boost."

A counter appeared beside Joshua, ticking upwards with mechanical precision.

8000 > 9000

Sunset grimaced, but she couldn't help noticing that both of Joshua's momonga cards were in defense position, and each had a pitiful 100 defense points.

But is powering through his defenses worth giving him another two thousand life points? Sunset asked herself. In a pleasant surprise, the answer came immediately.

Life points come and go, but you do NOT want to let him keep monsters on his side of the field! Field presence is more important than life points!

Sunset nodded. "Alright, then... Yuki-Onna, Jiangshi, attack his momongas!"

True to her words, the monsters attacked, easily destroying the tiny squirrels. Sunset flinched slightly as she realized just how happy she was that Fluttershy wasn't around to see that.

9000 > 11000

As his life points rose, so did Sunset's anxiety. She knew Missy was probably right about choosing to attack instead of letting the monsters stay, but his life points had already increased to nearly 50% more than he started with, and she was still at the baseline 8000. Taking him down with the low-attack Ghostricks was going to be a battle of attrition, and there were still plenty of cards in his deck for Skeleton to deal with by itself. It was going to be a long game.

"I'll turn Skeleton, Jiangshi, and Yuki-Onna back to face-down position, then-"

Don't forget to use my effect!

Sunset looked down, glancing over Missy's card text one more time. This time, something jumped out at her that hadn't before.

When the number of Xyz Materials on this card becomes 10, you win the Duel... Once per turn: You can attach 1 "Ghostrick" card from your hand to this card as an Xyz Material...

THAT'S your win condition, Sunset!

"-and I'll attach Ghostrick Break to my angel as an Xyz material, then end my turn."

Slipping the trap card into the pile under Missy's card, Sunset could see that she was up to four materials. That meant she was a minimum of six turns away from winning that way. She was going to have to play smart to survive that long.

I'll try nudging a card or two up in the deck, see if I can put something good in your hand!

Sunset nodded, watching carefully as her opponent drew his next card.

"Don't you have ANY shame for what you've done? Everything you've destroyed?" Josh jeered, forcing Sunset into a double-take. She'd been so worried about survival, she'd forgotten why Joshua had done this, to begin with. She could feel anxiety creeping back up in her chest.

Should- should I be ashamed? Was it really my fault all of those people died? It was an accident, but does that really matter on this scale? What if the daleks weren't the only monsters I set loose on the world? Who knows how many people my actions have hurt-

Sunset felt a hand grip her shoulder from behind, breaking the spiral of negative thoughts. Sunset, focus! He's trying to get inside your head! Right or wrong, he's the one who stepped up and challenged you, so DEFEND YOURSELF!

Sunset nodded, shaking off the thoughts. Missy was right. Even if all of that was true, Josh wasn't some divinely appointed judge doling out punishments. He was a bully picking on someone who didn't understand how to protect themselves, plain and simple.

What's bothering me is that he shouldn't have been able to do this. A shadow game like this should only be possible if he has a millennium item, which he clearly doesn't, or if he's allied with an extremely powerful spirit...

Sunset simply shrugged in response. She hardly knew enough to get from one turn to the next. For now, it was more important to survive what was happening, rather than understanding how it would happen.

"To start my turn, I'll summon Ra's Disciple!"

A dark-skinned figure in shimmering golden armor appeared, complete with a beak-shaped headpiece and glowing cape. Joshua smiled as he picked up his deck and began thumbing through his cards. "And thanks to his special ability, I can summon two more from my deck!" True to his word, two more of the same appeared on either side, rising up like his own miniature army.

Wait a minute, did he just summon a bunch of monsters in one turn?

Yeah, so?

That's against the rules, isn't it?

Well, technically no, but screw the rules, Sunset, we've got bigger problems!

He chuckled to himself in a way that sent shivers running down Sunset's spine. "You can't even begin to imagine the monster about to end your existence!"

TELL ME!

"Uhm, tell me?" Sunset echoed, unsure whether or not she was supposed to relay the message from her unseen friend.

"Oh, you'll find out, I'm about to summon it!" Joshua placed another card on the field. "I'm going to use my spell, Double Summon! This card lets me make a second normal summon this turn! And the card I'll be summoning requires me to sacrifice all three of my disciples!"

Just as quickly as they had appeared, his monsters vanished. Above them, Sunset could hear the rushing of wind and the rumbling of distant thunder. The air began to crackle with energy in a way that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. Behind her, she could hear Missy whimper in fear, a sound that didn't fill her with confidence.

That.... that would be a powerful enough spirit to create a shadow game, yeah...

"Great beast of the sky, please hear my cry! Transform thyself from the orb of light, and bring me victory in this fight!" Joshua chanted, lifting the card in question into the air. Above him, the darkness began to part as beams of light forced their way through. At first, Sunset thought that dawn had finally come, but her hopes were dashed as she realized that the source of the light was gigantic metal sphere descending from the heavens. "Transform thyself from orb of light and bring be victory in this fight! Envelop the desert in your glow and cast your rage upon my foe!"

The glow of the sphere dimmed slightly, just enough for Sunset to see countless seams and etchings across its surface. Glowing steam began to leak from the lines as they shifted and began to separate. Whatever this creature was, it was transforming, just like he had asked it to.

"Unlock your powers deep within so that together we may win! Appear in this shadow game as I call out your name: WINGED DRAGON OF RA!"

When the beast had finally finished unfurling itself, Sunset was in total awe. It was a titanic winged bird wreathed in flames as bright as the sun. Its entire body looked as though it has been cast from pure gold, an impenetrable armor fitting of some kind of deity. Its eyes were piercing and blood-red as it stared her down, giving Sunset the distinct impression of what a rabbit must feel like when a hawk laid eyes on it. It dwarfed the campsite, its wingspan easily three times the size of their little nighttime arrangement. It radiated heat in waves until Sunset felt almost as if she was being cooked alive, hotter than even the most searing summer day. Instinctively, Sunset looked for the counter displaying its attack points, dreading to know what kind of devastating power she was up against.

ATK: ? DEF: ?

Sunset? I think I owe you an apology...

Beside Ra's counter, Sunset saw Josh's life points appear. The two counters began to move in tandem, one traveling up as the other counted down.

We REALLY shouldn't have given him all those life points.

11000 > 100

0 > 10900

"Ten... thousand... attack?" Sunset whispered, hardly able to believe her eyes.

"HA HA HA! With Ra's special ability, I can convert my life points into attack points!" Josh cackled. "Let's see how your little Ghostricks stand up to the wrath of an Egyptian GOD! Ra, attack Ghostrick Angel of Mischief!" Ra's mouth opened, leaking out a mass of flames that gathered above its head to form a devastating-looking fireball.

"WHAT? NO!" Sunset cried, panic beginning to overtake her. Spinning around, she could see Missy frantically tapping her fingers against her forehead, her face scrunched up in thought.

Ifhe'splayingRAthenithastobethelegalversioninsteadoftheoriginalwhichmeans... her eyes snapped open and she frantically pointed to the card behind her. SUNSET, YOUR TRAP CARD SHOULD WORK!

Sunset practically dove onto the card, flipping it over as fast as she could. "I- I use my trap! Ghostrick Go-Round!" In all honesty, she could scarcely remember what the card even did, but if it was what Missy was telling her to use, then she would trust it. Behind her, Sunset heard the familiar whimper of Ghostrick Yuki-Onna rising from its sleep, and a quick glance down revealed that the card had flipped itself into attack position. Meanwhile, a gigantic stone door sprung up behind Ra, revolving around and catching the monster in a swirling vortex of light and flame. When it finally stopped, Ra's attack had dissipated and its wings were defensively curled up in front of itself.

Ghostrick Go-Round can turn an opponent's monster to defense by changing a Ghostrick monster to face-up attack!

"WHAT? Impossible! Ra is a GOD, it can't be affected by spells and traps!" Josh growled, turning his furious gaze on Sunset. "You CHEATED!"

Nuh-uh-uh! In the SHOW that may be true, but he's using the playable TCG version of the card, which doesn't have that ability! Missy replied in a sing-song tone. I think we've got ourselves a pleb who just watched the show and thinks he knows everything!

"The version you're playing with can, this isn't the TV show..." Sunset repeated, still unsure she totally understood what had just happened.

For a moment, Sunset thought she could see a vein throbbing on his temple, but it quickly subsided a moment later as he crossed his arms in front of him with a pout. "Fine, I end my turn..."

Sunset nodded and drew the top card from her deck. Her heart was still pounding in her chest, but on the bright side, she could see how they would be safe for the moment: Ghostrick Go-Round was a continuous trap, which meant it stayed on the field. As long as she had a face-down Ghostrick monster she could flip up, she could keep changing Ra's position every turn and stop its attacks. Feeling marginally better about her safety, she looked down at the card she had drawn. She felt a smile tug at her lips. Missy had been as good as her word.

"First, I'm going to start my turn by playing Overlay Regen. This card attaches itself to my Ghostrick Angel as an extra Xyz material! Then, I'll flip Jiangshi to face-up attack position, then Skeleton." She picked up her deck, looking through the monsters and their effects, trying to predict what Josh's next move would be and how she could respond. "Skeleton will banish the top four cards of your deck, and Jiangshi will add... Ghostrick Mary to my hand."

Having Mary in her hand would let her summon another Ghostrick monster to the field if she took damage, which she was starting to expect she definitely would in the future. It was insurance that, if she got hurt and survived, she wouldn't be left defenseless.

"Then, I'll flip all of them except Missy to face-down position, attach Ghostrick Jackfrost to her as another material and end my turn."

Six materials... Just four more and I can win, I just have to hold out for four more turns!

"First of all, I'm going to change Ra back to attack position, and then I'll remove the Cyber Dragon in my graveyard from play in order to special summon Diana the Light Spirit." The new monster looked minuscule compared to Ra, but the young woman's ghostly appearance and ethereal glow didn't distract Sunset from the fact that the monster had 1700 attack points. "And I'll use my normal summon to summon Red Gadget! And when it's summoned, I can add Yellow Gadget to my hand!" True to his word, an adorable-looking red robot appeared on the field, an oversized gear mounted on its back.

"Now, Red Gadget and Diana the Light Spirit will attack!"

Sunset swung her hand around to indicate her trap card. "Well, then I-"

DON'T! Missy screamed, cutting her off. You can only use Go-Round once per turn! He's trying to bait you! Save it for Ra!

Sunset's words caught in her throat, and she lowered her hand in defeat. Missy was right. She was so nervous about letting ANY attack come through, she had nearly made a fatal mistake. She cringed and forced herself to bear it as she heard the cries of Yuki-Onna and Skeleton being blown to pieces. There was one slight bright side, though, as she watched Red Gadget become covered in frost and grind to a total halt. Finally, the robot collapsed, reduced to being a face-down card.

"The monster that destroys Yuki-Onna moves to face-down defense and can't be changed!"

Joshua simply shrugged, motioning with his hand. Ra replied by charging another fireball, only to be stopped when Sunset motioned to her trap. This time, it was Jiangshi who was turned face-up. Sunset began searching through her deck again, this time adding Ghostrick Specter to her hand.

Times like this, I REALLY wish Penn had added Mirror Force to my deck like I kept asking... Missy muttered as Sunset drew her next card. It was another copy of Overlay Regen.

"I'll use Overlay Regen to give Missy one more material, and her effect to attach Ghostrick Vanish to her as another one..." Sunset muttered. That's eight! We just need two more... She glanced back up at her opponent's side of the field, feeling her heart sink as she found herself staring straight into Ra's bloodthirsty eyes. Can I survive two more turns? "Then I'll turn Jiangshi face-down, set another card, and end my turn..."

A greedy glint came into Josh's eyes as his light spirit reacted, opening her mouth and letting out a haunting tone. "Diana's special ability grants me one thousand life points during each of your end phases! I'm feeling much better!"

100 > 1100

Yeah, laugh it up... Sunset thought to herself. Two more turns and you'll have no idea what hit you!

"Now then... to start, I'll summon Yellow Gadget, which allows me to add Green Gadget to my hand! Then, I'll use Ra's other special ability: by sacrificing one thousand of my life points, I can choose one monster on your side of the field and destroy it!" He pointed an accusatory finger at Missy. "Do you think I'm STUPID? I know Angel of Mischief's instant win condition! I was just letting you waste your cards on her instead of actually playing them on the field, but this is getting a little too close for comfort!"

Umm... Sunset? Missy whispered as she looked anxiously up at Ra. The blue gem in its forehead was beginning to glow, and the clouds were gathering above Missy's head, cracking with lightning. A little HELP, Sunset?

Sunset frantically searched through her hand, then the cards on the field, trying to find something that could save her friend. The thunder rolled and the electricity in the air began to spark around her. Jiangshi, Mary, Specter, Parade, Vanish... What can- WAIT!

"NOT so fast! You triggered my trap card, Ghostrick Vanish!" Sunset flipped the trap card face-up. "By showing you that I have Ghostrick Specter in my hand, I can prevent any Ghostricks from being destroyed by card effects!"

The two of them sighed in unison as the electricity subsided.

"Now, Yellow Gadget will attack your face-down monster..."

Sunset forced herself not to react to the sound of Mary being shattered. She couldn't help but wonder about the fact that she was asking all of these monsters to sacrifice themselves for her as shields. More sacrifice from strangers because she got in over her head.

"And Ra will attack your Ghostrick Angel of Mischief!"

Sunset reached out, indicating that her trap was activating, and Ra was once again set on the defensive while Jiangshi rose up into a fighting pose.

"And, since you were kind enough to switch it to attack position, Diana will destroy Jiangshi!"

The light spirit raised its hand, sending a beam of light across the field, where it collided straight with Jiangshi's forehead. This time, though, Sunset felt an identical pressure on her own skull, a splitting, burning pain that felt like it was trying to reach into her brain. For a second, everything went white, and all that Sunset could feel was the pain of it. After what felt like an hour, it finally relented, leaving her panting for breath as she heard the counter for her own life points ticking down.

8000 > 6700

That was dirty... but he found a way around Go-Round. And if it hadn't been for Vanish, he could have ended it in one turn with Ra. But we're not out of monsters, yet!

Sunset nodded, collecting herself as best she could and straightening her posture. "I use Ghostrick Specter's effect! When a Ghostrick monster is destroyed and sent to the graveyard, I can special summon it and draw one card!" The adorable bedsheet ghost happily popped into existence beside her before turning face-down. Reaching down, Sunset prayed that her next card would be one that could help her survive another turn.

Ghostrick Ghoul

She read the effect carefully, and her heart sank. It had the ability to combine the attack power of all the Ghostrick monsters on the field, but Sunset didn't think all the Ghostricks combined would even hold a candle to Ra's power.

At least I still have one more draw for my turn... she thought to herself.

Hey, we just have to survive one more of his turns with at least one life point left! We can do this!

Sunset nodded, drawing her next card. It was Ghostrick Night. She stopped. She thought. She gasped. It was another continuous trap, one that wouldn't let Josh flip summon his monsters if there was a Ghostrick monster on the field. If I can turn Ra face-down one more time with Ghostrick Go-Round, this could lock it down for good! Or at LEAST one more turn! Sunset forced back her gleeful smile as she set the trap in her back row of cards. "I guess all I can do is attach another card to Missy..." she mumbled, slipping Ghostrick Ghoul into the pile.

NINE! We have nine out of ten!

All she needed to do was continue the cycle. The duel had settled into a pattern, and she had no reason to believe he would deviate from it. He would attack, she would use Go-Round to turn Ra face-down, he wouldn't be able to finish her off, and then she would attach the last material and win.

100 > 1100

Josh grinned as he drew his next card, not even waiting for his life points to finish increasing. He turned around the card he had drawn, revealing a green spell card depicting a devastating lightning bolt.

"I activate my spell... Raigeki! This card destroys ALL monsters you control!"

Sunset was gobsmacked. Was that even allowed? Was it possible? She'd already gone through every card she had trying to save Missy on the last turn, she knew she didn't have anything that could stop the spell. Her arms fell to her sides as lightning rained down across her side of the field, destroying both Specter and Missy at once. She had her traps, but they couldn't help her now, not without monsters. She was completely exposed.

She didn't hear him give the order for Ra to attack, but she felt the searing pain of fire on her skin, saw the brilliant golden flames that enveloped her, felt her body being carried up into the air from the force of the attack.

One moment Sunset Shimmer was there, experiencing it all.

And the next, she wasn't.

Sunset opened her eyes. She took a moment to ponder the fact that she hadn't been expecting to ever do that again. Forcing herself to sit up, she looked at her new surroundings. They weren't much different from her old ones, to be honest. Or perhaps they were, she couldn't tell. It appeared that the shadows that had been hemming their duel had closed in completely, leaving her in darkness. The only thing she could see through the haze was a single rectangle giving off light. With some effort, she rose to her feet and closed the distance, finding herself staring at a bird's eye view of the campsite. She could see the fire, the tent, the car, her unconscious body, Josh kneeling beside her sweeping up the last of the cards-

Wait.

Sunset's eyes widened as she took in the sight of her own (hopefully) unconscious body laying face-down in the dirt. Isis's drone was scrambling all over her, clearly trying to wake her up while Joshua walked away, surveying the camp with a look of satisfaction on his face. Finally, he seemed to notice the pile of binders outside of Penn's tent: his card collection. He had taken it out to help Sunset learn to play and assemble her own deck. Joshua smiled hungrily and rubbed his hands together, confidently striding through the camp towards the pile of cards.

"HEY! HEY, STOP!" Sunset pounded her fist against the window, trying to get his attention. "HEY, I'M STILL HERE! YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME LIKE THIS! STOP!"

Realizing that she either wasn't being heard or he was actively ignoring her, Sunset turned her attention to the tent.

"PENN! PENN, WAKE UP! WAKE UP, I NEED HELP! PENN! ISIS? MISSY! ANYONE!"

She reached into her pocket, trying to retrieve her phone, only to find it wasn't there. She was alone. Completely and utterly alone in this realm of shadows.

"PLEASE, SOMEONE HELP ME!"

Author's Notes:

Hello, everyone! Sorry for the long gap, I've been really struggling to find any energy, especially creatively. I've been dealing with some problems with my mental health, as well, but hopefully my new medication can help me find my groove again!

Also GEEZ keeping track of cards when writing is difficult, and I played it easy on this one since it started mid-duel! Next chapter has an entire duel from start to finish and I had to keep VERY careful track!

Oh, and MERRY CHRISTMAS! OR whatever holiday you celebrate! Hanukkah, Yule, Kwanzaa, etc! Take whatever excuse you can to come out of the cold and treat yourself with a little extra care!

Time 2 Duel

Sunset could only watch as the stranger closed in on the pile of binders containing Penn's card collection. In a matter of seconds he would have what he had wanted all along and disappear, along with any chances of freeing her from this magical prison. She pounded her fist against the window-like opening back to the real world, screaming at the top of her lungs.

"PENN! PENN, WAKE UP, PLEASE!"

She knew that the odds were against her, nearly impossible. She was clearly making no impact on the outside world, not to mention that when he had gone to sleep, Isis had fed him enough painkillers to keep him comatose for the full night and well into the morning.

Beside her, Missy faded into view, anxiously biting at her nails.

"Oh, this isn't good! This isn't good! This isn't good!" she chanted over and over again.

"Missy? You're HERE?" Sunset interrupted her fruitless pleading to stare at her cellmate. She reached out to grab Missy's hand, only for it to pass through her.

Missy instantly changed gears, turning to face Sunset with an indignant expression. "I'm a duel spirit, I go where I want!" She placed her hands on her hips, nodding her head towards the window to the outside. "And in case you didn't notice, after we lost, he STOLE ME off of your comatose body, along with the rest of my deck!"

Sunset felt a heavy pang of guilt rip through her. She turned back to the window, placing her hand against the square screen to the outside as she finally gave up on yelling herself hoarse.

"I- I'm sorry, Missy... I just met you, and now I've dragged you down into all of this with me! I seem to have a knack for drawing my friends into- OW!" Sunset was cut off as Missy removed her tiny hat and used it to slap her in the face.

"HEY! Wake up, Sunny! No wallowing in misery!" she ordered, glancing nervously from side to side. "In case you haven't noticed, you're in a realm that will literally eat you alive using your negative emotions!"

"What do you mean, 'eat me alive'?" Sunset asked,perhaps allowing more fear to slip into her voice than she intended. Rather than reply, Missy simply waved her hand in front of her face and looked expectantly at Sunset. Sunset mimicked the motion, only to gasp in horror. Her fingertips had all but disappeared, and the rest of her hand was beginning to look translucent, as well.

"This is the Shadow Realm, a place made up of every negative emotion and evil thought ever felt. If you want to NOT dissolve away into an ocean of darkness, then you have to keep a tight grip on what makes you happy. to. exist!" Missy punctuated her point by jabbing her finger into Sunset's chest. Sunset reached down to pull away Missy's hand, only for her to pass through the young spirit again.

"How can you-"

"SHH!" Missy interrupted her again, pointing back to their window to reality.

Joshua stood beside their campfire, flipping through Penn's binders with wide eyes and a smug grin on his face. Along with the rustling of plastic pages and the crackling of the fire, Sunset could hear another sound coming through, faint and high-pitched.

Screaming. Screams of fear, cries for help, hundreds of them rising up together in unison, begging for salvation.

Is it... the cards? Are they ALL alive? They KNOW they're being stolen?

Meanwhile, another phenomenon was taking place just on the edge of the firelight. The tent was beginning to shake. It was slight, just slight enough that one could mistake it for the wind. When Sunset saw a dark silhouette rise up from behind it, however, she knew that wind had nothing to do with it. She could see a wide pair of bat-like wings and, somehow, feel the impression of a hateful gaze lingering on the intruder.

Missy didn't seem perturbed by the apparition, though. In fact, she was...

smiling? Sunset turned to look at her new friend, trying to interpret her reaction. By the time she had given up and turned back to look at the scene, the monstrous figure was gone. Instead, the door to the tent was open, and a dazed-looking Penn was stumbling out the front, eyes transfixed on Joshua. Without waiting, Penn lunged forward, grabbing at the thief. The two struggled back and forth for a moment before Joshua shoved Penn away, sending the larger man to the ground. After a moment, however, it became clear that Penn had gotten what he wanted: the cards were back in his hands, clutched tight against his chest.

"What is your PROBLEM?" Josh cried, dusting himself off. "Are you drunk, or something, you maniac?"

It took Penn nearly ten seconds to stagger to his feet, clearly still uneasy with the medication impairing him.

"The HELL you doin'withmy cards?" he spat out, his words slurred and barely audible.

Joshua balked slightly, raising a bemused eyebrow. "YOUR cards? I won those from that girl over there, fair and square!"

Sunset had to admit, seeing her own soulless body laying on the ground was wholly unsettling. The sight had an equally potent effect on Penn, whose eyes went wide as dinner plates. Keeping the binders clutched against his chest, he staggered over to her, giving her shoulder a gentle shake, followed by a more forceful.

"...Sunny?" he whimpered. His tone made it clear that he wasn't expecting an answer. His head snapped upwards (somewhat inaccurately, though he quickly adjusted) to glare at Joshua. "Whadid you DO to her?"

"The same thing I'll do to YOU if you don't give me the rest of my cards, you boozer!" Joshua snapped.

Beside her, Sunset heard Missy gasp in indignation. The little spirit jumped up and pounded her fist angrily against the wall. "He's not DRUNK, he's on pain meds, you JERK!"

Penn didn't seem to hear her, or if he did, he didn't react. He growled and lunged forward again. Josh was ready this time, easily side-stepping his opponent. Penn didn't stop, barreling headfirst into his car and colliding with it. Making the most of the situation, he fumbled for the door handle before tossing his binders into the backseat. His cards safe, he seemed to clumsily flop into the seat along with them. After several seconds, he dragged himself back up, a new object in his hands as he slammed the door shut.

After a few seconds of fumbling and the sound of velcro being torn and re-attached, he had strapped the object to his arm. It was a wide, blade-shaped piece of gray-and-blue plastic, with what looked like slots for different cards. He stared down Joshua with a look that Sunset had never seen on his perpetually-friendly face: pure hatred. It was the same kind of hatred that she had felt from the dark figure that had appeared behind the tent, as if the same spirit was hiding behind her friend's eyes.

"Give. Her. Back."

Joshua rolled his eyes. "Are you serious? A toy duel disk?"

Penn's other hand wandered down to his pouch, and Sunset felt another pang of guilt. That was where Penn kept his deck, the Ghostrick cards... the ones she had LOST. His hand was going to come up empty and-

"Oooooh.... Big Sis is coming out to play..." Missy whispered, a grin spreading over her face.

"Big Sis?" Sunset asked, her eyes widening as Penn's hand emerged from the pouch. Instead of the cards in brilliant blue sleeves that she was used to, the ones he was holding were protected by jet-black sleeves.

"I hate to break it to you, Sunset, but Penn was taking it EASY on you during practice." Sunset felt Missy's elbow poke into her ribs. "My deck is his 'fun' deck..."

Penn slid the cards into their appropriate slot on the toy. Somehow, the rage in his eyes seemed to burn through the haze of the medication, sharpening his focus to a razor's edge.

"THAT is his deck for when he gets serious. He had THAT one long before mine..."

Joshua, however, did not seem impressed. Instead, he pocketed the blue-sleeved cards Sunset recognized as Missy's deck and folded his arms over his chest.

"I already won! Why would I even duel you, easy as it would be?"

Sunset gasped as Penn reached into his pocket, retrieving his car keys and tossing them on the ground. He then pointed at himself.

"A car an'another soul. Double or nothing."

"WHAT?" Sunset cried, taking her own turn to be terrified. "NO! Nononononono, he CAN'T!"

"Yeeeeah... he can. And I think he will." Missy replied. She looked slightly more tense, though her smile was still there.

Joshua smiled, eyeing the Oldsmobile with a greedy look in his eyes. After a moment, he retrieved his sleeveless cards from his pocket and walking back to the place he had stood to duel Sunset. He held out his hand, holding a shiny quarter.

"Call it."

Sunset noticed something different. Every time Penn had started a duel while he was teaching her, there had been that glint of joy in his eye, the eagerness that came with sharing something he loved mingled with a trace of competitiveness spilling out of control. This time, the light in his eyes smoldered and burned, reminding Sunset of a phrase she'd once heard Celestia use many years ago: "Tranquil fury."

"Tails never fails..." Penn muttered. Josh nodded and flipped the coin. Sunset couldn't see from her angle what the coin landed on, but Joshua smiled and tucked it back into his pocket.

"I'll go first, then!"

Penn tilted his head, a series of loud pops coming from his neck that made Sunset grit her teeth.

"Wash your neck and wait..." he whispered.

Sunset cringed, the nonsensical mumbling serving as a grim reminder that he was still thoroughly drugged. Her confidence in him rapidly began to fade as she watched Joshua settle into a cross-legged position and begin his turn.

"First of all, I summon Ra's Disciple!"

An imposing figure clad in golden armor materialized on the battlefield, front and center.

"And, thanks to it's effect, I can special summon two more from my deck!"

"WHAT?" Sunset cried, watching as two identical monsters shimmered into existence, completing the trio on Josh's side of the field. "There's NO WAY that's fair! He already has enough tributes to summon Ra?"

Missy sucked in air through her teeth. "It's not... ideal. But Penn can deal with it."

"He can barely stand up!"

Missy turned a mischievous eyebrow towards Sunset.

"So? That jerk is dueling sitting down! That means Penn's even stronger than he is!"

"Next, I'll activate my field spell, Mound of the Bound Creator!"

All around the two duelists, spires of barren rock began to break from the earth, topped by heavy iron chains. The sky above them filled with dark clouds and crackling lightning. The air was tense, as if the world itself were holding its breath and waiting for the final piece, the entity it had been preparing for.

"Then I'll set two cards face-down and end my turn!"

The two traps (or possibly spells, Sunset supposed) appeared behind his monsters, laying in wait. Penn didn't say a word as he drew the top card from his deck and added it to his hand.

"Hey, I'll be right back!" Missy leaned forward and through the window, dropping out into the real world and flying down behind Penn. Judging from how no one reacted, Sunset supposed that she was the only one who could see Missy's antics as she hovered just over Penn's shoulder, reading the cards in his hand. After a few seconds, she flew her way back up to the window and climbed back through, giving Sunset a wide grin and an enthusiastic thumbs-up.

"He's got everything he needs!"

Sunset watched with anticipation, eager to see what kind of opening move Penn could possibly make that could counter Josh's solid opening.

"I set three cards face-down and set one monster... and end my turn."

The appropriate cards appeared, and Sunset turned to Missy, feeling her eyes narrow.

"Are you kidding me?"

Missy reclined back on nothing, spreading her wings and giving them a gentle flap.

"Give it TIME, Sunset..."

"Time is the one thing he doesn't have!"

Josh seemed to agree with Sunset, laughing at the sight of Penn's meager defenses.

"That's IT? All of that talk and THAT'S your opening play? This is going to be TOO easy!" Josh drew again. "My second turn finally allows me to attack, so that's what I'm going to do! However, first I think I'll summon my most powerful monster!"

"Nononononono!" Sunset pounded her fist against the window. "He already has it in his HAND, too?"

"I tribute my three disciples, and summon my Egyptian God!" Josh cackled, somehow still audible as the lightning above them whipped itself into a fury, crashing and colliding with the stone pillars and chains of the field spell. "Great beast of the sky, please hear my cry! Transform thyself from orb of light and bring me victory in this fight!"

Sunset could see Penn struggling to even keep his balance in the rising winds, but there was no fear on his face. He simply tilted his duel disk, double-checking his face-down cards.

"Envelop the desert with your glow, and cast your rage upon my foe! Unlock your powers from deep within so that together we may win. Appear in this Shadow Game as I call out your name, WINGED DRAGON OF RA!"

Once again, the shimmering golden orb descended from the sky, unlocking and unfolding until it had transformed into the golden phoenix.

"And, with Ra's effect, I can sacrifice my life points in order to boost its attack!"

Above his head, a set of numbers appeared, swiftly ticking down from 8000 to 100. Meanwhile, Ra shone even more brilliantly as an identical counter climbed its way up from 0 to 7900.

"It may have cost me most of my life points, but soon enough we'll be on equal footing! What do you have to say about THAT?"

Penn simply parted his arms, as if encouraging an attack.

Josh's eye twitched slightly. "If you were THAT eager to join your friend, you could have just asked! Ra, attack!"

The arch behind Ra's shoulders began to glow with the light of the sun, growing brighter and brighter until the light all gathered together in its beak, then launching itself as a searing fireball that crashed into Penn's face-down monster. Penn's single defense was engulfed in flames, disappearing in the sun's fury.

"And because I played Mound of the Bound Creator, when Ra destroys a monster, YOU take 1000 points of damage!" Josh cackled. "Next turn, I'll be able to wipe you out in a single blow!"

Sunset stared into the inferno, waiting for the telltale sound of Penn's life points falling... until she caught a glimpse of something in the fire. As the flames burned themselves out, a monster remained on Penn's side of the field. It looked like a gigantic marshmallow with eyes. Its face appeared to be upside down, boasting a wide smile at the top of its head. It was by far one of the most adorable things Sunset had seen all day. Beside her, Missy snickered, drawing her attention.

"Penn only needed one card to beat him!"

Sunset turned back to the battlefield, hope blossoming in her chest as she watched Penn give a half-lidded yawn.

"My Marshmallon can't be destroyed by battle. An'cause you attacked it face-down..." The creature's mouth opened wide, revealing a row of disturbingly sharp teeth.

"YOU take the thousand points of damage."

"WHAT?" Josh shrieked as the creature lunged forward, snaking around Ra to attack the duelist directly. Just as it was poised to chomp down on Josh's throat, he motioned to one of his face-down cards. "I activate my spell: Poison of the Old Man! I choose the effect to gain 1200 life points!"

The card flipped itself face-up, revealing the spell in question that depicted a decrepit old man holding two vials of liquid. The vial holding green liquid began to bubble and smoke, letting loose a cloud of vapors that surrounded Joshua and sent his life point counter climbing upward.

100 >1300

With the interruption finished, Penn's monster lunged forward again, this time sinking its teeth into his arm with a squeaky-sounding snarl.

1300 > 300

Its wrath spent, Penn's monster retreated back to its proper place. He simply yawned again, as if the duel against a LITERAL GOD was boring him. Sunset couldn't tell if he really WAS bored, or if the painkillers were just making him sleepy. Missy snapped her fingers in frustration at the missed opportunity to end the duel.

"I'm not going to lose to easily to someone while they're DRUNK!" Josh chided, his spell disappearing now that it was spent.

"I'm not, you know!" Penn retorted.

"What?"

"I hurt my back! I'm on enough painkillers to knock out a baby elephant!" he shrugged. "I'm half-asleep, but I'm not drunk!" There was a brief pause as the two duelists stared one another down, one trying to process the new information.

"You're- you're JOKING, right?"

Penn shook his head.

"Barely conscious, dude."

Even Ra appeared to find the moment awkward, its massive head turning to look back and forth between the two duelists. Marshmallon simply snickered, as if the entire thing were a giant joke.

Sunset could see Josh turning several shade of red, ready to explode with rage until Penn spoke up again.

"So... are you going to end your turn, or what?"

His eye twitched again, but he set another card face-down where his prior spell had been, then motioned for Penn to take his turn.

Penn drew a card off of the top of his deck, looking at it with a bemused expression.

"I'll set another face-down monster and end my turn."

Another monster card appeared beside Marshmallon. The mystery of its identity suddenly felt much more threatening than it had on Penn's first turn.

Joshua drew, and a wicked grin spread across his face.

"First, I play Lightning Vortex! By discarding a card from my hand, I can destroy all of your face-up monsters!"

The spell card did its work swiftly, bolts of lightning slamming down from the clouds above and raining across the battlefield. They simply deflected off of the back of his face-down monster, but Marshmallon wasn't so resilient. When it was struck, it turned a delicious-looking shade of brown before shattering and disappearing from Penn's field.

"Next, I'll activate The Shallow Grave..." he smirked. "Each of us summons a monster from our graveyard face-down. I know yours, do you know mine?"

Penn simply shrugged as he retrieved Marshmallon from his graveyard pile and placed it back onto the field.

Sunset tilted her head in confusion. "I don't get it... why destroy Marshmallon just to bring it back again? And it's face-down, so it can deal more damage to him all over again!"

Missy leaned forward, clicking her tongue. "It was never about getting rid of Marshmallon, it was the card he had to discard to do it! It's clearly a monster with some kind of cost to summoning it, so he circumvented that by putting it in the graveyard and bringing it back with his other spell. That was actually halfway clever, if it's something that could turn this around for him. Whatever it is, he's locked into it now, those were the last cards in his hand!"

Sunset stared at Josh's face-down monster, realizing Missy was right. If he KNEW which face-down card was Marshmallon, he could just avoid it and avoid that damage, and he had gotten a potentially high-level monster for the cost of a couple spells!

Penn began his next turn, drawing a card. He stared at it for a moment, and Sunset could see a frustrated frown on his face.

"I end my turn."

He's not going to DO anything?

Josh cackled, drawing another card. "What's the matter? Do you know your only trick isn't going to work twice?"

Penn simply shrugged. "You still hafta get through my monsters t'get me, an y'know at least one of 'em is Marshmallon. I'm not worried."

Josh grinned another wicked grin, one that set a chill down Sunset's spine.

"I know, alright! I'm counting on it! First, I'll set another monster! Then... I'll flip my other one into attack position! Come on out, Prime Material Dragon!"

Another card appeared, followed by Josh's monster from the previous turn turning face-up. Another dragon appeared on the field, though not one as massive as the Winged Dragon of Ra. It was a four-legged beast with three sets of wings and a narrow, pointed head. Its entire body appeared to be made of a golden clay-like substance. It let loose a roar, hungrily staring down Penn's side of the field.

"Uh-oh..." Missy whispered.

"Uh-oh? What do you mean, 'uh-oh?'"

Missy cringed slightly. "'Uh-oh' means 'That's one of the WORST cards for this situation.'"

"WHAT? What is it? What does it do?"

"Attack, Prime Material Dragon!"

Sunset watched as the dragon breathed a blast of fire across the field, striking straight into Penn's first face-down card. Just as before, when the flames parted, Marshmallon was unharmed. When it went to strike back at Josh, however, Prime Material Dragon interfered, pinning it down with its tail.

"Now, Marshmallon may not be destroyed, but my dragon's special ability turns any damage due to special effects into fresh life points!"

Josh reached down, tearing a chunk off of the sugary creature and taking a gleeful bite before motioning for his dragon to release it. Marshmallon retreated, fearfully returning to Penn's side of the field.

300 > 1300

"And now it's Ra's turn again! Attack!"

Just as before, Ra blasted Penn's other face-down card. Sunset's eyes widened as a second Marshmallon was revealed, and the process repeated itself.

1300 > 2300

Josh smiled smugly as he finished off his second sugary snack.

"I think I've had my fill, I end my turn!"

Penn drew his next card, adding it to his hand with a sigh.

"I've got nothing. Your turn."

He's... he's not giving up, is he?

Josh drew his next card. "You were SO eager to duel me before! What happened, did you fall asleep from all those drugs?" He pointed to his other card. "I'll flip summon my other monster, Aroma Jar! Your'e not the only one who has monsters that can't be destroyed by battle! Not only is this card immune to battle, every end phase that it's on the field, I gain 500 life points!"

The "monster" itself was a large, ornate-looking oil warmer with scented candles heating it.

"So, since attacking you won't do much good, why don't I just go to my end phase, anyway?"

Just like the spell that had restored his life points before, the steam let off from Aroma Jar surrounded Josh and sunk into his skin.

2300 > 2800

Sunset turned to Missy as Penn drew his next card. "At this rate, he's going to get all of his life points back and more!"

Missy shook her head. "Life points aren't everything, Sunset."

"They're not everything? Isn't that how you WIN?" Sunset retorted, folding her arms over her chest. Or, at least, what was left of them. She gasped in horror as she realized that her hands were completely gone, and her arms had vanished almost all of the way to her elbows. Looking down, she could see that she was in a similar predicament with her legs, her feet rapidly fading away into the darkness. Missy's eyes widened, and she flew up to grab Sunset's face, forcing her to look into her aqua-colored eyes.

"Sunset, you need to stay calm, okay? Listen closely: I have seen Penn win more duels by making his opponent run out of cards in their deck than THAT chucklehead-" she pointed to Joshua, "-has probably ever played! I know his style and I know his deck, and he's doing everything in his power to get you out of here! But it's going to take TIME! You've been letting this place get inside your head, and the more you think and feel bad things, the less of you that there's going to be left to rescue! So have a little faith and survive long enough to see him win!"

Sunset blinked, and she felt the dark curtain that had been pulled over her thoughts begin to part. Missy was right, she had to keep hope! Penn was putting his own soul on the line, and she was writing him off just because he wasn't on an all-out offensive! She leaned up to the window, getting a better look at the field with her new perspective.

He was holding back a dragon and a god with a pair of marshmallows! It was like something out of Pinkie Pie's dreams! He wasn't even nervous!

"If this is what he can do with a couple pieces of candy, imagine what he can do with the rest of his deck?"

"That's the spirit!" Missy cheered, pounding her fist against the window. "KICK HIS BUTT, PENN!"

Even if he couldn't hear them, the sentiment seemed to make it to their friend. He smiled and set another card behind his monsters.

"Just another trap, then I'll end my turn. I suppose Aroma Jar does its thing?"

2800 > 3300

Joshua added another card to his hand.

"You can't hide behind those monsters forever! I'll equip Ra with this spell: Fairy Meteor Crush!"

"OH COME ON!" Missy screamed.

"Now, when Ra attacks a defense-position monster, the difference in power is inflicted to you as battle damage! Ra, attack his Marshmallon!"

Sunset felt despair beginning to creep back in, but she pushed it out. Penn had four trap cards set! He had to have something that could stop this. He was too good to have staked everything on Marshmallon alone! Just as she expected, Penn pointed to one of his face-down cards.

"You activated my trap card! Gravity Bind!"

A grid of glowing blue lines appeared above the field, falling onto all of the monsters like a net. It passed easily through Penn's Marshmallons and Aroma Jar, but Ra and Prime Material Dragon were both dragged to the ground with roars of displeasure.

"No monsters level four or higher can attack as long as this card is on the field." Penn folded his arms over his chest and returned Josh's smug grin.

Joshua, on the other hand, was no longer smiling.

"I'll change Aroma Jar to defense position and end my turn."

3300 > 3800

Penn drew again, and his content smile grew even wider. He placed another card face-down with his traps, bringing the total cards in his back row up to five.

"I have almost everything I need. How about you?"

3800 > 4300

Josh drew again.

"Oh, really? Because I DO have everything I need! It's time I finally cut you down to size! Starting with those pesky monsters of yours!" He held out yet another spell card. "Let's see how you like Raigeki! This card will destroy all monsters on your side of the field!" The effect was nearly identical to his earlier spell, completely obliterating both of his monsters and leaving his field wide open.

"And for my next trick, I'll activate Mystical Space Typhoon! With this, I can destroy Gravity Bind!"

As the second spell resolved itself, a cyclone of wind and clouds tore across the battlefield, crashing into Penn's trap card and tearing it to shreds. The effect binding Ra and his dragon vanished, allowing both of them to return to their full stature.

Now, Prime Material Dragon, attack him DIRECTLY!"

Out of the corner of her eye, Sunset saw Missy bite down on the back of her hand with anxiety.

"Take it, Penn, just take it..."

Penn, however, seemed to have different ideas.

"I activate the effect of Ghostrick Lantern from my hand! Your attack is stopped and it summons itself in face-down defense position!"

The blast of fire from Prime Material dragon stopped dead in its tracks, and a new face-down card appeared on Penn's side of the field. Missy screeched and buried her face in her hands. "No no no no NO!"

Josh grinned, though Sunset couldn't see the problem. Penn had stopped the attack, right?

"Did you FORGET Ra can still attack? And with my equip spell, the difference is still going to be dealt as damage!" Josh cackled, pointing at Penn's monster. Ra obediently turned its burning gaze on Penn's last line of defense.

"He slipped up, the drugs stopped him from thinking ahead..." Missy whispered, covering her eyes with her hands. "Lantern doesn't even have ANY defense points!"

Ra's attack charged forward, blasting through Penn's defensive monster and washing over him in a torrent of flame.

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

His scream was gut-wrenching as his life points plummeted, as if he were truly being burned alive by the attack.

8000 > 100

"AND I activate my set spell: Sebek's Blessing!"

Josh's set card revealed itself, an evil-looking crocodilian figure with a shining staff.

"With this card, I gain life points equal to the damage I dealt to you!"

4300 > 12200

"AND, Mound of the Bound Creator's effect will finish you off!"

High above them, the lightning began to build and charge, and Sunset's eyes widened. "Penn, get up! You have three more traps! Get up, you have to have a card for this! GET UP!"

From the place he was laying on the ground, Penn raised a smoking arm and pointed to one of his face-down cards. The lightning struck down, only to stop just short of his chest. The card he had pointed to rose up, revealing itself.

"You're not... the only one... who hazza MST..."

Penn's Mystical Space Typhoon shot up into the sky, obliterating the storm and exposing the clear night sky. The stone spears retreated back into the ground as the Field Spell vanished. With excruciating slowness, Penn staggered back to his feet, his breathing labored and forced through his nose.

Josh gave another cackle as Aroma Jar's effect once again caressed his skin. "You bought yourself one more turn, well done! I can't say that this has been an interesting duel, but you've certainly kept me entertained longer than most!"

12200 > 12700

Penn sighed and shook his head.

"Stupid mistake... such a stupid mistake... I'm better than that." he muttered. He moved to draw a card from his deck, only to hesitate. His hand was shaking. He lowered his hand for a second, turning to look at Sunset's comatose body. She wished more than anything that she had a way to let him know she was there, that she was still watching and rooting for him with every ounce of hope she had.

In that moment of pause, Missy dropped down through their window, peeking at his hand again. To Sunset's surprise, Missy screeched with joy and covered her mouth, her wings fluttering excitedly. As his moment of hesitation continued, Missy reached into her hat, slipping a card in on top of his deck before flying back to her vantage point beside Sunset.

"There! Now he has everything he needs to win!"

Sunset blinked, staring between Penn and Missy.

"Wait, isn't that cheating?"

Missy shrugged. "Only as much as any other Yu-Gi-Oh protagonist does! Haven't you ever heard of the 'heart of the cards?' What did you THINK it meant? Card spirits can shuffle stuff around if we're really close to our duelist's heart!" She leaned forward, watching with anticipation. "But it's going to be up to HIM to figure out how to use it right!"

Sunset looked down, holding her breath. How much of a difference could one card make?

When Penn turned back to his opponent, his eyes were steely and his hand steady. He reached up and rested his hand on his deck for just one more second, then drew the card Missy had left for him. His eyes widened when he saw what he had drawn, and Sunset could see a hint of a smile on his lips. "Thanks, Missy..." he whispered.

Does... does he KNOW?

"I'm going to summon a monster!" he declared, picking four cards from his hand. "But it comes at a heavy cost! I have to discard three OTHER monsters to do so!" He placed three of the cards into the graveyard. As he did, Sunset couldn't make out the card art at this distance, but she could see that each of them had a long line of stars at the top indicating their levels.

"I discard monsters with levels of ten, eleven, and twelve in order to special summon MONTAGE DRAGON!"

The creature that descended from the heavens was MASSIVE, almost as large as Ra. It was a titanic, bipedal, three-headed blue dragon. Each of its faces wore a white mask, and its arms ended in huge clawed hands, each one large enough to crush a monster on their own. It gave a single flap of its wings before roaring, a noise so loud it even shook the air inside Sunset's prison.

"You made two mistakes..." Penn stated, his eyes narrowing. "First of all, you messed with Sunset Shimmer, a girl who can take the power of friendship to a whole 'nother level."

"That's a load of CRAP!" Josh pointed an accusing finger at Penn's monster. "There's NO WAY you had three monsters THAT high-leveled to just throw away!"

Beside Montage Dragon, a counter indicating its attack appeared. It started at 0, then began to slowly tick upwards, increasing in speed until the digits were just a blur. When it finally stopped, Sunset could barely believe her eyes.

0 > 9900

"Yes he DID! And Montage Dragon's attack is equal to 300 times the combined level of the monsters discarded to summon it!" Missy cheered, punching the air as she did, "AND YOU CAN SUCK ON IT, JERK!"

Penn ignored Josh's protests, the card's effect speaking for itself.

"Your second mistake was burning all the painkillers out of my system with that last attack. I can finally think CLEARLY." He pointed at Josh's god card with a smile. "Montage Dragon? Sic 'em."

Montage Dragon seemed more than happy to oblige, advancing on Ra and seizing its wings with both hands. As its hands held it in place, its three heads bit down into its neck, causing the phoenix to cry out in pain.

"NO! I activate MY trap! Spellbinding Circle" Josh cried. Mid-assault, a circular inscription appeared in the air behind Montage Dragon, binding its limbs behind it and pulling it off of Ra. "Your monster can no longer declare an attack!"

Penn's eyes narrowed with frustration, but he didn't make any attempt to respond as Montage Dragon was dragged back to his side of the field. "I'll set one more card..." he muttered, adding another face-down card to his back row. "And with THAT I'll end my turn."

This time, Josh didn't look nearly as smug as Aroma Jar boosted his life points.

12700 > 13200

"You're not as good as you think you are..." he growled as he drew his next card. "I use Ra's OTHER special ability! By paying 1000 life points, I can destroy one monster of my choosing on your side of the-"

"I activate my trap card!" Penn called out, cutting him off. "Fiendish Chain!"

"WHAT?"

"Fiendish Chain negates your monster's effects and leaves it unable to attack!" Penn smiled. "It's like Spellbinding Circle, but, y'know, better."

A series of black chains sprouted out of the ground, wrapping Ra and pinning its limbs to its body as it came crashing to the ground. The counter over its head began to tick down as its attack power fell with its special ability negated.

7900 > 0

"Oh, and by the way... In case you forgot, " Penn continued, "that 1000 life point cost is, well, a COST of activation. Which means that, according to the game rules, even if the effect was negated, you still have to pay it!"

13200 > 12200

"Grrr... FINE!" Josh growled. "Have it your way! I'll get those life points back soon, anyway! I END MY TURN!"

12200 > 12700

"Ooooooh, he made a mistaaaake!" Missy sang.

Penn shrugged, drawing another card. "Okay! Personally I would have put those monsters into defense position, but hey, that's just me. You do you, man."

"Why? It's not like your monster can attack, either! We're at a standstill!"

For just a moment, Penn's facade slipped. His eyes narrowed and his smile disappeared. The glare he gave Josh was unlike anything Sunset had ever seen, an expression of pure and simple hatred of unknowable depths. It was a look that didn't just promise defeat, but utter damnation. Even if it wasn't directed at her, Sunset felt a chill of fear run through her.

"Sore wa dō ka na?" he whispered. He placed a new card onto the field, giving a wide smile. "I summon The Calculator!"

The monster that appeared was tiny, but it was another cute one. It looked like something Twilight might build in her free time, a tiny automaton with a number pad on its chest and a digital readout for a head.

"The Calculator's attack points are equal to 300 times the combined levels of all monsters I control! It is level 2, and Montage Dragon is level 8, giving it a total of 3000 attack points!"

0 > 3000

The monster grew and swelled until it was nearly a third of Montage Dragon's height, one hand crackling with electricity as the other entered the numbers into its chest.

"Next, I activate my two facedown traps! Twin copies of Metal Reflect Slime!"

The traps Penn had placed at the start of the duel finally revealed themselves, pouring out a torrent of silver liquid that grew and swelled into two huge lumps on either side of the Calculator and Montage Dragon.

"These traps summon themselves in defense position as monsters with no attack and 3000 defense!" Penn continued. "And each of them... is LEVEL TEN!"

Josh staggered backwards, eyes wide in shock as the Calculator began to crunch numbers once again.

3000 > 9000

"T-Two monsters with nine THOUSAND attack points? Impossible!"

"Seeing as how you were kind enough to leave your monsters in attack position, I thank you for leaving such an easy path to your life points! Now, Calculator, attack Prime Material Dragon!"

The Calculator, which had now grown to match Montage Dragon in size, pointed an accusatory finger at the dragon. A bolt of lightning leaped off of its finger, crossing the battlefield to strike the targeted monster. Prime Material dragon was destroyed instantly, dissolving to dust under the sheer electrical power of the Calculator. When it had vanished, Penn pointed to the Winged Dragon of Ra.

"Spoiler alert: THAT one is next."

"YES! YESYESYESYES!" Missy screamed, leaping over and grabbing Sunset in a hug. The two of them gleefully hopped up and down together, gripping each other as tightly as they could.

"He did it! HE DID IT!"

12700 > 6100

The drop in Josh's life points was terrifying, cutting them down to less than half of what they had been mere moments before. Along with his life points, his confidence seemed to vanish, as well, since Sunset could see his hand shaking as he moved to draw his next card.

"Why do you even want to SAVE her so badly?" he muttered. "Don't you know what she DID? Did she tell you that she was the one who broke everything?"

Sunset felt shame begin to settle over her again. She knew that even thinking about what she had done would give the darkness a chance to encroach on her more, but she couldn't help it. Maybe he had a point? What is she really WAS the bad guy in this scenario?

"So many people have been hurt because of HER! I'm doing everyone a favor!"

Penn folded his arms over his chest, allowing a pause in the duel to chat with his opponent.

"If the multiverse was so fragile that trying to CLOSE a portal like she did could shatter it, don't you think this was going to happen sooner or later?"

Sunset blinked, surprised at Penn's argument. Every time they'd ever talked about it, he had been reassuring to her, promising that it wasn't her fault and that they would fix it as best they could. He had focused on making reparations together and trying to tell her that she needed not to feel guilty about it. This was different. It was... pragmatic.

"Sure, maybe she did break it all, but it seems to me that this whole universe had the stability of a stained-glass window. She was just unlucky enough to be the straw that broke the camel's back." Penn shrugged his shoulders. "Wrong place, wrong time." Penn thought for another moment, then gestured around him. "And LOOK! We're having a real-life duel with real-life monsters! A genuine shadow game, straight out of the cartoons I loved when I was a kid! And you don't even think that's a little cool?"

"People have DIED!" Josh stamped his foot as he roared with outrage. Somehow, Penn continued to keep his cool.

"And Sunset Shimmer is to blame? She made Daleks deadly and programmed GLaDOS to release neurotoxin? Yeah, she let some awful things out of their own universes, but she didn't make them killers!" He pointed an accusatory finger at Joshua. "You're looking for a scapegoat, plain and simple!"

Sunset blinked, looking at the situation with new eyes. Maybe he was right...

Maybe I NEED to accept what IS my fault... to understand what isn't?

Josh, meanwhile, wasn't taking Penn's words nearly as well. His fists clenched and he glared at Penn renewed fury as Aroma Jar shrouded him in mist once again.

6100 > 6600

"If you're going to ally yourself with the one who's responsible for all of this, then I'll send you to the same place I sent her!" he shouted, drawing his next card. "I'll start by activating Pot of Greed to draw two more cards!" As he carried out the effect, though, something unexpected happened.

Sunset felt a tug. Somewhere, deep in her chest, it was as if someone had wrapped their hand around her heart and yanked it a few inches back.

"Sunset? Sunset, what's wrong?" Missy asked, floating over to her. Sunset tried to answer, but she felt locked in place, unable to move or speak as her entire body clenched up. "Come on, talk to me, Sunset!"

Josh looked at the card he had drawn with a hungry glint in his eyes, and Sunset knew exactly what it was. She didn't know how or why, but she could FEEL his eyes on her, the malice in his heart as he placed the new card down alongside Ra.

"Or maybe... I should bring HER to YOU!"

Her window to the outside and Missy's face both began to fade away, the darkness closing in on her completely. A new sensation completely overtook her, something like the feeling of falling while laying completely still. It lasted only a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity. Finally, the darkness began to clear, and she was in a new location, completely restored to her full body. She tried to turn her head, look around at her surroundings, but found that her body wouldn't respond. Still, what she COULD see was more than enough to confirm her worst fears.

She was staring directly at Montage Dragon and The Calculator. She was now standing on Josh's side of the battlefield, with Aroma jar to her left and Ra to her right.

Behind her, she could hear Josh cackling.

"You know, I always wondered why nobody in the show used those souls they put inside cards to duel with!" he continued, "Now, if you want to get to me, even if you destroy Ra, you're going to have to go through her!"

Sunset could see Missy floating behind Penn, wildly waving her arms and mouthing words, but she couldn't hear her. Penn's eyes were wide and his face had gone pale.

"And now I'll play Emergency Provisions!" Josh continued. "By sacrificing Ra's useless equip spell, the trap card I just drew, and the Spellbinding Circle holding back Montage Dragon, I can gain 3000 life points back!"

6600 > 9600

Sunset could hear the counter climbing even further, soundly placing the advantage even further in his favor.

"And let's not forget about Aroma Jar!"

9600 > 10100

Sunset couldn't see Josh, but she could hear the smugness in his voice. "So what if you have more attack points than Ra? I'll change it to defense position! Even if you destroy it, I have plenty of life points to spare! Attack me, don't attack me, either way you can't win without destroying Sunset Shimmer's soul!"

Sunset didn't have to think long about the situation to realize he was right. With Ra and Aroma jar both in defense position, the only way Penn could hurt Josh was to attack her.

Penn drew his next card into his hand. Sunset wished that she knew what was going through his mind. Missy peeked anxiously over his shoulder, even as he was unaware of her presence. Sunset had to wonder whether or not she was okay with him destroying her to save himself. She had to admit, as selfish as it was, she didn't want to die.

Penn held out a new card.

"I activate Enemy Controller! With this card, I can change Ra back to attack position!" Above his head, what looked like a massive video game controller materialized. It beeped and began to press buttons on its own, and Ra responded by leaning forward, opening its beak and revealing the inferno waiting to be let out.

"Big deal! You can't kill me, even when Ra has zero attack points!"

Penn narrowed his eyes. "Then I'll take a lesson out of Sunset's book and get a little help from my friends." He held out a second spell.

"Ghostrick Costume Change!" He began to sort through his deck, separating out a pair of cards from the rest. "By sending two Ghostrick Monsters from my deck to the graveyard, I can change the names of two monsters on the field to match them! Montage Dragon will become Ghostrick Jackfrost, and the Calculator will become Ghostrick Lantern!"

Sunset watched as the two monsters both changed slightly. Montage Dragon's three heads each donned a replica of Jackfrost's blue cap and multicolored scarf, and the Calculator's head was covered by a massive jack-o'-lantern, with the numbers shining out through the mouth.

Was THAT the card Missy gave him? Sunset wondered. If the enthusiastic cheering Missy was giving behind him was any indication, then she was correct.

"And finally, I'm going to summon one more monster! Give us some help, Ghostrick GHOUL!"

The fifth creature was barely a speck sitting between Montage Dragon and The Calculator, dwarfed by the titans on either side. Its own attack appeared on a counter beside it.

1100

The Calculator swiftly did more math, accounting for the additional 3 levels of the new monster.

9000 > 9900

"Am I supposed to be impressed? Sunset tried to beat me with Ghostricks before, you know! And your Calculator STILL isn't strong enough!"

Sunset was shocked to see Penn smile at that.

"Then surely you must know what Ghoul's special ability is, right?"

The counter beside Ghostrick Ghoul began to tick upwards.

"The fact that, once per turn, it can change one Ghostrick monster's attack power..."

Ghoul began to swell in size, rapidly catching up to the monsters beside it, only to rapidly overtake them.

"To the combined attack power of every Ghostrick monster on the field?"

1100 > 20900

"No... NO! NO, YOU CAN'T!"

Josh's fruitless protests fell on deaf ears. Penn curled his hand into a fist and reeled back, a motion that his ten-story-tall monster mimicked.

"Remember what I told you your first mistake was?" Penn called out.

"THAT'S NOT- IT ISN'T-"

Penn lunged forward, and Ghoul did the same, throwing a giant punch just past her head and slamming fist-first into Ra. The explosion of Ra's obliteration overtook every one of Sunset's senses, with only one sound managing to break through the noise.

"NOT FAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIRRRRRR!"

10100 > 0

Sunset cracked open her eyes. She felt heavier, more grounded...

Which may have had something to do with the fact that she was laying on the ground.

"Hey, takeit easy..." a tired-sounding voice muttered. "You hadjur soul ripped out..."

Sunset turned her head, seeing Penn laying on the ground beside her. She wanted to jump up and hug him, but she had to admit, she FELT like she'd had her soul ripped out. Everything was tired and sluggish, as if every one of her limbs had fallen asleep and were just starting to wake up.

"You been mostly dead all day!" Missy's voice chimed in from her other side.

Sunset's head moved as fast as she could make it to confirm that, yes, Missy was still there and laying right next to her.

"M-Missy? You're still here?"

She heard Penn give a satisfied hum. "You can see'er too? I thou shewuz a hallucinination from the fresh drugs Isis gave me..."

"I kept TRYING to tell him to go to sleep, but he insisted on watching you himself!" Missy sat up, pouting with both arms over her chest.

Sunset gathered her strength and forced herself into a sitting position. "So all of that... really happened? I wasn't just dreaming, or something?"

Her answer came in the form of a forceful tackle-hug from the side by Missy. Penn, meanwhile, had shut his eyes and appeared to have fallen asleep. Getting a closer look at him, Sunset could see that the front of his clothes were all sun-bleached and singed in places, along with all of his exposed skin having turned a bright red. She was no expert, but it looked like most of his exposed skin had been badly sunburned.

"Is he okay?"

"Aside from minor burns from Ra's attack, it appears he will suffer no more injury than an overenthusiatic day at the beach would leave."

Isis's voice chimed in from Sunset's pocket. She reached down, retrieving her phone to make the AI easier to hear.

"I administered a new round of painkillers to help him rest, but discomfort and peeling will be the worst of his new injuries."

Sunset nodded. "Thanks, Isis. I'll make sure he gets his rest, this time."

"Affirmative. He should not awaken again before the predicted time at 3:30 PM tomorrow afternoon."

Sunset blinked, realizing one of the many unanswered questions could be answered here.

"Not that I'm ungrateful, but... how DID he wake up before? Wasn't he supposed to be knocked out so his back could heal until tomorrow?"

Missy scoffed, letting go of Sunset and taking a reclined position mid-air. "Well, OBVIOUSLY big sis woke him up when his cards were in danger!"

"A supernatural cause is the most likely reason, taking into consideration the data gathered from tonight's events."

"But... who's 'Big Sis?'" Sunset's brow furrowed. "He didn't even USE any cards that looked like they could be your sister... right?"

Missy smirked and nodded towards the duel disk.

"Well, sisters more by adoption than blood, but he DID use her! Who do you think he discarded to summon Montage Dragon?"

Sunset reached over, gently detaching the toy from Penn's arm and reaching to remove the cards inside... only for nothing to be there. Missy's eyebrows raised, only for her to reach down into the pouch on Penn's belt and turn up empty-handed there, as well. She shrugged.

"Well, she DOES like her privacy... I'm sure she'll make herself known eventually."

Sunset sighed, then shrugged. She was much too tired to press the matter. She laid back down next to Penn, closing her eyes. Just as she was about to drift off to sleep, a thought came to mind.

"What happened to HIM?"

"After the final blow, there was no sign of Joshua remaining. It would be logical, given the 'double or nothing' pretense of the duel, he was banished in both body and soul to the shadows. However, no certainty in that matter has been ascertained."

"Don't worry, there's no coming back from a trouncing THAT bad!" Missy cheered. "But I'll keep watch, if that makes you feel better!"

Sunset smiled and nodded.

"Hey, Isis? I think I'm going to want to sleep in tomorrow..."

"Affirmative. Alarm disabled."

We'll Be There

"Ugh, my head..." Sunset whimpered, pulling her sleeping bag up a little farther to try and cover her eyes. Unfortunately, doing so cut off her supply of fresh air, and a few seconds later she was back out, trying to deal with her splitting headache. A moment later, the door to the tent started to unzip, letting in a flood of direct sunlight that made Sunset hiss in pain. A second later, the light was blocked out by a set of soft feathers covering her face.

"Heya, sleepyhead..." a soft voice cooed. "Feeling any better?"

"Missy?" Sunset tried to make the effort to sit up, but her muscles failed to respond. "Wha-"

"Well, having your soul ripped out, nearly dissolved into the shadows, summoned onto a battlefield, and then shoved back into your body (which received no medical attention while it was comatose) will really take it out of you! Isis is busy taking care of Penn, which means I get to be your personal nurse until you feel better!" The softness of Missy's wing disappeared, swiftly replaced by something cold on her forehead. "Here, I had Yuki-Onna breathe on this, it should help you cool off."

Sunset nodded as best she could. The cold on her head felt exquisite. A moment later, she could feel the zipper on her sleeping bag being opened, letting a wave of fresh air wash over her body. "And it's hot enough without a sleeping bag now that the sun is up!"

"You... seem pretty good at this..." Sunset muttered, shaking her head lightly to bring the cold compress down over her eyes.

"I should be! I watched Penn learn this self-care stuff every day after he dropped out of college! It was INFURIATING!" There was a pause as Sunset heard the rustling of wings and felt a cool breeze wash over her. "I mean, have you ever watched someone else struggle with a video game you KNOW how to play well, and you just wish you could grab the controller out of their hands and do it for them? It was like that, except it was his whole LIFE!"

"Wait... Penn dropped out of college?" Sunset pondered the new information. When he'd told her he delivered pizza for a living, combined with his threadbare living conditions, she had just assumed that his education had come to a stop some time after or during high school.

"Oh, yeah!" Missy replied, somewhat enthusiastically. Sunset knew THAT tone. It was the same excitement Rarity always had before she shared some juicy tidbit of "news" (because "a lady never gossips, she only shares information!"). She had an opportunity to learn more about him, now, and she wasn't going to waste it. "He made it into a great school, too! All the way up in Utah! He was going to be an astrophysics major!"

Astrophysics? And he's delivering PIZZA?

"What happened?"

"Meh, that's a long story I wasn't really around for. He found my card after he came back home, I just got to see the fallout from it. He barely moved, hardly ate, mostly stayed inside and wrote fanfiction for weeks on end. He wound up in a dead-end retail job that made him miserable... it was pretty bad."

"Penn? Miserable? I can hardly picture it..."

It was true. Even in the short time she'd known him, he had always presented himself as the optimist. His car broke down all the time? She was just picky with a lot of personality! The house he was living in was falling apart? Better rebuild the windows! Literally in a fight for both of their souls against the spirit of an Egyptian god? He was living his favorite cartoon! Everything seemed to just roll off of his shoulders with a sense of quiet resignation at the absolute worst.

She heard Missy chuckle at her response. "And who do you think taught him to be so chipper, huh? Sure took a lot of whispering in his ear, but eventually we managed to pull him out of it enough to start improving!"

"We?"

"The Ghostricks! He looked at us and how we played, then started looking for other little happy surprises in life! It's a lot easier to appreciate the little little things when you're one of them!" Missy giggled. "Of course, he was pretty sure we were all just figments of his imagination, or-" she took a moment to clear her throat, then forcing herself into as deep a voice as she could muster, "'A visualization method of compartmentalization as a coping mechanism to enable rational thought!'"

"You mean, he thought you were just a way for him to focus on thinking clearly?"

"Mm-HMM!" Sunset felt the breeze finally come to a halt, then heard a pair of feet hit the ground beside her. "Do you think you're okay enough to sit up?"

"Not on my own..." Sunset shook her head slightly. "I'd need a little help." Almost instantly, she felt a small pair of hands grip her shoulders from behind.

"You got it! On three, okay? One, two, three!"

Sunset strained as best she could to force herself up, and with Missy's help she actually managed to rise into a sitting position. The cold compress fell into her lap, but it had already begun to warm up, anyway. A few seconds later, Missy came back around, flashing her a wide grin.

"See! You're getting better already! Now try to stay up, I'll be right back!" With that, she rushed out the front of the tent, leaving Sunset alone with her thoughts. She was starting to realize that she had really taken Penn at surface value, as if the chipper guy whose first instinct had been to buy milkshakes was just like that. It was like Pinkie Pie: everyone thought that she was just a constant stream of bubbles and laughter, to the point that she didn't take anything seriously at all. But the truth was that she was so energetic and happy because she was ALWAYS being sincere, which meant that both victories and failures tended to hit her hard. When things she was counting on went sour, it could prove a crippling blow to her outlook, and Sunset had seen first-hand what happened when that happiness slipped out of her grasp.

Her mind flashed back to Penn's duel, and the moment that the happy outlook had fallen away. The sheer, raw emotion behind his wrath had seemed overpowering.

Guess there's still a lot I don't know about him, huh?

After a few seconds, she returned, holding a bowl of liquid that she gingerly placed in Sunset's lap. "I followed Penn's recipe for chicken and dumplings, but I didn't really make the dumplings... or the chicken..." she clasped her hands behind her back. "Okay, maybe I just dumped a bunch of chicken bullion into a pot of boiling water. But chicken soup is supposed to be good for the soul or something, right?"

Sunset smiled and picked up the bowl with both hands, taking a long sip from it. The taste of the chicken was practically overpowering, clearly oversaturated with the flavoring, but the parched feeling in her throat overrode her sense of taste and she quickly sucked it all down. With her stomach full of hot liquid, she felt her eyelids growing heavy again.

"Thanks, Missy. I think I need some more sleep..."

Missy nodded, quickly rushing back around to help Sunset lay back down. Before she could even ask, Missy had put the cold pack back over her eyes as an impromptu sleep mask.

"If you need anything, we're all right outside!"

"Mhmm..." Sunset mumbled. In a few seconds, she was already back asleep.

"I killed him."

Isis could see that Elijah's mental state had been deteriorating as time went on. His lucidity following a proper amount of rest had left him racked with guilt over his prior actions.

"How could I do that? That wasn't right! I- I didn't just kill him, I did something worse! I sent his soul to the shadow realm! Eternal torment! For eternity! That's- that's something I can't take back! He's in hell because of ME!"

"Negative. May I remind you that he agreed to the terms of the game? In full use of his faculties? It could just as easily have been you who suffered that fate."

"Isis, you can't just AGREE to something like that!" he cried, gripping both sides of his head. Isis noted the positioning of his fingers: spread and clawing at his skin. He was descending into a full-blown panic attack. "It's like a toddler agreeing to a life of servitude in exchange for unlimited cookies, the consequences are beyond reasonable comprehension!"

"There was a strong implication that he had done the same to many other duelists in his travels. He mentioned to Sunset Shimmer that Ra had been leading him to duelists for some time, and an inspection of his bag revealed a quite substantial collection of cards. You simply revisited upon him the same fate he inflicted on others. If the same logic applies as in the Yu-Gi-Oh anime, you also freed all of his former victims from that same eternal torment."

"But... I don't have that right! To decide someone's fate for all of time? What happens to their soul? That's not my PLACE, Isis! It was WRONG!" He pried his hands off of his head, if only to stare at them in horror. "I didn't even do it for Sunset, or to survive... I did it because I was ANGRY. Wrath, Isis! Revenge! The WORST reason to do anything, and I used it to justify sending a man to HELL!"

Logic was not working. He was suffering emotional distress. Isis attempted to simulate the same scenario, but her ability to empathize fell short. She needed an emotional appeal, something to draw himself out of his self-blaming. A new "spin" on the scenario. Looking through her memory, she found an appropriate musical track to play behind her next words. It would associate his actions with someone whom he viewed as a hero.

"Your wrath may have been your motivation, but you were faced with a choice: Either you could save Sunset Shimmer's soul or spare an evil one that would go on torturing other innocent people. Whatever your reasons, your actions were good and ample justice. Your turned his way of attacking others back on him, no more, no less. I believe that is the entire philosophy of your competitive deck, is it not? To be a wall so strong that your opponents break themselves against it? You have no reason to regret acting in self-defense and the defense of Sunset Shimmer. You were the wall that was needed. It was your opponent who opened the door of darkness, and suffered the consequences for doing so.	You are familiar with Yu-Gi-Oh's source material. You know that there is always a cost to those who use the dark arts to take advantage of others. A reckoning. I ask that you trust me when I say that you are NOT guilty for your actions."

He took a deep, shuddering breath before reaching over to the bottle of sedatives, popping another pill into his mouth.

"I... I'm going to need time to come to terms with this."

"Affirmative. You will have it, Sunset Shimmer is resting while Missy watches over her well-being. We will likely not be moving for several days after both of you suffered such thorough physical, mental, and spiritual stressors."

After a few beats of silence, he shook his head dismissively. "The more pressing question is, why would Ra ally itself with someone like THAT? The guy was a psycho." He lightly massaged his temple to take some of the pressure off of his head. "I thought Ra had higher standards than that?"

Isis took a moment to review her data on the Egyptian God cards. It was patchy, inconsistent, and contradictory at best, all conjecture from the television show and manga.

"I took the liberty of searching the internet for any records matching his name and face. No records of this 'Joshua' individual seem to indicate that he is of any supernatural significance. The only connection of any kind is that he graduated from the same high school as you, two years behind."

This made Elijah pause. His eyes widened in surprise as some form of realization.

"Seminole High?"

"Affirmative."

"You mean he was from the real-" he caught himself here, an error in his syntax he had been trying to correct when Sunset wasn't listening. "You mean he was from the same world as me?"

"Affirmative."

He pressed his fingertips together before pressing them against his lips. "Isis, mind if I talk something through with you?"

"Feel free."

"One of the major plot points during the introduction of the god cards was that Marik was attempting to create copies of Ra for his followers to use, but none of them were quite good enough to work properly. But if Joshua was from the same place as me, and THAT was where he got his Ra card... It would have been a promotional card. Something made and mass-produced for the fans. A perfect copy." His eyes grew wider as he continued processing the implications of his theory. "That might not even have been the REAL Ra. And if that IS the case, then there could be thousands of devastatingly powerful card spirits running around out there."

He reached down to his belt, retrieving the set of black-sleeved cards and beginning to anxiously shuffle them.

"I'm going to look through the new cards and see if I can find anything that can improve my deck..."

Isis considered mentioning her other discovery about their attacker, but it hardly mattered. Knowing that the person who had nearly destroyed both his and Sunset's souls had been a product of his own gaming club would only cause him to blame himself more. Instead, Isis focused on the positive: his panic attack over possibly having killed another human being had stopped for the moment.

Sunset cracked open her eyes, coming slowly and peacefully back into the waking world. Beside her, Missy's wings fluttered as she rose up into the air. The two of them stretched their arms in near-perfect sync, Missy letting out a small squeak of satisfaction alongside Sunset's grunt of effort. She made no effort to suppress her yawn, and was rewarded with intoxicating scent of fresh bacon. The smell seemed to catch Missy by the nose and lift her a little higher into the air, pulling her up to the front of the tent, where she unzipped the door and slipped outside. Sunset chuckled to herself, imagining that, were Pinkie present, the two of them would be a perfect match. She took one more lungful, forcing the air out in a decisive huff, then threw off the top half of her sleeping bag.

Outside, Penn was happily whistling to himself as he held a pan over a morning campfire. Even if Sunset couldn't have smelled it, the telltale crackle of bacon grease was more than enough to tell her that he was already well into preparing breakfast. Beside him, Isis was happily bobbing up and down to the beat of the song coming from her speakers.

Nothing to do to save his life, call his wife in!

Nothing to say but "What a day, how's your boy been?"

Nothing to do, it's up to yooou!

I've got nothing to say, but it's okay!

"Good morning! Good morning! Good morning!" He chimed in, matching the next words of the song as he gave her a little wave. Sunset couldn't help but smile a little wider seeing him so happy. With Isis's antibiotics and plenty of rest, his recovery had accelerated dramatically. In just a few days, the infection was nearly gone, and he claimed the pain was nonexistent (a staement he usually followed with another round of Isis's sedatives, so Sunset wasn't entirely certain how truthful it was). At first, it had grated on Sunset's nerves to stay in one place for so long, but she had hardly been in a place to argue. Still, the sight of most of their things packed into the car gave her even more reason to smile. it was finally time to get back to the search for her friends. Missy was instantly hovering over his shoulders, happily flapping her wings and dancing in circles around him.

"Bacon and eggs, bacon and eggs, bacon and eggs!"

Penn chuckled to himself, taking a spatula resting by the fire and spooning the contents of the pan onto a plate before handing it to Sunset. She looked down, regarding the crispy bacon and fried eggs with a healthy amount of salivation. After two days of Missy and Isis's "cooking," she had practically wept with joy when Penn announced he was feeling ready to take back over food duty. Still, even compared to his usual meals, this was a step above.

"What's the occasion?"

Penn's eyes widened, then he chuckled and turned his gaze down to the ground, as if he'd been caught in some kind of deception. "Well, I wanted to bribe you into giving me one more day before we hit the road again. There's something I need to do."

Sunset blinked, taking a seat beside her friend and putting off digging into the food for a few more seconds. "Penn, it's YOUR car, you're doing ME a favor, remember? If you need to take a day for yourself, I'm in no position to deny it."

"But- what about your friends? I thought you wanted to find them as soon as possible!"

Sunset rolled her eyes and placed her hand on his shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. "You're my friend, too. Whatever time you need, you don't need to ask for my permission to take it. I'm sure the other girls are looking for me, too. If they've been okay this long, they'll be okay one extra day."

For a moment, Sunset thought she could catch tears welling up in Penn's eyes before he reached out and wrapped her up in another one of his bear hugs.

Honestly, Sunset had forgotten what day of the week it was. It was easy to lose track on the road, and even easier as things got hectic and life-threatening. Finding out that it had been Sunday had been a bit of a shock, for some reason. She supposed it was because knowing what day of the week it was disrupted the constant flow from one day into the next she'd gotten from the last few weeks on the road. It was a concrete point in something that was ever-shifting, like managing to stick a pin in a river.

What had been even more strange was seeing Penn in a suit and tie, rather than a flower-patterned shirt and his red-and-white baseball cap. It hadn't taken long for her to put two and two together after that. With Isis's help, they'd managed to find the particular church he was looking for and, after she had politely declined to join him, he had disappeared inside.

"You know, I never guessed he was the religious type... Are churches even still meeting at this point?" she asked. "I mean, all the gods out there kinda had a battle royale when this all started, right?" Isis, who had set her dragon-shaped robot into what looked like a "sleep mode," replied from her phone.

"I have a conjecture based on psychological profiles: perhaps those with faith are now turning to their beliefs, since things they once knew for certain about the world around them have been proven wrong? What was fact is no longer necessarily so, but faith need not change so uncontrollably."

Sunset pondered the idea as she reclined back in her seat. Thankfully, Penn had left the keys with her so she could use the radio and the air conditioning while he was gone. He'd promised that it would only be a couple of hours, and with Isis's cell service and a way to keep cool, Sunset could easily occupy herself looking around the internet. Out of morbid curiosity, she began browsing through a few news sites.

ALIENS SPOTTED IN NEW YORK CITY!

Fisherman Claims Giant Creature In Tokyo Bay!

New Video Footage Proves Existence of Ghosts!

He heard a strange noise in the attic, You won't believe what happens next!

Netflix confirms new season of Stranger Things!

"I guess it's really a new world, isn't it?" she muttered to herself. "Must be nice to have something you can fall back on like that..."

She'd stopped being the religious type long ago. Not out of any spite or grudge, it was just hard for her once she was on her own and devoting her life to her studies to take precious time for something that was by definition neither quantifiable or repeatable in a laboratory setting. She'd certainly grown less pragmatic over the years, but still religion had never really stuck for her the way that it did for other people.

"May I offer my opinion on the matter?"

"I don't see why not?"

"The most essential component of this coping mechanism is faith. Faith in something or someone. Perhaps, if faith in a deity or lifestyle is not to your liking, you could find something else to have faith in?"

Sunset rolled her eyes. "You say that like it's easy. What isn't going to be subject to just randomly changing because some other universe overlapped with the one I'm currently in?"

"Yourself. Your core beliefs: Honesty, Loyalty, Generosity, Kindness, Laughter, Magic, and Empathy. Have faith in your friends, we will ALWAYS remain such, no matter what universe we may encounter."

Sunset actually smiled at that, feeling the warmth of her love for her friends quickly drive out the cynicism. "You know, I REALLY wish I could hug you, Isis."

"The sentiment is appreciated."

The time from there passed quickly, and soon Penn and Missy had returned. Penn had a much more content, comfortable smile on his face, looking as though the service had restored some peace to his soul after everything that had happened.

"So, which way are we headed, Sunset?" he asked, settling with one hand on the steering wheel and one on the shifter.

"Yeah, fill us in!" Missy cheered from the back seat.

Sunset reached down and pulled her geode off of her neck. In her mind's eye, she pictured her lost friends, remembering the last day she had seen them. She remembered Fluttershy's calming presence, Rarity's contagious confidence, Applejack and Rainbow Dash's constant need for competition, Twilight's inquisitive spirit and Pinkie's constant passion. She thought of her new friends, of Isis's deep thoughts and Missy's chipper brightness that seemed to light up any space she entered. She thought about Penn and the sheer spectrum of emotions she had seen from him in the past few days, from pained vulnerability to unconditional friendship to unstoppable wrath.

Every single one of her friends brought new depth and meaning to her life, and in her heart of hearts, she knew she would never truly lose them.

She felt a tug from the geode. They had their heading.

Author's Notes:

Happy One-Year anniversary to this story! I couldn't have asked for a better response from everyone for my little self-insert fantasy, especially given my tendency to need long breaks for my mental health. Here's to another year on the road with Penn and Sunset!

Haven't We Been Here Before?

"What's my favorite color?"

"Purple. Specifically lilac."

"Favorite Yu-Gi-Oh-"

"GX, season three!"

Penn narrowed his eyes at the quickness of Missy's responses. He'd been quizzing her like this for nearly half an hour, refusing to believe that she was the exact spirit of the same card he had owned for years. Sunset and Isis had simply been watching for some time, only stopping so she could snatch a burger from the pan to munch on.

"Final question... Where did I get the first copy of your card?" He leaned back with a wide grin on his face, clearly certain he'd stumped her. Missy sighed and rolled her eyes.

"You and your best friend used to go to Hastings on fridays to open booster packs. You were looking for my card, but it was NICK who actually opened the pack I was in! He gave it to you because he knew you needed it, though."

Sunset covered her mouth to suppress a snicker as Penn's attempt to dumbfound her rebounded on himself. There was a long period of silence, and he finally pressed his forehead against his hand.

"Well, denying it sure isn't going to work any longer, she really IS my Ghostrick Angel of Mischief..."

"I TOLD you!" Missy shouted, gleefully jumping up and wrapping her arms around his neck. He took her weight with ease, quickly wrapping an arm around her to return the hug.

"But- I still don't understand how you're HERE! I mean, I even tried using the cards to summon earlier and nothing happened!"

Sunset shrugged her shoulders slightly. "Well, it didn't work until I was in that 'shadow game,' maybe that had something to do with it? It seemed to really blur the lines between the spirit world and the real world..."

Missy flapped her wings, putting enough distance between her and Penn to look down on him and pout. "Plus, you didn't even do it right!"

Penn counted with his own look of indignation. "'Didn't do it right?' What's that supposed to mean?"

"You tried to normal summon Ghostrick Doll without having another Ghostrick already out! You know that's not how it works!"

The silence that followed was long, but far from empty. Sunset was fairly certain she counted at least five different expressions cross Penn's face as he processed the information before finally setting into numb complacency. He rose up from his place beside the campfire and began to walk back towards the car.

"Will you girls excuse me for a moment?"

Sunset and Missy exchanged a short glance, each shrugging to the other as he calmly opened the door and seated himself in the passenger seat. The moment the door was shut, however, he immediately began to vehemently scream and yell, shaking the entire car with the force of his actions. Most of the sound was sealed off by the doors and windows being completely shut, leaving only a muffled, incoherent vocalization that eventually reached them. Missy simply removed her tiny hat and reached inside, retrieving a steaming cup and saucer that she took a long sip from.

"Mmm... The tea is especially sweet today."

Sunset rolled her eyes and took another bite of her burger. She had to admit, if Penn wanted to eat dinner tonight without making a second batch, he was going to have to finish yelling soon, she was about to steal the last patty in the pan.

The four of them stood together, staring at the sign by the side of the highway with a mix of reactions. As with everything, Isis expressed only pensive indifference. Missy was hopping up and down, lightly clapping her hands together with excitement for the unknown. Penn was a difficult read, seemingly filled with bemused resignation, but there was something to his smile that felt forced. Personally, Sunset was feeling as though the sign were a monument to just how much charity she had taken from her new friends.

"We've come so FAR!" Missy cheered. "Imagine how many things we're going to see by the end of this trip!"

"Searched every town from Seminole to Oklahoma. Only took us a month, I'd say that's pretty good time..." Penn chuckled softly to himself and rubbed at his neck.

"Guys, I'm sorry! I had no idea this would take so long or take us so far!" Sunset sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I would have thought we'd all land at least REMOTELY close to one another! I swear, I'm not trying to take advantage of you!"

"Don't worry, Sunset! As long as Isis can keep airdropping us supplies, we'll be fine. I made a promise to you that I'd get you and your friends home safe, and I intend to keep it!" Penn finally smiled in earnest and placed his hands on his hips. "On the bright side, we're headed North, my favorite direction! We should cross Oklahoma's panhandle in a day, maximum. From there it's... uh..."

"Kansas, barring any change in heading."

"And once we're through there, we can say 'I don't think we're in Kansas, any more" and really mean it!" Missy cheered, the force of her glee carrying her up into the air.

Penn and Sunset looked at one another. Sunset searched his face for any sign of regret, any sign that he was forcing himself to be here. He seemed to have other things on his mind, nodding towards Missy and giving a genuine smile. Sunset looked back, watching for a moment as she flew several laps around the sign before finally leaning over the top. A few seconds later, she jumped off with a yelp of surprise.

"YEOWCH! Hot, hot, HOT!"

This made both of them laugh, well and truly breaking the tension in the air. Sunset collapsed into a fit of giggles while Penn laughed a hearty belly laugh, one that got shriller and shriller the more he ran out of air. By the time they had both recovered, Missy was giving them both a pouty glare.

"It wasn't THAT funny..."

"It- it kinda was..." Penn snickered, resisting the urge to start laughing again. "I mean, it's a hundred degrees out, not a cloud in the sky, and you leaned on a metal sign!" He wiped a tear from his eye before reaching into his pocket and pulling out his phone. "Anybody want a souvenir photo before we take off?"

Sunset grabbed her own phone, only hesitating just as she was about to hand it to him.

"Wait... I want one with all four of us!"

Penn blinked, taking a moment for a quick head count. "One, two, three, four... Who's going to take the picture?"

"This unit would be capable. Would digitally adding myself to the image and sending it to both of you be a reasonable compromise?"

Sunset sighed and slipped her phone back into her pocket. "I guess so, but don't think I'm not going to be taking plenty of pictures with you later!"

Together, the three of them arranged themselves under the sign. She and Penn each wrapped their arms around each other's shoulders, while Missy positioned herself on top of them, folding her arms and resting them on top of both of their heads. Isis flapped her way up to the roof of the car, staring intently at the three of them. A moment later, she nodded and began walking towards the front of the car.

"Done. The picture should arrive shortly."

"Cool, let's get back into the AC!" Penn replied. His attempt to walk away was foiled, however, when Missy wrapped her arm around his head and yanked him back.

"What? That's it?" she whined. "What about saying 'CHEESE!' or 'One, two, three!' You've gotta do ONE of those when you take a souvenir picture!"

Sunset glanced up as best she could at Missy, noticing a playful glint in the little girl's eyes. Missy looked down at her, then nodded at Penn. Sunset smirked, instantly getting the message. "Yeah, I wasn't ready... I'm not sure I was smiling right!"

Isis dutifully returned to the same position as before.

"Very well. Is everyone prepared? One... two... th-"

Isis was cut off by Missy's war cry. "PAYBACK!"

At the last moment, Missy and Sunset both leaped at Penn, wrapping their arms around him and throwing him off balance. For a second it seemed as if he would be able to hold them both, but moments later they were all laying in a heap on the dead grass. The only interruption to Sunset and Missy's laughter was the exaggerated sound of a shutter click.

Come sail away, come sail away!
Come sail away with meee!
Come sail away, come sail away!
Come sail away with meeeeeeee!

Sunset bobbed her head up and down to the music. With Isis joining the crew, their options for music had expanded far beyond just the three CDs Penn kept in his car, a fact for which she would be eternally grateful. One thing that had NOT changed was the fact that Penn seemed to know the words to every single song in the massive library. Sunset had tried making requests of her own, but it appeared that Isis hadn't managed to find any of the music from her world. So, until she had learned what bands and artists she did and didn't like, she was at the whim of her companions. She had to admit, she liked this "Styx" group so far. It was a nice mix of guitar and psychedelic sounds she might expect from Rarity's keytar solos, and their harmonies were on point.

It was the moments like this that made the trip feel like one constant day: nothing but music, the hum of tires against asphalt, and the open highway. From what Isis had told them, it looked like the majority of rural areas had been abandoned in favor of grouping together in large cities for safety. That meant less time running up and down alleyways looking for her friends, plenty of abandoned gas stations to fill up at, and a highway that was almost completely abandoned by all traffic. She tried not to think about the unfortunate implication that, if her friends had been moved to a city, it meant that it would be all the more like looking for a needle in a haystack to find them. For now, her geode kept them out of the urban areas, and all four of them were fine with that.

"Hmm..." Penn grunted unhappily to himself between lyrics, forcing Sunset to open her eyes. The reason made itself clear: the fuel gauge was hovering dangerously close to the "empty" marker.

"We're going to have to stop soon, aren't we?"

He nodded, squinting his eyes to get a better look at the signposts. With a smile, he turned the car onto the next exit. "Looks like there's another gas station up ahead. Should only take a few minutes."

"Look! The lights are on!" Missy added, clambering her way into the front between the two of them.

"How many times do I have to tell you to keep your seat belt on?" Penn countered, wrapping his non-steering hand around her forehead and shoving her back into the backseat.

As they pulled in, Sunset noticed that she was right. The station was still lit and, apparently, staffed. Penn began to rifle through his pockets, finally emerging with his wallet. He let out a long sigh as he opened it, revealing only one twenty-dollar bill remaining.

"I was afraid this would happen..." he muttered. "Just enough to fill up one more time."

"It would be a simple matter for me to override the terminal, if you wish."

Penn shook his head as he cracked open the door and stepped outside. "They'd notice if somebody started filling up without paying."

Sunset sighed and opened her own door, following him outside.

"I didn't mean to-"

"Don't worry about it. You didn't break the bank for me, I never had much to begin with."

Sunset sighed. "I actually took out a bunch of money from my account before we left, the Rainbooms were going to go on tour, but it's not the same currency..." Just as she was beginning to mope, she felt a light punch on her arm.

"I said don't worry about it! We'll figure this out. I mean, we've got to be sitting on a goldmine with that portal gun in the trunk, right? Even if it can't be used, it should be worth plenty!"

As the two of them pushed through the doors of the gas station, Sunset was suddenly struck with an overwhelming sense of deja vu.

"Heya, Red! Long time, no see!"

The clerk. It was the SAME clerk. The SAME gas station she had saved on her first day in this new world. Even Penn seemed flabbergasted. The two of them looked at one another, each confirming that the other was seeing the same thing before rushing back out the door together.

Nope. They had definitely moved. It was still Oklahoma outside. It had definitely been more than a month since they had saved the gas station all the way back in Seminole. They stepped back inside.

There was the same clerk, right down to the pistol Sunset had given her tucked into her belt.

"H-how- how are you-"

The clerk rolled her eyes. "I KNOW, right? My boss STILL hasn't shown up so I can get off-duty! It's ridiculous! You guys need gas again?"

"Well, yeah, but- How-" Sunset stuttered, still hardly able to believe her eyes.

"Oh, don't worry! Haven't had any more trouble since you gave me THIS..." she smirked and patted the gun with her hand. She tapped a few keys on the register and flashed them a thumbs-up. "You're all set! You want a gatorade while you're here?"

"Uh, thanks! We really appreciate that!" Penn said, carefully making his way to one of the refrigerators and removing a pair of red drinks. "Mind if we grab one for our friend in the car?"

"Sure, help yourselves!" the clerk shrugged. "Business has been dead lately, so it shouldn't matter. If the boss asks, I'll tell him money got grabbed out of the register while he was busy running late."

"We really... can't thank you enough..." Sunset said as she snagged a cold drink of her own. Together, she and Penn backed towards the exit.

"After how you saved my skin? Any time! Come back any time I'm on duty!"

And with the jingle of a bell, they were back in Oklahoma. Sunset blinked several times, then pinched her arm to make sure she was awake. Penn was busy pressing the cold bottles against his forehead.

"I think we've spent too much time staring at an empty highway..." he groaned.

"Let's not look a gift horse in the mouth."

"Heh, unicorn pun. Nice."

It was the shimmering city without shadows, the dragon's heaven: Radian. The alabaster jewel among the heavens, lit by twin stars so no night could ever come. Above and below, dragons of every shape, size, and color went about their lives. Each one of them was ready at a moment's notice to stand up and eradicate any threat to their home, avenge any dishonor upon their world and their god. The force of the light was as impossible to stop as a supernova, spreading out through the cosmos.

Of course, Elijah wasn't concerned with most of them. His greatest worry was the one that currently had driven the tip of its tail completely through his torso and out the other side. Without warning, it was yanked out again, leaving a gaping hole in his chest. Even as his head was spinning and gravity pulled him downwards, he gingerly reached up and felt around the edges.

He struck the floor, but it didn't stop there. He passed through it like water, plummeting downwards through level after level of Chirac's Iron Spire, each one a diorama of another battle he had lost. He fell faster and faster. He couldn't remember whether or not the spire was supposed to have a bottom. Did it pass through the other side of the world? Would he be flung into space? Things began to blur. He saw two tall figures staring at him, both in dark robes. One of them had the most piercing blue eyes he had ever seen, like blue lights in empty sockets. His face was covered by a skeletal mask, or... was it a mask? The other showed pale, bony hands without raising his arms, asking questions without moving his eternally smiling mouth. Glyphs spun around him before flying out into the tornado all around them. The blue-eyed one reached into his cloak, retrieving a large hourglass.

Yes, I agree. It appears we've come too early. We'll come back later. I do so hate impunctuality.

It was all a vortex of insanity and death, and he was falling faster and faster, out of control. He could stop it any time he wanted, but the moment he did it would all become real. The hole in his chest, the bottom of the spire, the two figures... It couldn't be real. He couldn't accept it. The words echoed and rattled in his head.

It couldn't be real. It couldn't be real. It couldn't be real.

It echoed and echoed and echoed.

Again. And again. AGAIN. AGAIN! AGAIN! AGAINAGAINAGAINAGAINAGAINAGAINAGAINAGAIN-

"GAAH!"

Penn sat bolt-upright in the driver's seat, both of his hands flying to his chest, where there was no wound. His eyes darted to every possible angle, where there were no dark figures. He looked out the window, where there was no shining city. He grabbed at the handle, fumbling for the door until he stumbled into the dirt, gasping for air and shaking violently. His entire body shuddered until his stomach retched. It was all he could do to turn and direct the vomit under the car, where no one would see it in the morning.

"WHAT... the HELL... was THAT?"

Sunset sat in her tent, staring up at her phone. There were her photos. High school. Her friends. The beach. The mall. All the best memories of high school, immortalized there in her phone. Pinkie's parties, Rainbow's games, hoedowns in Applejack's barn... They were all there. Years of memories... the beach, their cruise, shots of every single one of their concerts. She could see her entire old life laid out before her, everything she missed.

And then she reached it. All too soon, she reached the last photo. It was all of them, about to leave the band room for the last time. She felt a pang in her heart as she remembered what happened immediately afterwards. Every time she had seen that picture, she felt her heart break. It was the end of the story.

And then she pressed the button to move forward. And there was the photo of her, Penn, and Missy under the sign, and perched on top of Missy's head was the tiny form of Isis. They were like a pyramid. The next photo was all of them on the ground, laughing together as they rolled in the grass. After that, photos of Isis's tiny dragon body, curled up on the dashboard of the car "asleep."

The further she went forward, the happier she became. Suddenly, there wasn't an ending. Just a new story, and she knew where it was going. She went back, flipping back and forth between the photo of the Rainbooms and the photo of their road trip gang until she could visualize them combined. Some day, she promised herself, I'm going to have a photo with all of them. All of us together.

With that thought in mind, she finally switched off her phone, closed her eyes, and drifted off to a peaceful sleep.

This Will Be The Day We've Waited For

"Uh, Penn? Are we absolutely, positively certain this is going to work?"

"Yes, Sunset! You couldn't be in safer hands! Penn's voice replied through her earpiece. Isis already calculated your trajectory and Missy's in position to catch you. Right, Missy?"

"You betcha, Penn! Witch, Lantern, and me are gonna be right here to catch you just below the treeline, Sunset!"

Sunset narrowed her eyes, trying to see if she could spot the spirits she was currently entrusting her life to. Her anxiety only grew worse when, true to her word, Missy's hiding place under the canopy of the forest was invisible from above. On the bright side, at least the guy beside her seemed equally nervous.

"Uh, sir? I-I've got a- uhm- question. So, this 'landing strategy' thing... Wh-what is it? You're, like, dropping us off, or something?"

"No. You will be falling." The headmaster replied, his indifference seeming to be as cold as Sunset was certain that mug of coffee he was holding had to be by now.

"Oh, I see! So, like, did you hand out parachutes for us?" the boy beside her replied, sounding hopeful. As much as Sunset wished he was right, Penn had already told her that there was NOT going to be a parachute. The line of students was quickly diminishing was they were each catapulted off the top of the cliff by the platforms they were standing on.

"No, you will be using your own landing strategy."

"Ah... That. So, what exactly is a landing strateGGYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!" His question devolved into a shriek of terror as he was flung into the air. Sunset's heart skipped a beat and her entire body clenched in preparation as she knew she was next.

A moment later, she was flying through the air, hundreds of feet above the forest with only her wits to protect her on the way down.

Sunset had flown before. Equestrian magic had given her all kinds of experiences no normal person would ever get to have, prepared her for just about anything life could throw at her. This was nothing like that.

As she reached the apex of her arc, Sunset tried to remember WHY she was putting herself through this.

"Is that what I think it is?"

They all stared, dumbfounded, at the shimmering air in front of them. Sunset had seen it before, and she knew exactly what it was.

"Yup. That's another dimensional boundary. Just like when we went after the daleks."

"It's covering the entire highway! Someone could drive right through!"

"Someone probably has!" Missy chimed in.

They watched together as Isis emerged from the other side of the portal.

"I am happy to report that there is no immediate danger on the other side. The atmosphere is breathable, and the area appears remote and devoid of observers."

"Is your geode still saying we should go that way?"

Sunset reached down and lifted up her necklace, allowing the geode to hang freely. Sure enough, it pulled forward towards the portal, as if drawn by a magnet.

"WOOHOO! New world, here we come!" Missy cheered, not even bothering to wait for the car as she flew straight into the shimmering veil and disappeared.

"Missy! Wait for... us." Penn rolled his eyes. "Isis, can you make sure she stays out of trouble?"

"Affirmative."

Sunset smiled as she sat herself in the passenger seat again. "Isis said it was safe on the other side, she should be fine! Try to tone down that big brother instinct a little."

Ch-ch-ch-ch-vrroooom! The Oldsmobile gave its normal resistance to starting up, but began to run just the same.

"What Isis said was that it was remote and no one was watching, that doesn't mean there aren't dangerous things out there! We should still be ready in case something goes wrong!"

Sunset paused as a thought came to her mind. "You get nervous every time somebody's out of your sight, don't you?"

"Last time I let you out of my sight your soul got sent to hell, what do you think?"

Sunset raised her hands defensively as they began to drive forward. "Look, I'm just saying that if you don't learn to relax, there's going to be six more of us you'll be trying to keep an eye on at once when we find my friends! What'll you do then?"

"I dunno, maybe I'll tie a bell around your neck, or something! Now hold on, we're going through!"

Sunset braced herself, but passing through the portal seemed to have no effect on them as the world outside the car began to blur and warp.

Suddenly, she felt a shock run through her side of the car that lifted her completely out of her seat. A moment later, the entire front end of the car lurched downwards with the ground of grinding metal and they came to a sudden stop.

"SHOOT!" Penn grunted through gritted teeth.

"What was that?"

Both of them jumped out of their doors and ran to the front of the car. The sight that awaited them hurt Sunset just to look at.

"Are- are your tires pointing in different directions?"

A quick glance made it obvious that Penn wasn't taking the news well at all, both hands covering his face and mouth to mute his scream. After several seconds, he finally released himself enough to pull his hands away, and he was calm again.

"Isis, could you possibly send us a new tie rod? It looks like our old one snapped." He leaned over, taking a better look at Sunset's side of the car. "Probably when we hit that log. That would have been nice to see coming..."

"Affirmative. It has been added to the next supply drop."

The tie rod: a piece that held the front wheels at an even distance so they would stay aligned with the steering wheel. Sunset remembered that much from building their tour bus, mostly because the original had been broken there, as well. It had fallen on Rainbow Dash's head the first time they had lifted it up to get to the underside. With the mystery of their sudden stop solved, Sunset took in their surroundings.

It was an entirely different climate from where they had been moments before, a dense forest of red-leaved trees. Even the grass in this place was a deep crimson, and every breeze filled the air with more fallen leaves to thicken the blanket. In the distance, she could make out a massive, castle-like building nestled at the base of several mountains. It kind of looks like Canterlot... "Hey, Penn?"

"Ugh, this is going to be a headache to fix, I've never replaced a tie rod before! Isis, can you pull up some instructions? Missy, would you do me a favor and help me get the jack out of the trunk?" Penn seemed totally oblivious to their beautiful autumnesqe surroundings, laying on the ground to try and get a peek under the car.

"Penn, do you know where we are?"

"The front is actually on the ground, we'll have to bring the jack in from the side... Missy! I'll get the jack if you can get the jack stands and my socket wrenches!"

"PENN!"

He finally seemed to notice her, freezing mid-step on his way to the back of the car. "Huh?"

"Where are we?"

He paused and turned his head from side to side. He let out a low whistle. "Beautiful... It almost looks like-" His eyes widened as he caught sight of the distant castle. "Nope. Nope!" He shook his head and walked back around to the front of the car, pushing himself against the front shoulder-first. "Nope nope nope nope!"

"What is it, what's wrong? Are we in danger?" Sunset ran over to him, watching his actions with a measure of concern. "What are you doing?"

"I'm pushing Sylvia right back out that portal, I am NOT dealing with this crummy universe! We'll go around, there was an off-ramp a half-mile back!"

Sunset narrowed her eyes and put her hands on her hips. "I am not pushing the car a half-mile, even if you COULD move it in this condition, which you can't. What, are we in danger?"

"Of bad writing, maybe..." he muttered. With a final groan of effort, he gave up and slumped down against the front of the car. "This..." he motioned to the beauty around them, "is the forest of Forever Fall. THAT-" he pointed to the far-off group of buildings, "is Beacon Academy. Which means that we're in the RWBY universe."

"Ruby universe? That would explain why everything's red..."

"No, RWBY. R-W-B-Y. It's the initials of the main characters. Everything in this forest being red is just a coincidence." He pressed the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. "Okay, how do I explain this..."

"This world is a techno-fantasy world where humanity exists alongside a bunch of creepy monsters called 'Grimm.' The Grimm hunt humans, and humans fight back by training to hunt the Grimm right back with advanced, transforming weapons that are the absolute coolest thing about the show. The men and women who train to hunt them are, appropriately, called Hunters and Huntresses." He pointed up into the distance. "That is Beacon Academy, the most prestigious school for Hunters and Huntresses on the continent, and some consider it the best in the world."

"Okay, so there's dangerous monsters here, and that's why you want to get out of here?"

"No. Well, that too, but that's not the MAIN reason."

"Is there something worse than Grimm monsters?"

"Yeah, the writing." He rose back up onto his feet and walked to the back of the car. With a light pop, the trunk was open and he was soon buried up to his shoulders in it head-first. "After season 3- ouch! Stupid portal gun pointy bits! -the entire status quo was thrown out the window, along with most of the fan-favorite characters! Three of the four main characters went AWOL, one was maimed and traumatized, Beacon Academy was destroyed, and the bad guys pretty much won!" He grunted loudly as he lifted a heavy-looking hydraulic jack out of the trunk. "Penny? Dead. Pyrrha? Dead. Torchwick? Dead." He paused for a second before giving her a nervous glance. "Kinda feels like they just culled the redheads, in retrospect."

Sunset swallowed and unconsciously reached up to her shortened locks.

"Neopolitan? MIA. The great villain they'd been building up since episode one? Crippled and made into a mook for a bigger, badder one we'd never so much as seen before. And worst of all..." he set down the jack and placed a hand over his heart. "One of the greatest animators of our time, the man who conceptualized it all, who took it from a single trailer to a stunning adventure shared with people all around the world... was lost in a tragic accident, leaving it in the hands of other writers."

Sunset had to admit, she was gobsmacked. The world around her seemed so beautiful, so peaceful. The idea that so much hardship could come to a place like this seemed absurd.

"So, we're going to get out of here before things go off the rails!" he declared as he fitted the handle of the jack into its appointed slot and began to pump up and down. Inch by inch, the front of the car began to rise up off the ground. "If Isis expedites that delivery and it's here tomorrow, I should be able to get the new tie rod in and get us out of here in a day or two!"

"Wait, what?"

"Well, it's not the hardest fix in the world, a buddy of mine had his break and it only took the mechanic a day! I'm no mechanic, but-"

"No, I mean we're just going to LEAVE?" Sunset motioned to the academy. "That doesn't look destroyed to me! Maybe all that bad stuff hasn't happened yet! Maybe we can help stop it from happening!"

There was a beat of silence as he stared at her, jaw agape.

"Sunset Shimmer, my good friend, are you suggesting that we alter established events in another world's history?"

"She has a point, Penn! If we know what's going to happen, we could stop it!" Missy chimed in, holding a pair of triangular metal stands in her hands and hanging a black case off of her foot. "Maybe we could save some of the people who died, like Pyrrha!"

"Et tu, Missy?" Penn reached out and took the two stands from her. Lowering himself to one knee, he began to position the first one in the gap created by the jack. "Look, if we're going to go where no one's gone before, we need to maintain Star Trek's prime directive: Not interfering in the development of other worlds! We couldn't be certain we would just make things worse, too! A LOT of important characters made it out of there by the skin of their teeth, what if trying to save one person kills three more? And what if one of those three was a part of the group that eventually saves the world or something, huh? Even if we DID help in the short term, we could cause monumental harm in the long term!"

Missy folded her arms over her chest and glared down at him. "And what about the Spider-Man prime directive, huh? With great power comes great responsibility!"

"And knowledge IS power!" Sunset added, earning herself a fist bump from Missy.

Penn's eyes narrowed in a frustrated glare. "Okay, first of all, don't quote Spider-Man at me, I was reading his comics when you were still a glimmer in Kazuki Takahashi's eye, Missy! Second of all, having a command of thoroughly useless information isn't going to help me when I'm staring down a killer mecha or a Grimm three times taller than me!" He pointed down at Sunset's belt, then Missy's chest. "It's easy for you two to say that you want to help, you have magic, a bunch of monsters and traps that actually work when you summon them, and a freakin' lightsaber! You know what I've got?" He reached out, snatching the case that was hanging from Missy's foot and popping it open. Inside was a small tool and a set of differently-sized attachments. "I have a SOCKET WRENCH!"

His shout echoed through the forest, and when it finally faded, Sunset couldn't help feeling slightly hurt and betrayed at the outburst. It must have been obvious on her face, because Penn seemed to instantly backpedal.

"Sorry, I- I'm upset about the car, and I'm taking it out on you. That's wrong of me, I shouldn't have yelled. I apologize." He looked down at the ground in shame. "It's very clear that we're standing on opposite sides of the Time Traveler's Dilemma: to change history and send it on an entirely unpredictable new path, or do nothing and let the world suffer for the sake of the future we know." He walked away, placing himself on the other side of the car to position the second stand under the space. "We're at an impasse and... oh no." He slapped himself in the forehead. "Isis? Get ready to add more parts to the list of what we need, scraping on the ground after the tie rod broke looks as if it did a real number on some other stuff. I can see oil and bits of metal down there."

"Affirmative."

He let out another long sigh and leaned his head against the car door. "As I was saying, we're at an impasse, and it's obvious we're not going to agree. But, because you're my friend..." He mimed the act of rolling up his short-sleeved shirt's sleeves and laid himself on his back to scoot under the car. "I'm going to be VERY focused on these car repairs. Very. Focused. In fact, I think the only thing I'll take notice of is if someone were to call me on my phone with questions any time they get confused! You could probably just walk away and do anything you want and I wouldn't even know it, let alone be able to do anything about it!"

Sunset and Missy looked at one another, and Missy made a jabbing motion with her thumb in the direction of Beacon Academy. Sunset cast one more longing glance at Penn, who had half-disappeared under the car. With a final huff, she turned her back on him and began walking in the direction of the school.

Fine! If he's not going to help people, then I will! Because that's what heroes do! Because it's RIGHT, no matter what Penn says!

"The starter hit some kind of rock, it's been bashed to pieces. We'll need a new one. The oil pan has also been torn to shreds, I can see holes straight through it, so we'll need a new pan AND fresh oil. I've been meaning to do an oil change, anyway. I'm going to take a closer look at the transmission filter, see if it's leaking from that compartment."

"Affirmative. The new parts have been added to the list."

After approximately another minute, Elijah emerged from underneath the Oldsmobile and grabbed a handful of the shop towels he had retrieved from the trunk to wipe his hands clean. "Well, good news is it looks like it's just the tie rod, the starter, and the oil pan. I've replaced the starter before and the oil pan should be relatively straightforward, just bolting the new one into place. The tie rod ought to be the trickiest of the bunch."

"You were unusually callous today. Prior data would have suggested that you would follow Sunset Shimmer no matter what the path may be. You also seemed unusually lacking in empathy for those who suffer due to actions you know how to prevent. It is a considerable deviation from my behavioral models."

Elijah turned and gave her an irritated look. "Aaand there we go. You too, huh?"

"I am merely noting the deviation and bringing it to your attention for self-diagnostic purposes."

"There's NOTHING wrong with me!" He threw his hands up, ignoring the flecks of oil it sprayed through the air. "I just know that what happened- what's going to happen- is a very delicate situation! If just one villain feels pressured more than they were- are going to be- they might aim for a killing blow where they didn't before! They might move their plans faster or change their targets to be more efficient, more ruthless! And even if I stopped watching, I DO keep tabs on the show!" he pointed an accusatory finger at her. "Everything that happened winds up making the core team stronger, it's character development! Without it, Team RWBY won't make it to their happy ending, because the show is going to have a happy ending!"

"I did not claim you were ignorant. However, is the idea that RWBY is moving towards a 'happy ending' conjecture?"

"I mean, it's basic narrative story structure. Giving it a downer ending would be suicide for Rooster Teeth's animation division."

"Did they not also end Red vs Blue's Season 10 on a melancholy note?"

"RWBY and Red vs Blue are very different shows, Isis..."

"However, it has set a precedent."

She could see him computing fresh variables, adjusting parameters in his mind. After a few seconds, however, he seemed to reset and gave her a look she recognized as suspicion. "You want to step in too, don't you? I would have thought you'd recognize the paradox of altering a timeline using knowledge from observing that SAME timeline. If we change what we saw, then we change what we knew when we chose to change it. It becomes a logical loop sending constantly changing information back in time to ourselves!"

"Theoretically, this may not be the same timeline you came to know as the web series. Perhaps your data comes from a secondary timeline in which you did not interfere? Consider the Many Worlds Theory. When you make a decision, the timeline could split, creating two worlds: one in which you interfere, and one in which you do not. Consider further that what you consider the 'source material' is merely the timeline in which you did NOT interfere."

Isis knew that Elijah was a visual learner and used the tip of her tail to burn a small illustration into the grass, a Y shape representing a diverging timeline.

"If that were the case, then what you have seen can not only not be altered, but could serve you as a cautionary tale of the consequences of NOT taking initiative. And instead, this is the timeline in which you CAN intervene."

She moved her tail from one side of the Y to the other, indicating a change between timelines due to their presence.

"Assuming that other universes are allowed only one timeline is very much against the evidence we have seen regarding the existence of many worlds. It is illogical to worry so. One of my directives is to protect the free agency and happiness of those whom I serve, and I would be acting against that directive to allow you to continue to think that you have no free will in these matters. If so, you may regret your inaction."

"So you think-"

"It is not a matter of what I think. This is not a matter of voting. It is a matter of splitting the party, and I can be present with both. It is a matter of what YOU think, and the fact that it may be erroneous."

He took more time to process, there were more variables and scenarios to consider. Infinite variables, taking into account the Many Worlds Theory. This seemed to result in an error, as he shook his head and laid back down to return under the car.

"I'll think about it. For now, let's get this busted starter out of there, it's wedged in pretty tight and I think one of the bolts is bent."

A cutting tool would be required. Thankfully, the angle grinder in this unit's tail would more than suffice.

A remarkable thing about organic brains was that they had involuntary parallel processing. Even if she discussed the matter no further, the "data" of the idea had been entered, and would continue to consume processing power until he had settled upon a solution. And despite the earlier deviation, she knew what course his moral alignment would inevitably settle upon.

"Affirmative. New bolts have been added to tomorrow's care package. 	Please, allow me to help."

"Ugh, I can't BELIEVE him! Of all the stubborn, pigheaded- GAH!"

Sunset was working herself up, and she knew it. But she couldn't stop herself.

"He's scared!" Missy declared. "He's more scared of messing up the precious timeline than he is of innocent people DYING!"

"It's all just a show to him, just another stupid TV show!" Sunset volleyed back. "He's so detached, so above it all! Sure, he'll risk life and limb if it's a show he LIKES or if it's HIS world at stake, but put him in something he doesn't care about and suddenly none of it matters!"

"Though... I will admit, I don't know WHAT we're going to do..." Missy muttered. "What's the plan, again?"

Sunset hesitated for a moment. She had been so upset, she'd stormed off with hardly a thought of what she actually planned to DO, just that she was going to do it. "Well... My geode led us here, right? We'll keep following it until a course of action presents itself!" Overhead, she could see metal airships flying to and from the school. The closer they got, the more she could see that it was a hub of activity.

"Hey, maybe one of your friends is AT Beacon, and that's why the geode is leading us there!" Missy exclaimed.

The thought HAD occurred to Sunset, and she had been silently hoping that was the case. She felt her phone begin to buzz in her pocket.

"I took the liberty of looking into Beacon Academy, as an exploratory drone landed here some time ago. The new semester is about to begin. If you wish, I could prepare a falsified transcript for you and have you enrolled."

"You mean... have me GO to the school?"

"There would be no better way to check the student body for signs of the Rainbooms. This world has established hard light technology, your lightsaber would be an acceptable, if somewhat unusual, weapon. Your martial arts training would be serviceable to get by in combat. You are also the only member of the party who could convincingly pass as the appropriate age."

Missy hummed happily to herself. "Looks like a course of action's presenting itself, isn't it?"

Sunset pondered the situation. It's not like I have any better ideas, right? If I want to help, it's best to be in the center of everything.

"Isis, sign me up!"

"Affirmative. I am happy to help."

Author's Notes:

Listen, I know RWBY is a bit of a controversial topic, especially many people's (including mine) opinions of the Volume 3 finale. I would like to ask that, if anyone feels the need to voice their opinion, they do it calmly and respectfully.

While the character of "Penn" has been very vocal and adamant, I will not be making any comments as myself, the author, other than this: After Volume Three, I continued watching, but did not find the new direction to my tastes. I thought the transition to the new status quo was handled clumsily and it left a bad taste in my mouth for the show altogether. So I stopped watching. It was as simple as that. If you continued to enjoy it, I applaud your flexibility and envy the pleasure you have continued to glean from it. Please continue to support it, as I do still wish the show well altogether.

Thank you,
Pennington Inkwell

P.S. I'm not going to try to stop any discussion about RWBY in the comments, but as a writer, I will demand one thing: RESPECT FOR MONTY OUM. If any comment is made trying to invoke him in favor of your opinion, it will be deleted.

It's Also A Gun

"You ready, Sunset?" Missy's voice chimed through the earpiece Isis had given her.

"There was no need to change your name for enrollment, but remember, your history had to be altered greatly to stand up to scrutiny. I will remind you when necessary of your fabricated backstory."

Sunset nodded to herself, looking around the courtyard. It was practically brimming with students of every shape and size. Not all of them were even entirely human, sporting animal features like ears and tails. What stood out to her the most, however, was the presence of the weapons. Literally more weapons than she could count, equipped to every student. Some were smaller, easily sitting in sheathes or attached to belts, while others were massive, having to be carried in cases or strapped to their backs. She placed her hand on her lightsaber, feeling slightly self-conscious with only an empty handle clipped to her belt. They were chatting and mingling, just like regular high school students, but they were clearly ready to do battle at the drop of a hat.

Still, it was a school, and Sunset knew school. The first thing she needed to do was prevent herself from putting her foot in her mouth and making a spectacle of herself. A bad first impression on the other students would be irreversible. She needed a guide.

Sure would be nice if my USUAL guide was here... What I wouldn't give for one of Penn's exposition dumps! She rolled her eyes. It's usually too much information at once, but I always get what I need to-

"Oh!" Her thoughts were cut off as she bumped into another student from behind. "Sorry, got a little lost in my own thoughts."

"That's alright. We're all a bit nervous," the girl replied, not sounding nervous at all. She was dressed all in black and white, with a pair of black thigh-high leggings and a sleeveless black tailcoat over a white shirt and pair of white shorts. The ensemble was complimented by her long black hair and a black bow on top of her head. With the accident addressed, the girl began to walk away.

Sunset had a choice. She was alone in a world she didn't know, at a brand-new school where she couldn't be sure any of her prior knowledge would be any use to her. However, if Penn was right, then lives hung in the balance, so she couldn't afford to be passive. She certainly couldn't bully her way to what she wanted, which left one other option:

She needed friends.

"H-hey! Wait up!" she called, jogging to catch up to the girl. She held out her hand. "I'm Sunset Shimmer."

The other girl gave her a sideways glance, but didn't shake her hand. "I'm Blake."

Sunset knew THAT look. That was the look of someone who wasn't looking for friendship. Who only wanted quiet and space. It was the same look Rarity would give people when they walked in on her while she was too deep in her work to even be bothered to yell at them.

"I don't really know my way around here. Do you mind if I tag along with you, Blake?"

"Can I stop you?" she replied, somewhat irritated.

Sunset hesitated for a moment, starting to fall behind again. "Well, yeah. If that's a no, then... I'll just-"

"It's fine." The other girl cut her off before letting go of a long sigh. "Just don't expect a tour. I'm just as new here as you are."

Sunset nodded. "Thanks. Not having to tackle the unknown alone feels a lot better, you know?"

"I don't."

Well, she's just a ray of sunshine, isn't she?

"Don't feel better or... don't know what it's like not to tackle the unknown on your own?" That question actually seemed to throw Blake for a loop, causing them to stop for a moment. "Because either way, that sounds pretty lousy."

"I-"

Whatever Blake's response was going to be, it was cut off by the sound of a small explosion, followed by the crackling of ice rapidly forming and melting and electricity arcing through the air. A glass bottle filled with red power came flying through the air before landing at their feet. The two of them looked in the direction that the explosion had come from, seeing two girls covered in soot. One was dressed in shades of white and blue and the other seemed to have chosen red and black. Even their hair matched their outfits, something Sunset hadn't seen since she left Canterlot High.

"Unbelievable! This is exactly the kind of thing I was talking about!" the girl in the white dress shouted, shaking off the majority of the soot as she stamped her foot.

"I'm really, REALLY sorry!" the other girl replied, anxiously pressing the tips of her fingers together.

Did SHE cause that explosion? Sunset wondered. To her surprise, Blake didn't shy away from the confrontation, picking up the bottle and walking towards them. She followed closely behind. Maybe I can help defuse this whole thing... literally.

"Ugh, you complete DOLT! What are you even doing here? Aren't you a little YOUNG to be attending Beacon?" the white-haired girl continued.

"Um, well, I-"

"This ISN'T your ordinary combat school! It's not just sparring and practicing, you know! We're here to fight monsters, so watch where you're going!"

"Hey, I said I was sorry, princess!" the red-haired girl replied, clearly reaching the end of her patience. If someone didn't do something soon, Sunset worried a fight was about to start. However, before she could intervene Blake finally spoke up.

"It's 'heiress,' actually. Weiss Schnee: heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, one of the largest producers of energy propellant in the world."

Sunset made a mental note of the information. Clearly, this Weiss girl had connections. Connections could come in handy in trying to stop whatever disaster was coming.

"Finally, some recognition!"

"The same company infamous for its controversial labor forces and questionable business partners."

"Wha- How DARE-" Weiss stuttered, ignoring the other girl beginning to snicker behind her. Unable to come up with a retort, she snatched the bottle from Blake's hand and stormed away towards the school. The red girl waved fruitlessly at her as she left.

"I promise I'll make this up to you!" She let out a frustrated sigh as her shoulders slumped in disappointment. "Guess I'm not the only one having a rough first day..."

Without a word, Blake began to walk away again. Sunset was torn. Should she follow Blake, or stay with this girl? For a moment, she considered leaving. Out of reflex, her hand brushed against her geode for comfort.

Suddenly, she wasn't at Beacon Academy. She was back at CHS. It was the Friendship Games, and she was watching the relay course. She could see Twilight struggling with the archery course, tears brimming in her eyes. Just as she was about to lose hope, Applejack had leaped from CHS's platform and onto Crystal Prep's, refusing to stay on the sidelines any longer.

And it was over. She was back at Beacon Academy, watching Blake walk away. Sunset sighed and shook her head with a smile. Even if her friends weren't here, she was still getting help from them.

"So, what's-" The girl in red cut herself off as she saw Blake walking away. Sunset picked up the conversation where Blake had left it, holding out her hand to the girl.

"I'm Sunset Shimmer."

She looked at Sunset's hand for a moment before grabbing it and giving it an enthusiastic shake. "I'm Ruby! Ruby Rose! Nice to meet you!"

"Uhm, hello?" a third voice chimed in. Both of them turned to see a boy with bright blonde hair had walked up to join them. "Sorry, I couldn't really help seeing what happened. Not cool..."

"W-well, I guess I started it by knocking over her stuff..." Ruby rubbed the back of her head. "And causing the explosion by sneezing on all that dust..."

"Still, that's no reason to have gotten so mad." Sunset argued. "It's the first day! Everyone's going to be nervous, and nerves can make you a little clumsy!"

"Yeah!" the boy joined in, holding out his hand to the two of them. "I'm Jaune Arc, by the way."

Ruby paused for a moment as she shook his hand, recognition appearing on her face. "Wait... weren't you the boy who threw up on the ship?"

"Y-yeah..." Jaune sighed with resignation.

As the three of them began to laugh, Sunset could already feel the beginnings of friendship starting to plant roots. She took one last look around, but Blake was long gone. If she had one regret, she had to admit she felt bad for leaving Blake alone again.

I guess she seems to prefer it that way, though...

Just as she had thought, the three of them became fast friends. Jaune hadn't taken too well to Ruby's nickname for him being "Vomit Boy," but had responded in kind with his own jab at her, "Crater Face." Sunset had found both of them hilarious until she had bumped into them at least three more times and earned herself the nickname "Sleepwalker."

in her defense, it was hard NOT to stare at her surroundings. It didn't feel like she was at a school, it felt like she was in some kind of fantasy city. Not only was the architecture on par with Canterlot Castle, but there were signs of futuristic tech everywhere. She didn't dare to take her phone out of her pocket after she caught sight of Ruby's "scroll." It was like a cell phone made out of pure glass capped with metal on either end, and it could somehow shrink down to a third of its size until only the metal caps remained.

"So... I've got this thing!" Ruby announced. With a series of clanks and whirs, the weapon she had been keeping strapped to her belt unfolded and expanded until it was a scythe nearly twice her size.

"WHOA!" Jaune shouted, jumping slightly as the tip of the scythe embedded itself several inches in the ground. Even Sunset was caught off-guard by the sudden change, her hand reaching for her saber. When the shock had worn off, though, her curiosity came back with a vengeance, and she began inspecting it as closely as she dared, trying to spot the mechanisms of how it worked. "Is that a scythe?"

"It's also a customizable, high-impact sniper rifle!" Ruby declared.

"Huh?"

"It's also a gun."

Sunset was nearly speechless. Nearly.

"That's INCREDIBLE! It has so much more volume once it expands, how did you do that without compromising the structural integrity? How do you use it without being just as dangerous to yourself, isn't the sharp part of the blade pointed towards you? How do you deal with the recoil of the sniper rifle? Is it heavy? Where did you get it?"

"Careful design, lots of training with my uncle, I usually anchor the blade in something, I'm used to it, and I built it myself!" Ruby was practically blushing at how much attention her weapon was getting. "What about you guys?"

"Well, uh, I've got this sword!" Jaune declared, drawing a long broadsword from his side.

"Oooo..." Ruby whispered.

"Yeah, a shield, too!" He reached down and took the sheathe from his belt. With a popping sound, it expanded into a full shield.

"Cool!" Sunset glanced closely at the sword. "So, what does it turn into?"

"Well, the sword is a sword, and the shield folds down! That way when I get tired of holding it, I can just make it smaller!"

Sunset and Ruby glanced at one another, clearly thinking the same thing. "But... doesn't it weigh the same?"

Jaune looked down. "Y-yeah."

"Well, I think they're pretty great!" Ruby chimed in. "Not many people have an appreciation for the classics!"

"Yeah!" Sunset added. "I mean, the sword and shield are timeless for a reason, right? Ultimate utility!"

"Besides, I'm kind of a weapons dork. I guess I did go a little overboard designing mine..." the two of them turned to look at Sunset expectantly. "What about you?"

"O-oh! Well, mine's more like Jaune's, it doesn't really transform at all." Sunset reached down for her lightsaber. The three of them all stared at the empty handle for a moment. Just as they opened their mouths to ask her for clarification, Sunset flicked the switch.

FSSSH! With the hiss of the air boiling, the blade of red light emerged, still bright even in the midday sun. Ruby and Jaune both stepped back, their jaws dropping at the sight. For a moment, she wondered if she had accidentally given away the fact that she wasn't from this world, and her entire body tensed up.

"That. Is. AMAAAAZING!" Ruby cried, mimicking Sunset's earlier excitement. "Is that some kind of plasma blade? Is it powered by dust? What kind of dust do you use? Does the blade have weight to it? How does it hold up against physical objects? How did you make it?" With her final question, Ruby grabbed Sunset's shoulders and shook her, demanding answers.

Sunset suddenly found herself on the receiving end of several questions she couldn't answer.

"I-I didn't make it, actually. I'm not even sure how it works! I'm still learning about it, to be honest..." she looked down at the blade, feeling somewhat intimidated by her own lack of knowledge. In all of the insanity of the Dalek invasion immediately followed by their kidnapping to Aperture, she'd hardly bothered to question it much. It was just there at her side, and that was all that mattered. "I... was with a friend, and we were being attacked. He picked up a sledgehammer, and I grabbed this without knowing what it was. It just... felt right. Like it was meant for me." She gave it an experimental swing, the hum of it passing through the air calming her nerves again. "I know it can cut through just about anything, and I used to to reflect an energy blast that would have killed him! But other than that, as far as I know it's just a sword with some really crazy cutting power." She shook her head. "He probably knows more about it than I do, to be honest! I wish he was here..."

"Oh... I'm sorry." Ruby muttered, stepping back. "I didn't mean to bring up any painful memories."

"What?"

"Your friend... If you don't mind me asking, what happened to him?" Jaune asked.

Sunset paused, the meaning sinking in. She switched off the lightsaber before stifling a laugh. "Pfft, he's not DEAD! Sorry, I guess I made that sound pretty dark! No, he just... didn't agree with me coming here, so he stayed behind. I miss him, but I'm sure he's fine!"

Both of her new friends sighed with relief.

"Well, being a Huntress has a lot of risk to it!" Ruby shrugged. "You're choosing to put other people before your own life! If he's your friend, I guess it makes sense he'd worry when you said you wanted to be one."

"Hmmph..." Sunset huffed and folded her arms over her chest. "I wish it was me he'd been worried about... It would be better than the stupid reasons he REALLY stayed behind."

"Well, you know... Guys can be weird about showing when they're worried about you." Jaune shrugged his shoulders. "If someone thinks they need to look tough, they'll usually say they're worried about everything EXCEPT what they're REALLY afraid of." He shook his head slightly and smiled. "I mean, I'd NEVER admit to my sister how much I worried about her when she left home, I'd never hear the end of it!"

"Hey, sorry to get off-topic, but..." Ruby took a moment to glance at their surroundings. "Where are we going?"

"I don't know, I was following you!"

"I was following Sunset!"

"I was following Ruby..."

The three of them paused to ponder their predicament.

"You think there might be a directory?" Jaune asked, putting his hand over his eyes and pretending to peer into the distance. "Maybe a food court? Some kind of recognizable landmark?"

Both girls snickered a little at his antics.

"Let's just go THAT way, it seems to be where most people are headed." Ruby declared, pointing towards the largest of the school's buildings.

The Shining Beacon

Together, the three of them made their way into an arena-like building where the rest of the students had gathered.

"Ruby! Over here! I saved you a spot!" a blonde-haired girl called, waving enthusiastically to her.

For a moment, Ruby's face lit up with recognition before turning back to the two of them. "Oh! Hey, I gotta go! I'll see you after the ceremony!"

In her pocket, Sunset felt her phone beginning to buzz.

"You are receiving a call from Elijah."

Sunset looked at Jaune as she shoved her hand in her pocket. "I'll be right back!" He stuttered some kind of response, but Sunset had to ignore it. She hurried back out of the room before finally picking up her phone. "Hey Penn, what's up?"

"Hey, Sunset! Good news: I've almost got the old tie rod out. After that, I'll have the rest of the day for making dinner! With all that time I should be able to make something special, any requests?"

Sunset felt a twinge of guilt. I guess Isis didn't tell him about the plan...

"Um, well, the thing is... I'm not coming back tonight."

There was a long pause, and Sunset could almost SEE the faces he was making through the phone as he processed the new information.

"I'm sorry?"

Sunset cringed slightly. She was still mad at him, but she was beginning to see just how little she had thought this plan through before jumping into it. "Isis... enrolled me at Beacon Academy. Whatever bad things are going to happen, I'm going to try to stop them from the inside."

There was the sound of what Sunset could only guess was a skull colliding with the underside of the Oldsmobile, then a long period of silence after that. Long enough for Sunset to pull her phone away to double-check that the call hadn't been dropped.

"Let me get this straight. Sunset, MY FRIEND... You decided to go enroll at a battle school for hunting monsters. Without telling me. While also leaving me in a forest full of those SAME monsters? His voice was quickly escalating to shriller and shriller pitches as a mix of panic and rage set in.

"O-okay, I'll admit I should have told-"

"And you also took... our ONLY WEAPON... WITH YOU?"

Sunset paused. "The lightsaber isn't our ONLY weapon, is it? What about the-" Sunset cut herself off before she mentioned the portal gun and opened herself up to correction. For all its utility, it was useless in a fight without a surface covered in moon rocks. "Well, what about-" she cut herself off again, remembering that Missy was the one carrying her own cards, now.

"I. Have. A. [BEEEEEP!] SOCKET WRENCH!"

There was a loud clatter before she was left listening to a dial tone.

"Isis... did you censor that?"

"Affirmative."

"Thanks."

For a few seconds, Sunset genuinely considered going back. Suddenly, she felt a lot worse about leaving Penn to fend for himself. "Isis, is he going to be safe out there?"

"It is a known phenomena that negativity attracts the creatures of Grimm. I shall do my best to protect him with the repair unit on hand, but his ability to keep a low profile will depend entirely upon his ability to control his mental state."

"In other words, it's really impossible to guarantee he'll be safe..." Missy added through her earpiece. I could go back for the night, but... Well, there's a 100% chance you're going to be in danger here. You're going to need me more."

Sunset glanced around, somewhat confused. "How am I in danger? It's a school, what could happen?"

"Well, tomorrow you're getting catapulted off a cliff without a parachute as your first training exercise."

It was Sunset's turn to take an excessive amount of time to process information.

"I'm WHAT?"

Isis couldn't help but note that it took a significant amount of time for Elijah to calm down again. Generally, his anger would be fervent, but short-lived. He described it as "burning itself out," an apt metaphor. This time, however, he seemed to cycle several times between calm and enraged, never fully resting for nearly an hour.

"I just... can't believe she thinks this is okay!" he stated from underneath the car. He had not emerged for 45 minutes and 37 seconds, a personal record for staying underneath the car without leaving for tools or fresh air. Isis was beginning to believe that he was staying in there despite a lack of productivity.

"I can assure you that she does not consider the situation acceptable. She merely did not realize the full repercussions of her actions."

"Exactly! We had one argument, and she left me for dead without a second thought! What kind of 'friend' does that?"

"You are exaggerating her actions to suit the narrative that you are the victim here."

"WHAT?"

"Sunset took what she was considering to be a moral stand to defend Beacon Academy, placing herself in peril without fully understanding the extent of the danger she would be in. A moral stand, I would add, that aligns with your actions in the past to save the planet together. Splitting the party was YOUR idea to exclude yourself from that cause. Despite appearances to the contrary, YOU left HER."

As he gathered his faculties for a counterargument, Isis picked up the sound of rustling leaves and snapping branches. She swiveled her head for a perimeter scan, picking up three instances of the werewolf-like creatures of Grimm known as Beowolves. Hulking, brutish pitch-black monsters with bony protrusions and fanged white masks fused with their canine heads. They were sniffing at the air, exhibiting the behavior congruent with catching the "scent" of negative emotions. In a fraction of a second, she had analyzed their assets and devised a tentative plan.

"Danger! Grimm sighted! Please retreat entirely beneath the car!"

"WHAT?"

"Three beowolves. Hide beneath the car, I shall attempt to draw them away."

Elijah's legs frantically kicked and turned, laying him completely under the car and out of sight. If the Grimm picked up on emotions utilizing the same orifice they used for picking up physical scents, Isis surmised that the scent of motor oil from the puddle he was now laying in would overpower all other scents, both literal and supernatural.

Step two was to draw them away from any lingering signs of his presence with a distraction. Her loudest tool in this unit was a spot welder in the tip of the tail, and she diverted a greater portion of energy to her central processor, causing it to glow bright pink and flicker on and off. With both auditory and visual distractions in effect, she took to the air and flew her way around each instance of Grimm to draw their attention. Dodging their swipes was child's play, and she soon had gathered the entire pack behind her to give chase. After one more lap around the campsite, she began to fly in the opposite direction of Beacon Academy. The minimum safe distance was unknown, so she would settle for either ten miles or when the monsters began to show signs of exhaustion, whichever came first.

Meanwhile, underneath the car, another integrated unit was engaged: Elijah's cellular phone. "Are they gone?"

"Affirmative. However, I would ask you to remain hidden until the repair unit can return and re-establish a perimeter of surveillance."

He gave a long sigh, but showed no signs of disagreement, even in the cramped and dirty conditions. "Well, since it LOOKS like we're going to be here for a while thanks to Sunset, I might as well catch up... Isis, bring up RWBY. Start with Volume 1, Episode 1, we'll see just how long I can marathon it until I can't stand it any more."

"Affirmative."

"Oh, and by the way, for someone who claims not to be taking a side, you're REALLY taking a certain somebody's side in all this..." he hissed under his breath.

"Negative. I am merely presenting facts in context."

"Right. Just start the stupid show..."

Stepping back into the auditorium, Sunset found herself fighting against a tide of other students leaving the room.

"Wait, is it over already?"

"I'm afraid so! The headmaster focused on keeping things brief," a chipper voice responded. Sunset turned, finding herself staring at another new face. This girl was tall, dressed in bronze armor and with the reddest red hair she had ever seen. Her weapon's colors matched, a circular bronze shield clipped to her back and a short red spear at her side. Despite her intimidating appearance, she gave Sunset a friendly smile. "I could fill you in on what you missed, if you like!"

"Thanks, I'd appreciate that..." Sunset chuckled and rubbed at the back of her head. "I got a call from a friend of mine that I just HAD to take, but it didn't really end well. This first day is a real roller coaster." She held out her hand to the girl. "I'm Sunset Shimmer."

The other girl happily took her hand in a bone-crunching handshake. "I'm Pyrrha, Pyrrha Nikos!"

Penn's words came rushing back to the forefront of her mind. Penny? Dead. Pyrrha? Dead. Torchwick? Dead.

This girl... is going to die?

Pyrrha seemed to notice Sunset's trepidation, as her happy expression faltered for a moment. "I'm sorry... is something wrong?"

Sunset blinked and shook her head. "No! Sorry, just- I thought your name sounded familiar, that's all!"

"Oh! Well, I hope my reputation hasn't given you any reason to worry?"

Sunset shook her head, forcing her aching hand vigorously up and down to make up for the bad impression. "No! Not at all, it's a real pleasure!" The enthusiastic handshake seemed to reassure Pyrrha, who gave her another warm smile.

"Well, all that you missed was an... interesting speech from the headmaster, and the announcement that we'll all be sleeping together in the ballroom tonight before initiation tomorrow!" She smiled and gestured around to the mass of students exiting together. "Until then, the rest of the day is our own!"

Sunset nodded to herself before a thought sunk in. "Oh no! I didn't bring my sleeping bag! And I don't think I'd be too welcome to go get it right now..."

"Well, I suppose if you need it, you could borrow one of mine! I brought a spare!"

"Really?" Sunset was surprised at the sudden kindness from this girl she had just met. "Are you sure?"

"Oh, it's no trouble at all!" Pyrrha reassured her. "If you still need it, come find me later tonight!" With that, she gave a small wave and turned to leave.

Sunset couldn't find it in her heart to believe anyone would want this girl dead. It just... didn't make sense! She needed to know more. Luckily, she knew how to get more information quickly.

"Hey, Pyrrha, one more thing-" Sunset reached out and tapped on her shoulder, this time reaching out with her magic.

It was like watching a montage of battles, one after another. Every single one was a victory for Pyrrha, dominating the competition. Tournaments, monsters, it didn't matter what she was fighting or why, she would always give it her all, and her all was enough and more to win. She could see a city by the sea filled with people who adored her, urging her to attend the schools of their choice when she was nearing the end of her training, but she already had one in mind: Beacon Academy. Sunset could see the fame and renown that came with constant victory, photo shoots, endorsements, people recognizing her as the untouchable warrior... and the distance it put between her and the rest of the world, with her reputation far outpacing her ability to meet and connect with people.

Pyrrha Nikos was practically invincible on the battlefield, but a gentle soul who couldn't seem to connect properly with others. Sunset found herself only more confounded, now not only failing to understand why someone would want to kill her, but how it could be done at all.

And then she was back in the present, Pyrrha giving her the odd look that people usually gave her when she was done "zoning out" to read a memory.

"Yes?"

"I... I just wanted to ask if you had any plans for the rest of the day? Because I'd really appreciate having a friend to hang around with."

Pyrrha pondered the question for only a moment before giving Sunset an positively radiant smile. "Of course! I would be happy to have your company, Sunset!"

The rest of the day consisted mostly of hanging around Pyrrha as they explored the campus of Beacon Academy. Occasionally she would spot Ruby or Jaune and give them a friendly wave, but each of them were too involved in their own business to join them. Not that she minded. Pyrrha was plenty of company, herself. As the day went on, however, Sunset couldn't help but rely more and more on Isis to answer questions.

"So, Sunset, where are you from?"

"Vacuo. It is a desert region populated by nomadic tribes."

"Vacuo. I was part of a tribe there..." she paused for a second. "I hated it there, refused to pick up on any of the local slang or customs. The first chance I had to get out, I took without looking back."

"You... you stole Penn's Texas backstory!" Missy snickered in her ear. "Smooth!"

"Vacuo can be a harsh environment, but... could you really hate your home THAT much?" Pyrrha looked at her with a mix of concern and curiosity. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to pry!"

Sunset waved away her concerned. "Don't be. I could fit everything I needed in the trunk of a car, so why worry?"

"Everything except a sleeping bag?"

The two of them shared a chuckle at that.

"The only regret is... that I lost track of most of my friends." She let out a long sigh. "And the one that I've been traveling with, I think I might have just alienated by choosing to come here."

"That phone call that you said didn't go so well?"

"Yeah. That was him." She shook her head. "But- he wants to just live and let live, like the way things are going to be is set in stone and doing anything to change it would be a crime! But I can't just stand by while people get hurt or die knowing I could have done something!" She shook her head.

Pyrrha nodded, looking up at the tower at Beacon's center. "A lot of people think that destiny is something immovable, unchanging. Personally, I don't see it that way. I don't think destiny is something inescapable, it's more like a goal, something you strive towards that you set for yourself. And if you give everything to make it happen, you are what makes it an unstoppable force."

"I... think I like that better than Penn's way of thinking."

The rest of the day passed quickly, and soon everyone had retired to the ballroom, where there was a veritable sea of sleeping bags and pajamas spread across the floor. Thanks to Pyrrha's generosity, she was soon trying to scope out a place of her own to lay down a sleeping bag. Thankfully, she found an open place next to a familiar face and black bow.

"Hello again, Blake! It's good to see you!"

Blake, who had her nose buried in a book, looked up briefly before giving her a nod of acknowledgement.

"Sunset."

She remembered my name! That's a good sign, right?

"What are you reading, if you don't mind me asking?"

"It's... a book about a man with two souls, both of them fighting for control over his body. I'm really enjoying it."

Sunset picked up on the less-than-subtle hint that she wanted to be left to her reading, but decided to ignore it. "You know, that sounds a lot like another story I heard about from a friend of mine. It's got a bit more of a sci-fi twist to it, though. He never published it, but if you want, I could try to get the manuscript for you."

An unpublished manuscript. It was the kind of offer that would usually have Twilight drooling. Blake seemed somewhat more resistant to the temptation, but she lowered her book ever-so-slightly to look directly at her. "That's... awfully nice of you."

"Ah, think nothing of it!" Sunset unrolled her sleeping bag in the empty space beside Blake. "It's the least I can do after you helped show me around."

"I left after five minutes." Blake narrowed her eyes slightly.

"Well, I did say it was the LEAST I could do." Sunset smirked as she slipped halfway inside the sleeping bag.

"HELLOOOOO!"

Both of them looked up to see a girl with long gold-colored hair strutting towards them with Ruby in tow. She gestured to the smaller girl, who did not look happy to have been dragged along. "I believe you two may know each other?"

"'Sup, Ruby?"

"Hey, Sunset..."

Blake finally seemed to give up on reading, placing a small bookmark and closing the cover. "Aren't you that girl that exploded?"

"Uh, yeah!" Ruby reached out for a handshake. "My name's Ruby, but you can just call me 'Crater...' uhh... actually, you can just call me 'Ruby.'"

"Okay..." Blake replied, clearly unsure what to make of the situation.

After waiting a moment, Sunset reached out and took her hand to give it a quick shake so her new friend wasn't left hanging. "I don't think Blake does the whole 'handshake' thing."

"What are you doing?" the gold-haired hissed.

"I don't know, help me!" Ruby replied.

"Sooo... I'm guessing you're Blake," she pointed correctly at her target, "And YOU must be Sunset!"

"That's right!" Sunset's smile was a little forced. Just as she had managed to start to get through Blake's tough exterior, this girl's overbearing personality had shut her right down again.

"Well, I'm Yang, Ruby's older sister!" She looked between the two of them before turning back to Blake. "I like your bow!"

"Thanks..."

"It goes great with youuuurr.... pajamas!"

The compliment was shallow and clearly thought up on the spot. It was clear that she was trying to break the ice while standing on a glacier.

"Riiight." Blake reached over to her book, cracking it back open again. There was a moment of awkward silence between the four of them where she and Ruby exchanged knowing glances. Sunset silently mimed opening and closing a book with her hands while nodding towards Blake, trying to send Ruby a clue.

"Nice night, don't you think?" Yang continued, showing all the social finesse of a bear overturning a kitchen table covered in bowls of porridge.

"Yes, it's lovely," Blake replied. "Almost as lovely as this book." She paused there to wait for the hint to set in. It didn't. "That I will continue to read..." Yang continued looking expectantly at her, clearly missing or ignoring the point. "As soon as you leave."

"Yeah, this girl's a lost cause..." Yang muttered, turning towards Sunset. Just before she could make another attempt to brute-force a conversation with her new target, Ruby finally spoke up for herself.

"What's it about?"

"Huh?" Blake looked up one more time, her attention barely snagged by the new voice.

"Your book! Does it have a name?"

"Well, it's about a man with two souls, each fighting for control over his body."

"Oh yeah... that's real lovely..." Yang rolled her eyes, but Ruby stepped forward, looking eager to hear more.

"I love books. Yang used to read to me every night before bed. Stories of heroes and monsters... They're one of the reasons I wanna be a huntress."

"Why is that? Hoping to live happily ever after?" Blake replied. Sunset suspected that this was the most engaged the girl in black had been in a conversation all day. Sunset smiled wider and settled into her sleeping bag, content with her small role in helping make the connection between the two.

"Well, I'm hoping we all will!" Ruby replied. "As a girl, I wanted to be JUST like those heroes in the books! Someone who fought for what was right and protected people who couldn't protect themselves!"

Blake lowered her book more, setting it face-up on her lap. "That's very ambitious for a child. Unfortunately, the real world isn't the same as a fairy tale."

Real world? Oh Blake, if you'd seen the things I've seen... Sunset thought to herself with a huff and a smirk.

"Well, that's why we're here! To make it better."

"Oooh! I'm so proud of my baby sister!" Yang reached over and grabbed Ruby, picking her up off the ground in a massive bear hug. Ruby instantly began to kick and squirm in opposition.

"Cut it out!"

What ensued was a short-but-noisy brawl between the sisters. Sunset and Blake glanced at one another, each confounded by the sudden violence. Sunset shrugged as if to say "Must be a sibling thing," and Blake nodded in reply.

"Ruby, Yang, it's a pleasu-"

Seemingly out of nowhere, Weiss appeared, looking as furious as usual. "What in the world is going on over here?" Don't you realize some of us are trying to SLEEP?" After a moment, she and Yang locked eyes, apparently recognizing one another.

"OH, NOT YOU AGAIN!" they shouted in sync.

"Shh! Guys, she's right, people are trying to sleep!" Ruby interjected, inserting herself between the two of them.

"Oh, NOW you're on my side!"

"I was ALWAYS on your side!"

As the argument grew more heated, Sunset watched Blake roll her eyes, set down her book, and pick up their light source: a three-candle candelabra.

"Yeah, what's your problem with my sister? She's only trying to be nice!"

"She's a HAZARD to my health!"

Blake blew on the candles, extinguishing all light and decisively cutting the argument short.

"Well, at least SOMEONE around here appreciates a good night's sleep!" Weiss's voice muttered in the dark.

"Oh, go sit on a glacier, Ice Queen..." Yang's voice replied.

"How DARE you!"

"Can we please all just go get some sleep for tomorrow?" Ruby's voice begged.

With the unmistakable non-sound of several pouts that Sunset was sure were there, the three sets of footsteps walked away, punctuated by the occasional indignant squeak of someone being stepped on. Sunset was relatively certain at least two of those squeaks were Jaune. After a few seconds of sitting in silent darkness, however, a thought came to mind.

"Hey, Blake? Can I borrow your book? I like to read a little under the covers sometimes to help me relax..."

There was a sound of shuffling in the dark, and Sunset felt the hard covers of a book being pressed into her hands.

"Don't lose my place."

"Got it! Thank you, Blake!" she whispered before pulling her phone out of her pocket and the sleeping bag over her head. With the light of her phone's screen, she opened to the first page.

Long ago, someone decided to coin a phrase to substitute for the term "indecisive": Being "of two minds" about things. Indeed, the human mind and soul could be said to be at odds with one another on many an occasion in an individual's life, and even within these camps there are many an opposing view. Emotion grapples with logic, love with fear, the needs of the many and the needs of the individual, all are "two minds" that a man must keep in one soul.

It was these hundreds of twos that paralyzed Oliver on a daily basis, locking him in place at even the smallest of decisions. This, however, was to be only the start of his problems-

Her reading was interrupted by a sudden change in the light, flashing on and off. She quickly picked it up, only to realize Isis had been silently letting her know she had a call coming in. She swallowed hard as she saw the name on the caller ID: Penn. She took a deep breath and tapped the button to accept the call.

"Heeeey, Penn..." she whispered, trying not to make enough noise to escape the sleeping bag.

"Fine."

Sunset blinked, feeling like she was missing something, here. "Fine?"

"Fine, I'll help you." His tone was somewhere between a growl and a sigh of defeat. "You're going to need help to survive Beacon, anyway."

Missy's voice came through at a full shout, nearly deafening the ear Sunset was keeping the communicator in. "BOO YAH! The Man with the Plan is ON BOARD!"

Sunset could scarcely believe her ears. "You- you mean it?"

"But I'm not going to promise results in the end, and when I say you're in over your head, I need you to PROMISE that you'll pull back! It's not worth my time to pass info on to you if you're going to just blow it off because you think you know better!"

Sunset sighed, but nodded.

"Fine... why the change of heart?"

There was a long pause, only hearing the sound of his breathing. "I... had to spend a few hours under the car. HIDING under the car, I mean, not fixing it. Pretty much until nightfall. Turns out, being as mad as I was was like a magnet for every Grimm in a ten mile radius... Unfortunately, in that small of a space, your thoughts really tend to echo hard. I knew it was wrong to yell at you the way I did, even if you did kinda screw me over... Sorry for that, by the way. Guess I'm just scared. Scared of the kind of trouble you can get into without me around, scared of- Anyway, as Isis was eager to point out, YOU were the one who was still trying to save people, and I was the one who changed. So, I'm going to follow your lead. You're the moral compass this time, Sunset.

Sunset's vision blurred as tears began to flow. "I- I'm sorry, too. When you told me something I didn't want to hear, I just assumed you were being selfish. I used it as an excuse to do what I wanted and... how long were you hiding under the car?"

"Doesn't matter."

"He is still underneath the car."

"Tattletale."

"And you've been stuck hiding under the car all this time because I didn't have the common sense to leave you with a way to protect yourself!" she shook her head. "That wasn't fair to you, and you had every right to be upset with me for it."

"Look, if that's how you feel, do you want to just say we both messed up, call it good and go back to working together in the morning?"

"Please?"

"Deal."

Missy jumped in again on her earpiece. "The gang's back together, time for a reunion tour! Glad you finally made up your mind on this, Penn."

Penn replied with a soft chuckle. "You know me, Missy. I'm of two minds about everything: I still think this is a bad idea and we should just get out of here. I'm just forcing that part of me to defer to Sunset."

Sunset felt a chill run down her spine as her eyes flicked back up to the book. That phrase... It has to be a coincidence, right?

"OH, OH!" Missy continued (Sunset could practically hear her hopping up and down with excitement), "There's four of us now! That means we're a team, just like in RWBY! What should our team name be?"

"We'll work that out later, Missy. Sunset, we've all got a big day ahead of us tomorrow, so get a good night's sleep, okay? I gotta go."

"Night, Penn!"

"Nighty night!"

And with that, the call ended. Sunset looked up at the book one more time before closing it and sliding it out to the general area she knew Blake was sleeping beside her. The call had done a world of good to ease her nerves, and sleep came easily now...

Except for when she remembered what Missy had told her would be coming tomorrow.

The First Step

Unfortunately, the morning's preparations flew by too fast for Sunset to even realize what was happening around her. All she could think about was what was coming. Before she knew it, they had all assembled at the top of a cliff overlooking a large forest. Soon after that, she was airborne, high enough to see the entire forest, right up to her goal: a ruined temple several miles from the school.

Of course, for the moment, her current goal was simply to survive her landing.

Her stomach, heart, and several other various organs rose up to her throat as she descended, watching the treetops rush up to meet her.

"For your safety, please cover your face as you enter the canopy."

It took all of Sunset's self-control to understand and respond to Isis, but she raised her arms up in front of her head just in time to keep out a flurry of leaves and branches that whipped past her. Immediately after, she felt several sets of hands under her, and her fall came to a gentle stop. When she lowered her arms, she found herself looking as Missy's piano-key wings wrapping around from behind her. A quick glance revealed Ghostrick Lantern's and Ghostrick Witch each riding on their own magical broomstick and holding on to one of her legs.

"Gotcha! See? Told you we'd be right here!" Missy cheered. "Isis, your calculations were spot-on!"

"Th-thanks, guys..." Sunset stammered as they lowered her to the ground. There wasn't any strength left in her knees, causing her to drop to the forest floor.

"Nice job, girls! You're a braver woman than I am, Sunset, I can't STAND heights!" Penn added in her ear. "Well, I mean, I'd be a less brave MAN, but you get what I was going for."

"After this experience, I think you're on to something with not liking heights..." Sunset muttered, still trying to collect herself. Lantern and Witch both gave a short salute to Missy, then waved goodbye as they evaporated away. After almost a full minute, she had gathered up enough strength to stand again. "So... the mission."

"The relics the headmaster asked you to retrieve are approximately three miles to your eleven o'clock."

Sunset oriented herself according to Isis's instructions and began walking. To her surprise, Missy didn't appear beside her, and after a moment of searching she realized that the duel spirit had vanished. "Missy? Where-"

To her surprise, Missy's voice came through the earpiece instead of speaking to her directly. "Ozpin's got cameras all over this forest to monitor the students! If he sees me, the best case scenario is that he'll think you cheated by getting outside help!"

"And the worst case would be that he figures out you're not exactly from around here." Penn added. "The LAST thing we want is Oz-pinhead getting involved with our interdimensional time-bending antics."

"He didn't seem that bad to me..." Sunset replied, keeping her voice lower now that she knew she was being watched.

"He's a Dumbledore-type manipulator, training kids to do his dirty work with blind loyalty, even sending them to their deaths while withholding any information that might compromise their perfect view of him." Penn said, making no effort to disguise the disdain in his voice. "Trust me, Sunset, he's one you want to avoid."

"Didn't you say you stopped watching this series three seasons in? Are you sure you have all the info about this guy? those are some pretty heavy accusations."

"I caught up last night. Re-watched everything from the beginning. Surprisingly, people were right: it started improving again somewhere between seasons five and six. Never as good as it was, though. Still a six out of ten at best."

Sunset paused for a second. "Wait, you watched six seasons of a show in one night?"

"I... was hiding under the car for a LONG time."

"Affirmative. He slept under there, as well."

"It's definitely one way to wake up bright and OILY in the morning."

"UGH, Penn! That was awful!" Missy groaned.

Sunset snickered to herself, as terrible as the pun was, it was good to have Penn back. There was one thing bothering her, though. Their mission in the forest was two-fold: to retrieve a relic from the temple on the other side of the forest, and form 4-person teams that would be training together for the rest of their time at Beacon Academy. Specifically, the headmaster had said that the first person they made eye contact with would be their partner for the next four years.

"Well, I wrote it down on paper, and when I looked at it I knew it was TEAR-ABLE..."

"UUUGH!"

"Hey, guys, can we focus for a sec? What about the whole 'partners and teams' thing?" Sunset rolled her eyes. "I mean, I know that I'm enrolled, but I'm not going to be here FOUR YEARS."

"That... is a very good question. Unfortunately, if we let the chips fall where they may, you're probably going to wind up in a position where you can't do much. I asked Isis to keep you on a path away from where other students are projected to have landed, but we need to come up with a plan fast."

"I already made a few friends, if that helps!" Sunset began counting on her fingers. "Ruby, Jaune, Blake, and Pyrrha! I wouldn't mind being partnered with any of them!"

"...okay, you see... what you've done there is befriend half of the main cast, and if you wind up partnered with any of them, you'll be splitting up the main characters' teams, so that's a solid N.O."

"Oh... Okay." Sunset couldn't help feeling slightly crestfallen. She had actually been hoping to wind up with at least ONE of them, especially Pyrrha.

"Listen Sunset... This isn't going to be easy, and things aren't going to go your way all the time. You're not going to be on a team with the main characters. This is a COMBAT school, it's not going to be like CHS."

"Penn, I know what I'm signing up for-"

"I don't think you DO, Sunset! You're on maybe the fourth or fifth episode of the first season right now. Beacon didn't fall until the end of season THREE. None of the major players arrived there until season TWO. If you do this, you're signing up for at least a full SEMESTER of classes here, if not two or three. That's MONTHS out of our search for your friends! If something goes wrong, the area around Beacon is going to be CRAWLING with Grimm from then on, we might not even be able to make it BACK to my world! Are you really prepared to do that? To make that commitment?"

THAT was enough to make Sunset stop in her tracks.

"If we leave, let this world play out the way it should, then yes, there will be tragedy, but SCRIPTED tragedy. I know it sounds callous to say, but all the right people will survive to keep this story going intact. They'll keep moving towards their happily ever after, even if it's a long and winding road. If we stay, then we introduce variables that we'll have to take responsibility for, throw EVERYTHING off. I want you to understand what you're truly offering this world.

It's not just your life you're risking, it's the lives of everyone you've met so far AND our whole MISSION to reunite the Rainbooms."

Sunset looked down at her hands. She wondered just how much responsibility they could carry.

"I'm telling you this because you're about to cross the point of no return. If you finish initiation, you'll- WE'LL- be a part of this, no going back."

Sunset felt another one-ton weight fall on her shoulders as she remembered that Penn wasn't just guiding her from some easy place of safety where he could just binge-watch TV all day. She wasn't about to repeat her mistake of failing to take him into account.

"What about you? I mean, if I stay, what are you going to do?"

"Stay here, of course! I'm in a forest, maybe Isis and I will build a log cabin together, it'll be romantic@ It'll need a garage, of course, I'm not going to leave Sylvia expos-

"Penn, quit joking. Seriously, what will you do? You can't just camp out in the forest for months while I'm at this school!"

"Says who? This universe has some of the coolest weapons tech in the multiverse, I'm sure Isis and I could get something together under the radar I could use to protect myself! Look, we're traveling buddies, I'm not going to walk away. What I'm going to do doesn't matter, you need to make this decision for yourself, and this time I'm going to be behind you one hundred percent."

Sunset took a long, shuddering breath. Penn was right, she really didn't know what she was signing up for until now.

"You know... if you'd told me that before yesterday, I might have seen your point. I might have agreed that we can't afford to waste this time on a small chance of making things better." She closed her hands into fists. "But I met Pyrrha. I met Blake and Ruby and Jaune and saw how amazing this world IS... And if this is a world where people like them have to suffer and die, then..." She looked up and redoubled her pace, setting herself back on the path to the ruins. "Then I'm going to CHANGE destiny, even if that means putting my own search on hold! My friends can take care of themselves, and any one of them would do the exact same thing in my position. How could I look them in the eyes when I find them if I just let these awful things happen?"

On the other end of the communicator, Sunset heard Penn chuckle to himself. "Of course you will. Because you're a superhero. You know, between the pastel ponies and the friendship rainbows, I keep forgetting that."

"Did you forget who saved the world from an alien invasion, saved me in Aperture Science, AND defeated an Egyptian god? We're BOTH superheroes!"

"We'll leave that up for debate, but thanks."

Before Sunset could argue with him, there was the sound of an explosion in the distance, followed by a plume of black smoke. Sunset didn't hesitate, taking off at a run in the direction of the trouble.

Whatever happens or whoever I wind up with, I'm still going to do this!

It didn't take long for Sunset to close in on the source of the noise.

"Ruby and... Weiss?"

The two girls were standing back to back, surrounded by monsters Sunset could only assume were the "Grimm" creatures Penn had mentioned. They were terrifying, unlike anything she had ever seen. Pitch-black bodies covered in pale plates and spikes of bone and glowing red eyes. They were hulking brutes that looked like they would tear the girls to shreds in a heartbeat.

"There's so many of those monsters..."

"Oh, this is that time Weiss set the forest on fire!" Missy chuckled.

"This is where she and Ruby become partners!" Penn added. "They get caught by a pack of beowolves and wind up having to run to escape the fire. They'll be fine, Sunset."

On cue, Weiss grabbed Ruby by the arm and the two of them began running for an opening in the wolves' ranks. Sunset's blood ran cold, however, as they were cut off by a new creature. Ruby took up a defensive stance against the new monster while Weiss fought the wolves single-handedly. Weiss looked to be using some kind of magic to great effect, throwing the monsters around and blasting them with elemental shocks, but Ruby couldn't seem to break out of the defensive stance she'd been forced into.

"What about the jellyfish monster?"

"What? Sunset, there's no-"

"It's a flying jellyfish with a black bell and barbed red tenta-"

"SUNSET, GET IN THERE NOW!"

Sunset didn't need to be told twice, the fear in Penn's voice was enough to set her at a dead sprint towards the two girls. With a flick of her thumb, the lightsaber was out and humming as it tore through the air. The wolf creatures didn't even get a chance to notice her presence before Sunset had torn a path through them from behind. The saber was surprisingly easy to wield, even if she did feel a little clumsy as she swung it from side to side to cut down the monsters. The blade itself was weightless, and the bodies of the monsters gave almost no resistance as she sliced through them. If she weren't seeing the results with her own eyes, she could have believed she was just imagining the weapon in her hands. In a matter of seconds, she had reached the two.

"Get out of the way! What are YOU doing here?" Weiss asked, barely missing Sunset with another icy blast. Sunset resisted the urge to fire back a sarcastic comment and lunged straight past her to join Ruby's side. She tried to make the most of the element of surprise and swung directly at the orb-shaped head of the creature, but one of the tentacles was faster. It looped around her wrist and jerked her hand upwards, causing her to harmlessly miss. As her arm followed through on the motion, she pulled back just before decapitating Ruby by accident. A second later, a flash of metal flew by and Sunset found her arm freed. With a hard yank, Ruby pulled her back and away from the monster. The blade of her scythe was moving constantly to bat away the tentacles, but unable to reach the main body. Thankfully, the blade of the weapon was wide enough to cover both of them safely.

"WOAH! Sunset? What are you-"

"Looked like you needed some backup! What IS that thing?"

"I don't know! It just came out of nowhere- WAH!" Her head jolted to the side as she dodged a barbed tendril that had poked through her defense. "I can't keep this up forever! Think you can take it out?"

Sunset looked down at her saber and realized an important fact: she had no ranged options. And Ruby said her weapon is a sniper rifle, which means she needs MORE distance! Our only mid-ranged fighter is-

"WIESS! Tag out!"

"WHAT?"

Sunset rolled her eyes and reached behind her, grabbing Weiss by the shoulder and pulling her away from her fight with the beowolves. In an instant, the two of them had swapped positions, and Sunset was staring down eight of the bulkier monsters. When the first one jumped at her, Sunset didn't hesitate to counter with a swipe of her blade that cut its head neatly in half.

"Now THIS is a little more my speed..."

The monsters came at her in waves, first two, then three, then two again, but every time Sunset's lightsaber ripped them apart as if they were made of tissue paper. Soon, she was staring down the last of them. Framed against the light of the burning forest behind it, she noticed that it was bigger than the rest, with long, bloodstained claws. It stared at her with hungry eyes, but it didn't rush in like the rest had. For a moment, the two of them locked eyes, two foes regarding each other and sizing up their opponent. Must be the alpha... Sunset smiled and raised an eyebrow. Those claws looked fearsome, but this thing was clearly outgunned.

This time, SHE took the initiative. She began to jog, then to run, then to sprint. The beowolf did the same, settling into a four-legged run. The two of them kept locked on one another. When the distance between them was nearly gone, the alpha leapt into the air, pouncing on her claws-first.

Exactly the way Sunset had expected. She dropped to the ground, letting her momentum slide her knees-first through the grass. She gripped her saber with both hands, swinging it directly over her head.

To the monster's credit, it was the first time she'd actually felt any resistance while cutting through one of these things. A second later, two even halves of the creature landed behind her, split cleanly down the center.

Sunset knew the fight wasn't over, though. As soon as it was dead, she jumped back to her feet. She dug her sneakers into the soil and began sprinting back to Ruby and Weiss. Thankfully, it seemed that the two of them had it well in hand.

Each of the creature's tentacles was being held fast by a black, snowflake-shaped glyph, and Ruby had the top of her scythe placed against the back dome.

"I've never seen a Grimm like this before, have you?" Weiss asked. Ruby simply shook her head.

"That's because it SHOULDN'T be here!" Penn's voice hissed through the earpiece. "There's no way, no REASON for a Seer Grimm to be at Beacon!

"Well, I guess we're lucky Sunset showed up when she did, huh?"

"LUCKY? She nearly tore my arm out of its socket!"

Sunset rolled her eyes and patted Weiss on the shoulder. "You're welcome. Now let's get rid of this thing, huh?"

That was when Sunset felt it: a deep unrest. A knot in the pit of her stomach that left her unsettled. The distinct feeling that she was staring into a crystal ball, and something powerful and malevolent was staring right back at her. I have a bad feeling about this-

Her hand moved without thinking, grabbing her saber and flicking it on. At the same time, she spotted a flicker of motion from behind the smoky orb. She swung the blade upwards, slicing the last tentacle as it whipped at Ruby's head. The white barb at the tip went whizzing by like a bullet, narrowly missing Ruby's left eye. All three of the girls jumped with surprise, and a second later the monster's body exploded as Ruby fired her rifle point-blank. As the remains of the creature dissolved away into ashes, Ruby gave her a thankful look.

"Wow. You have REALLY good reflexes. That could have been the end of my eyes! I owe you one."

"Okay, I'll admit... that was impressive." Weiss conceded. "If you wanted to stay with us, I wouldn't be ENTIRELY against it."

Sunset felt like the praise was misplaced, that had NOT been reflex. It had been something like a premonition. Both actions had happened at the EXACT same time, like she'd known about it just a few milliseconds before it was going to happen. It's like what happened when I first used the saber, back when I saved Penn on the dalek ship!

"D-don't worry about it! That's what friends are for, right?"

"Sunset, I don't know what's going on, but you should stay with them."

"First of all, Sunset, that was the coolest thing I've ever seen. Second, Penn, could you repeat that?" Missy whispered in fearful tones.

"I said that I don't know what's going on, so Sunset should-"

"You DON'T know what's going on?"

"That is what he said, yes."

"Sunset?"

"H-huh?" Sunset snapped back to the present, where Ruby and Weiss were staring at her.

"I said we should get moving before this fire finishes what the Grimm started!" Ruby pointed behind her, where the fire was continuing to spread.

Sunset blinked, then nodded. "Good idea. Lead the way, Ruby..."

In her ear, however, Sunset heard Missy continuing to whisper.

"Guys... did we just commit to this and then IMMEDIATELY lose our tactical edge?"

The Black Queen sat upon her throne, staring into the swirling mist of the Seer she'd been watching through before she'd been so rudely cut off. She pondered the last image she had seen: three girls standing where two should have been, one a complete stranger wielding a sword of light. Her hopes to remove the largest obstacle to her plans subtly were dashed now.

"Well, it looks as if new players have entered the game..." she hummed to herself. "This could be... frustrating."

"Would you like for me to deal with her, my Queen?" a voice snickered, dripping with anticipation. Sending him would be like swatting a fly with a firecracker: noisy, messy, out of control, and a clear announcement of their presence.

"If we rush our movements any more than we already have, then there will surely be an error made someplace down the line by some fool. For now, it is our opponent's turn. A few unaccounted-for variables do not mean the end of our plans. We can be flexible." She smiled and dismissed the Seer with a wave of her hand before turning back to her followers. "For now, we wait for this 'Sunset' girl to show exactly whose pawn she is."

She and Ozpin had been playing chess for centuries. Any other opponent would be like an infant stumbling across the board and kicking pieces haphazardly into places they didn't belong. She wasn't worried. But she was intrigued.

Someone out there knew enough to enter the game, but didn't know enough to realize they never should have done so.

Author's Notes:

Consider this a heads-up: Classes start in two days, so expect updates to slow down.

However... MULTIVERSE GOT FEATURED! So that's worth celebrating, and has put a significant amount of wind in my sails!! Thank you all for reading and commenting and just every way you engage with the story! Believe me when I say I wouldn't still be here on FIMFiction without your encouragement!

This little stress-relief project has become one of my favorite stories I've ever written, and I'm looking forward to many more adventures to come! Trust me, we're only on Arc 4, and I have... a LOT more than 4 in my planning document. A LOT.

-Pennington Inkwell

(P.S. Every chapter title has been some form of hidden reference, can you figure them all out? Some are obvious, others are more obscure!)

The Repressed Nerd, The Voice of Reason, and the Ultimate Wing-Bot

Logic was still screaming in the back of his mind. Or was that Fear?

Ah, both. In harmony.

Made nice background noise as he worked. It wasn't the only background noise, however, as he heard a significant portion of what was happening on Sunset's end of the communicator.

"What are you DOING, you DOLT?"

"Sorry, Weiss!"

"Since when are there LANCERS in this forest?"

Lancers: wasp-like Grimm approximately two meters in height, capable of launching barbed ropes from their abdomens. They first appeared in the episode "Dread in the Air," where they were dispatched by an older Weiss Schnee riding in the back of a flying cargo ship. No crippling weaknesses that would be worth breaking Sunset's concentration to tell her. It was entirely possible that there was a much larger, more dangerous queen somewhere in the area.

Yet another Grimm to add to the list of "things that shouldn't be here but are."

Logic and Paranoia screamed a little louder. Screamed about the fact that they shouldn't even be here, screamed that they were in mortal peril every second they stayed. Screamed about paradoxes and black holes and Grimm attacking him while he had no weapons. Screamed about the entire world collapsing around them.

Penn reached back in his memory, slamming a certain door on both of them with a video byte.

Yes, thank you for your input. Now, could SOMEBODY help me figure this out?

He felt the familiar presence of the voice of Reason at his back. Why the initiation is ten times more dangerous?

No, how I'm supposed to fit BOTH ends of the tie rod in at once- OF COURSE WHY THE INITIATION IS MORE DANGEROUS!

Okay, first of all, don't get sassy with me! Reason chided. Second, you STILL haven't gotten the tie rod in, so are you sure about that? Isis TRIED helping you and you turned her down...

Penn physically rolled his eyes at that. Yes, because I'll never learn how to repair this kind of stuff if I don't do it myself! Without Sunset and Missy around to be smug to, all he could do was chatter with himself until he got a headache. Isis was great for calming himself down, but her banter needed work. Banter helped him think. Thankfully, he'd spent a LOT of time learning to like being alone with his thoughts. They had a good sense of humor, even if a bit overbearing at times.

And when you were having both sides of the conversation, the banter was excellent.

Priorities. Sunset's safety first. And her safety depends on figuring out why things are different than we remember watching.

Do we HAVE to make Sunset our top priority? I mean, without you I don't exist. That's a two-to-one ratio of people dying if you die versus Sunset dying!

Penn knew that the ability to give an abstract concept in his own head a death glare was tenuous at best, but he managed it regardless.

Fine! Fine! Sunset comes first. Geez. So why would there be more Grimm here? What if we're just seeing things that got cut out? Even the narrative perspective isn't omniscient.

Possibly, but that doesn't explain the seer. We KNOW that wasn't there the first time around. From what we HEARD, it was targeting Ruby's eyes in its attacks.

Just like how Maria Calavera was targeted by bounty hunters for HER silver eyes!

The silver eyes: a mysterious plot device that the show hardly explained. Ruby Rose had silver eyes, indicators of a special power residing in her that served as the antithesis of the Grimm. It was hard to gather any concrete data on, even a former proficient user described it more artistically than objectively as "reflecting the light of the world." It produced a bright light that destroyed minor Grimm and petrified major ones. It appeared to manifest in moments of extreme distress for Ruby, first appearing-

-at the fall of Beacon. Reason finished the thought. Pyrrha's death was the inciting incident, awakening the protective instinct that triggers the silver eyes.

Great. The Seers work directly under Salem, usually being controlled by her. That means-

Salem knows about Ruby's silver eyes three seasons earlier than she should. Reason continued.

Yeah, could you stop interrupting me? Otherwise I'll just go back to talking to Isis.

Fine! You certainly don't listen to me on a day-to-day basis, why would I expect otherwise when YOU come to ME?

Penn blinked several times, feeling slightly guilty.

Sorry. Let's just focus. Salem knows about Ruby's silver eyes. How?

His train of thought ran into a brick wall as Reason ripped the tracks out from under it. Wrong question. Sunset is with Ruby, so focus on her future, not the big bad's past. Salem knows about Ruby's silver eyes. What does she do next? Send more dangerous Grimm specifically after her. When that fails, what happens?

Penn grimaced and shook his head. Man, I hate RTS. Hold on... He considered the situation, then rephrased it in a way that was easier to wrap his head around. He closed his eyes and pictured himself in a dark room. There was a table. Game mats. Cards. He rested his hand on his deck and looked down at the field: it was already set, mid-duel when he arrived.

"Ruby: effect monster. Attack position. Her effect activates in three turns, crippling the majority of Salem's monsters that battle against her. Sunset: effect monster, attack position. Can save Ruby from destruction, but a limited number of times. What would we do in Salem's position?"

Reason settled down across from him, glancing over her side of the field: a full five monsters of varying levels and power. The most direct way would be to keep attacking. Exhaust Sunset's ability to protect Ruby by sheer numbers. She reached down and nudged the monster cards forward one at a time, indicating attacks. The first one, the seer, exploded and dissolved away beneath her fingertips. Immediately it was replaced by another monster. They both looked to the upper corner of the field. Penn made a gesture to the card and Reason nodded, allowing him to pick it up.

"A field spell: Evernight Castle. Salem's base of operations. Of course, the pools of dark essence allow her to keep spawning Grimm. However, even Salem has a limited number of cards in her deck. When we last saw the pools they were nearly empty." He looked over to his opponent's deck, only to find it blurry and impossible to make out the details of. There was no way to know how many cards, how many ASSETS, she had to work with.

That's unquantifiable. Reason countered. She could produce any number of Grimm, you have no idea how many, even with limited resources. We're dealing with swarm tactics. Think like we're dealing with a pendulum deck.

Penn groaned inwardly. He HATED pendulum decks. If the game hadn't been absolutely broken by synchro and Xyz summoning, pendulum summoning had been the true death of any remaining balance in Yu-Gi-Oh.

"But she targets her swarms very carefully, she still can't overwhelm by sheer numbers. And..." he looked past the row of attacking monsters, spotting a completely filled back row of spells and traps. "We have no idea what she HERSELF is capable of. She tried to make herself a new god when the rest of this world lost their magic, remember?"

Reason peered down at the field, stroking her chin. Unknown quantity of monsters that she can throw at us, a full backrow, AND a field spell that can keep the monsters coming. She literally could not have more field advantage without-

"If you say the words "Link Summon" I'm going to have an aneurysm."

Am I wrong?

"No, but the metaphor doesn't stretch that far."

He looked back at their field and drew the top card off of the deck. It was a picture of himself, cramped into the space under his car and covered in motor oil.

"The Everyman." He hummed to himself. He looked down, noticing a pair of trap cards of their own. One was already face-up: "Forewarning." When a monster would be destroyed, flip a coin. If heads, that monster cannot be destroyed this turn. If tails, this card has no effect.

Why the coin flip? You've had a 100% success rate at warning Sunset in the past!

Penn shook his head. "My information has gaps at best and is outright wrong at worst. We figured that out today." He flipped the other trap face-up to read it. "Ghostrick Go-Round... of course. Missy CAN run interference, but it would mean exposing her and putting her out on the field."

He sat there for a long time, considering both perspectives, the bad guys' side of the fight and theirs. It felt woefully unbalanced.

There's one other thing the metaphor didn't cover.

"What?"

The light expanded, revealing the table to be larger than he had first thought. Penn realized he was sitting on the inside of a wide crescent. Four more playing fields appeared flanking his opponent, all directed towards him.

"Right... Salem's generals. Generals? Subordinates. Goons?" Penn struggled for the right word as he tried to take in four more opponents. Four more strategies, and he would need to defend against them all with what little of a deck and field he had. "If I had my own deck, I might be able to hold up for a few turns against this kind of barrage, but... we're barely going to survive the next play." He gripped the bridge of his nose and squeezed, hoping it would the dispel the fog forming in his brain from trying to find a way out of what seemed like an impossible situation.

Aside from Salem, Cinder Fall is the most dangerous of the rogues' gallery. She's as ruthless and power-hungry as they come. Reason stepped over, gesturing to the field directly to Salem's right. And her two ace monsters-

Penn felt a kick at his leg, and the snap back to reality felt like somebody had punched his brain in the face. All the physical sensations of his body rushed back to him at once as the visualization was ripped away from him when his eyes reflexively shot open and flooded his brain with mismatched visual information. From one instant to the next, his entire world was back to reality.

"Hey, buddy, you okay down there? Get run over in the middle of the woods, or something?"

Penn stiffened, realizing that he was no longer alone. The location they were at was so remote, he hadn't taken into account the possibility that anyone could find them. He had no cover story.

Well, do what you do best, make up a story! Reason urged him on. With no small amount of trepidation, he began to worm his way out from under the car, forcing himself to take on a carefree tone.

"Not run over, ha! If I was, then I wouldn't have to worry about fixing this beauty any more!" As he finally emerged back in daylight, his breath caught in his throat.

Standing above him were two figures he recognized. One was a young man dressed in shades of gray and silver, with a tight-fitting jacket and black pants, topped by shaggy gray hair. The other was a brown-skinned woman with green hair and blazing red eyes. While her legs were well-protected by a pair of brown chaps over white shorts, her top left very little to the imagination, leaving her midriff and arms exposed, as well as a large window over the top of her chest. What drew his attention more, however, was the pair of thick gun stocks he could see poking out from either side of her waist.

Logic and Fear put their hitherto-unknown editing skills to good use, gracing Penn with a skillful montage of the dozens of ways they could kill him right now.

Mercury and Emerald... Cinder's top henchmen.

He forced himself to smile, noting that he had to do so with his eyes. He had to convince them that he didn't recognize them. If they know that I know, they're not going to let me know that they know that I know until it's too late for knowing they know that I know to do me any good!

I KNOW! Reason replied, being notably unreasonable in her volume.

"Beauty? Are you sure about that?" Emerald tilted her head. "This thing looks ancient."

Right, this world's tech is more advanced. Of course Sylvia would stand out...

"She's an antique! There's a certain elegance to older designs, you know?" He pushed himself up onto his feet and offered his hand for a handshake. The two of them gave the offered gesture a critical look, and Penn realized that his hand was still covered in grime and oil. He quickly crouched down to grab one of his towels and clean his hands. "RIGHT! Sorry!"

"Well, they DO say beauty is in the eye of the beholder!" Mercury offered a smile Penn knew was almost certainly either forced or for any reason EXCEPT what it appeared to be.

"Exactly!"

"Still, odd place to bring an antique. These woods aren't known for being gentle." Emerald countered, with a gesture to the area. Mercury nodded and began to walk away, examining the campsite in greater detail. Penn swallowed loudly, his mind trying to determine if there was anything about the campsite that could give away their true origin.

Like, I don't know, the INTERDIMENSIONAL PORTAL a few yards behind the car?

"Well, anything for a little peace and quiet..." Penn chuckled. "Besides, camping's no fun without an element of risk!"

"Not surprising you ran into trouble, though." Emerald stepped over and knocked her foot against one of the raised front tires. "It doesn't look like this car was built for off-roading."

"Oh! What's this? A fancy firestarter?"

Before he could come up with a convoluted reason for a four-door sedan to be in the middle of the woods, Mercury emerged from behind the car, holding a familiar object in his hands: the portal gun. Penn's blood ran cold as his mind grasped at straws. He knew he had to say SOMETHING, and his mouth fumbled over words that Reason had most certainly NOT stamped with approval.

"Tha-tha-that's... none of your business," he whispered, dreading what kind of response he would get from it. The two intruders gave each other glances that were a mix of faked surprise and smugness.

"Well, if that's the case, I suppose I should give it back..." Mercury held the the item out towards Penn, only to yank it back when he reached for it. "It's fascinating, though! Almost looks like Atlesian tech, don't you think, Emerald?" He tossed the device to her, which she easily caught in one hand.

"You know, I think you're right! Plus, I can definitely make out a barrel, and this is certainly some kind of trigger..."

The familiar hum of the gun sprung to life as Emerald switched it onto its orange setting. She casually gestured towards him with the gun, pointing it at his chest. Penn raised his hands up in a surrendering position out of instinct, even if he knew the gun wouldn't do anything to him unless he was made of moon rocks. Both of them raised an eyebrow and smiled.

"Now, why don't you tell us what you're REALLY doing out here?"

Penn opened his mouth to respond, only for a silver blur to shoot by them at high speed, and the portal gun was gone. Emerald's hands were on her guns in an instant, and Mercury fell into a battle-ready stance, but a cursory glance told Penn that the cavalry had arrived. The blur came back around, revealing itself to be a small metal dragon gripping the gun with all four claws. She dropped the Aperture device into Penn's hands before settling on his shoulder, glaring at the intruders.

"Unauthorized access to the Aperture Science Handheld Quantum Tunneling Device is disallowed."

"Thank you, Isis." Penn reached up with his free hand and gave her a stroke along the back of her head. After a moment, he leveled his best death glare at the intruders. "As for you two, I'm afraid you just outstayed your welcome. We'll have to insist that you find your own campsite." He pointed to the array of sockets and other tools laying in the red grass. "I've got a lot of work to do."

Emerald's grip on her guns tightened, and Penn wondered if he had overplayed his hand. Her temper was mitigated by Mercury's hand on her shoulder.

"We were just curious, bud. If you wanted us gone, you could have just said so. We've got an appointment with our boss, anyway. Right, Emerald?"

The girl looked as though she was about to argue with her friend for the sake of recovering her dignity from Isis's sneak attack, but his reminder seemed to win out over her temper. "You're right, Mercury." She let go of her guns and the two of them turned away from the car and began to walk out of the campsite. Just before they vanished back into the trees, however, she turned back to look at him. Her blood-red eyes seemed to pierce right through him, sending a chill of fear straight into his soul. "Don't say we didn't warn you that these woods were dangerous."

And with that, they were gone. Or, at least, he THOUGHT they were gone.

Almost every well-trained individual in this universe possessed a "semblance," a personalized superpower. He knew hers was extremely dangerous: Hallucinations. She could alter any person's sensory input to whatever she wanted. It seemed to be limited to single or small groups of individuals before it tool a heavy toll on her body, but it was extremely potent against a lone individual.

"Isis? Are we alone?" he whispered beneath his breath.

"Affirmative."

He finally let go of his breath, grasping at his chest to try and slow down his pounding heart.

"Forget what I said about wanting to learn by doing, we need to get the car moving NOW."

Reason finally chipped in again now that the moment she'd been overriden by Panic had passed. And add two more things to the list of "Things That Shouldn't Be Here."

"So... he knew who we were."

"Obviously. Did you see just how scared he was?" Mercury chuckled to himself. "He looked ready to piss his pants."

"Still, that weapon was interesting. Wish I could have seen what it did." Emerald sighed as she lamented the lost opportunity. "What was it called? A 'Quantum Tunneling" thing?"

"I was more interested in that little robot. That little thing could MOVE!"

"Whoever made it was trying too hard to make it cute. We're going back, right? He CLEARLY has something to do with why we're here."

"Well, that's all up to Cinder, isn't it?"

MEANWHILE

It was a long and tiring road, but with Ruby and Weiss's help and a lot of clever teamwork, the three of them had fought their way through the forest and made it to the ruins they had been instructed to find. Admittedly, Ruby DID have an idea that would have gotten them there much faster, but luckily a two-to-one vote had been enough to shoot down the idea of hitching a ride on a gigantic bird monster called a "Nevermore."

It seemed as if they weren't the only ones who had been slowed down, though. As they emerged into the clearing, Sunset spotted Blake and Yang picking up their relic from one of the many pedestals, which meant they had only just arrived. Nearby, another girl whooped and hollered with glee as she rode on the back of a bear-like Grimm, which collapsed soon after arriving. She was being followed by a boy dressed in green, who looked thoroughly exhausted by his partner's antics.

"Looks like this is taking longer than we thought it would..." Ruby muttered. "Anybody spot a partner for Sunset, yet?"

Sunset rolled her eyes. "Ruby, I told you, I'll be FINE. I'll probably pair up with some other straggler. Come on, let's get that relic."

"But you're too good to wind up without a partner just as talented as you are!" Ruby whined, clearly more concerned about Sunset's future than she was.

"Her form with that sword is sloppy at best and crude at worst. She's got natural talent, but she'll need a LOT of training before I'd call her skilled," Weiss countered, once again balancing out her optimistic partner.

"HEY! You could afford to be a little nicer, Weiss! She saved YOUR life, too!"

"Not half as many times as I saved yours! You're only slightly more finessed than she is!"

Sunset rolled her eyes and strolled up to the ruins, glancing over the pedestals and discovering what exactly it was that they had been sent to retrieve. "Chess pieces?"

"Affirmative. Ruby Rose and Weiss Schnee will take the White Knight, as will Blake Belladona and Yang Xiao Long. Jaune Arc and Pyrrha Nikos will take the White Rook, as will Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren."

"Aw, Pyrrha and Jaune wind up being partners? That's sweet..." she whispered as a smile spread across her face. She hadn't been able to speak directly to any of her traveling friends while she was around Weiss and Ruby, and the three of them had tended to stay quiet during the fighting aside from the occasional warning of incoming danger. It felt reassuring to know they were still there. She scooped up the White Knight piece before tossing it towards her new friends.

"Ruby! Catch!"

Somehow, despite showing incredible battle prowess and almost-inhuman levels of agility earlier, Ruby was struck squarely in the forehead by the oversized chess piece. It bounced off of her head and back into the air while she fell to the ground. Weiss was quick enough to snatch it, examining it while Sunset made her way back.

"Chess pieces?"

Sunset shrugged. "I used to have a teacher who really enjoyed chess. She would always tell me it was one of the oldest games ever played. I rather enjoy it, myself. Did you know that there are more unique ways a game of chess can play out than there are electrons in the known universe? Ten to the one hundred and twentieth power!"

"Well, it IS a scholar's game." Weiss smiled to herself, the kind of smile that Sunset had learned she'd managed to bring a compliment back around to herself. "Perhaps after all of this, we could sit down for a match. I could probably teach you a thing or two."

Sunset smirked a smirk that quickly seemed to melt through Weiss's self-assured pride. "Well, my old teacher was VERY good. Maybe we could both learn something." Sunset felt a hand on her shoulder. When she turned around, she found herself face to face with Blake, who had a smirk of her own.

"Glad to see you made it in one piece."

Sunset's first instinct was to hug, but she forced it back down. Blake was cool and aloof. "Touchy-feely" wasn't her thing. Instead, she restricted herself to looking Blake straight in her gold-colored eyes and returning the smile.

"You, too."

"RUBY!"

"YANG!"

Just as the two sisters were about to embrace, the girl who had managed to ride on a giant bear popped up between them. "NORA!"

Before anyone could question where "Nora" had come from, their attention was drawn by the sound of distant screaming from above them. Sunset could only watch, flabbergasted, as Jaune's distant form sailed over their heads before landing in the trees above them with a grunt followed by a long groan.

"Did he just fall out of the sky?" Blake asked.

Before anyone could answer THAT question, the other side of the clearing exploded as Pyrrha came sprinting into the clearing. Behind her was a massive armored scorpion-like Grimm with a glowing stinger. She was only barely keeping ahead of it, dodging through snapping claws and around strikes from its tail.

"Did she run all the way here with a deathstalker on her tail?" Blake asked.

Once again, any hope of an answer for Blake was cut off as a pair of gigantic flying Grimm came into sight. One was a super-sized version of the wasp-like monsters called "Lancers" that they had fought earlier, and the other was-

"HA! I TOLD you the nevermore was headed this way! I was RIGHT!" Ruby gloated, seeming to have forgotten that the assembled monsters were almost certainly here to kill them.

There was the sound of a distant impact, and Pyrrha came crashing to a rough landing in front of the group. I guess even she can't dodge forever... Sunset thought to herself as she bent down and offered a hand. "You okay, Pyrrha?"

"I'll be fine..." she groaned as she staggered back to a standing position. "Where's Jaune?"

"Up here..." Jaune whined as he dropped down from the branches.

"Great, the gang's all here! Now we can all die together!" Yang cheered sarcastically.

Ruby's grip on her scythe tightened, and for a moment it looked as if she was going to do something reckless. A particularly loud buzz from the lancer's wings, however, seemed to put a bit more sense into her. "We're NOT going to die, but we're not getting out of here without a fight, either. I have a plan."

Sunset grabbed her lightsaber and switched it on. The crimson blade certainly inspired more confidence in her than it had at the start of the day. "We're all ears, Ruby."

"Our mission isn't to fight every single Grimm we can find, it's to retrieve the relics and get back in one piece. Me, Weiss, Blake, Yang, and Sunset already have ours. We can run interference to distract them while everyone else gets in and out quickly, then we can make our way back to the school as a group." She cast a grateful glance back at Sunset and Weiss. "There's safety in numbers."

The rest of the group all looked around at each other, trying to spot any signs of opposition to the plan. Blake seemed uncomfortable, but she didn't speak any complaints. Yang was practically beaming with pride for her younger sister. Weiss had her arms crossed over her chest, but couldn't seem to muster up any ire, for once.

"Okay. The moment we have our relics, we'll come back to this point." Jaune nodded before turning to the girl who had surprised them. "Nora, you can use your grenade launcher to signal when we're ready, right?"

"You betcha!"

"Alright, it appears we have a plan. Stay safe, everyone." Pyrrha added.

With a nod and a point of her finger, Ruby led her team in a charge towards the scorpion-like deathstalker, instantly drawing the gaze of the two flying monsters towards them. As Sunset ran straight into danger, she forced down the feeling of her heart wanting to leap into her throat.

This was the moment of truth. Do or die.

"Hey, Isis, can you grab the 17 millimeter socket for me?"

"Affirmative."

"I think... we're just about finished!"

"Affirmative!"

"In that case... let's hit the road before Mercury and Emerald come back and most likely kill me!"

"I'm sorry, did you say 'Quantum Tunneling Device?'"

Doctor Arthur Watts was a smart man. Clever, even. Salem would never call him "brilliant," his ego was near-unbearable already. But he was smart enough to know when to and when not to speak. So when he purposefully interrupted Cinder's report, Salem simply gave him a warning in the form of an angry glance.

"Forgive me, your grace, but this could prove quite intriguing. If such a device were to exist, we may be capable of harnessing it for our own purposes." He gestured with his hand, as if asking for permission. Salem rolled her eyes, but nodded, giving her blessing for him to continue talking. "Such a device would, in theory, be capable of manipulating sub-atomic particles in a way that could, for all intentions, alter physical space and matter, itself! Properly utilized, it could prove invaluable in aiding our infiltration of key locations, making it exponentially easier to do so!"

Salem knew he was right, it was rare that he ever said anything out loud without thinking it through well enough to know he was. However, Arthur was also a little too quick to jump onto new subjects of study for her liking. She had tried taking shortcuts many times over the many, many years she had been alive, and more often than not they were either ineffective or too costly to be worth using.

What was more intriguing to her was the appearance of another strange individual with unfamiliar technology in a key position for her plans. From what Cinder's subordinates had reported, it appeared that he commanded at least one other intelligent creature, which meant he was in a position of some authority. There was no way that this was a coincidence with the appearance of "Sunset Shimmer."

"Bring the boy to me. Alive. And bring Arthur the device you spoke of. I want to know what he knows and where he came from."

On the other side of the seer, Cinder smiled. "Consider it done."

"Zzzzzzz..." Missy snored.

"Well? I'm not a fan of teamwork, so this is a limited time offer."

He considered his options. He had to admit, this she-demon made a convincing offer, and the world DID appear to be going mad, if the screams outside were anything to go by. Not that he cared, all of the people out there could burn, they deserved it.

Plus, she was hot, in every sense of the word.

He held out his hand to her, ready to strike the deal. "Alright, I'm in. Partners."

He winced in pain as she reached down and took hold, her skin hissing and letting off steam as it made contact with his. She didn't appear to feel a thing, her smile growing wider as the shape of her claws was burned into the back of his hand.

"First things first, you're going to need some power to go with that knowledge of yours." She raised her hands over her head, the purple gem in her crown beginning to glow with power. He quickly held up his hands, motioning for her to stop.

"THAT won't be necessary." He reached into his bag, retrieving a thick notebook. "If universes really ARE bleeding over, I already know a few that I would be HAPPY to bleed dry."

Outside, the sounds of roaring and fire grew louder, but he knew what was most important: He was in control.

"After all, I MADE them."

"Ay, Penn?"

Penn rolled his eyes as he picked up his phone. "Dimmi tutto."

"Ho bisogno di te posso evocarti?"

Penn shook his head as he peered into the darkness. "Oh... Non adesso, Missy. Sto cercando il sole."

"Benne allora trovalo e metti il simbolo di evocazione," Missy stated dismissively.

"Oh mi piacerebbe ma non riesco a trovarlo..." Penn muttered.

There was a slight pause. "Che significa 'non riesci a trovarlo'?"

"Non riesci a trovarlo, è tutto buio." Penn squinted his eyes, trying to see any sign of light in the murky blackness.

"Che significa 'tutto buio'?" Missy asked, beginning to sound irritated at Penn's usual antics.

"Significa che è tutto buio!" Penn repeated, emphasizing the important point.

"ALLORA VAI VERSO LA LUCE!" Missy shouted, her voice sounding nearly deafening as it came out the other side.

"Ok! Ok! Non c'è bisogno di ulare!"

From Missy's side of the conversation she could hear hasty footsteps. After about a minute, the footsteps came to a stop.

"É ancora buio!" Penn declared.

"CHE SIGNIFICA 'ANCORA BUIO'?" In a rare moment of waning patience, Missy's voice was becoming a shrill screech.

"Ancora tutto buio!"

"ALLORA VAI NELLA PROSSIMA AREA!"

There was another pause and the sound of more footsteps.

"É ANCORA BUIO!" Penn shouted, now every bit as frustrated as Missy was becoming.

Sunset reached up and switched off her earpiece. Seriously, with how much those two tended to shout, it was a wonder she hadn't gone deaf by now.

"So, uh... what are we gonna do with him?" Applejack asked.

It was a good question, considering the person in question was currently curled up on Sunset's bed, rocking back and forth with his knees pressed to his chest. "I'm in a cartoon, I'm in a cartoon, I'm in a cartoon..."

"Well, according to my calculations-" Princess Twilight started, only to be cut off moments later by her doppelganger.

"OUR calculations- or is that the same thing in this instance?" Sci-Twi mused.

"Anyway, it looks like two derivative instances of the Elements of Harmony firing off on either side of a dimensional barrier caused a resonance cascade! One that resulted in a complete pan-dimensional breakdown of the barriers between worlds!"

"And, APPARENTLY, he was forcefully sucked through those dimensional barriers until he wound up here."

Applejack blinked in surprise as she tried to process what she was being told. "Are you tellin' me that he's from another whole WORLD?"

"Like an ALIEN?" Rainbow Dash asked enthusiastically.

"Well, his DNA is definitely human, although there are some key differences. It seems that the diversity of traits this subspecies can express is much narrower than the dominant species of our world, mostly determined by the concentration of a handful of pigments."

"I'm in a cartoon, I'm in a cartoon, I'm in a cartoon!"

"I mean, it was clearly something he should NOT have been conscious for, he's in extreme shock. Also, apparently, where he's from, our universe is seen as some kind of cartoon..." Princess Twilight added.

"It makes sense that, in an infinite multiverse, there would be some world where a cartoon matches our world. It actually validates an old thought experiment involving an infinite number of monkeys and typewriters!"

"Forget thought experiments! We've got conclusive proof of the existence of the multiverse! Just wait until Princess Celestia hears about THIS!"

"PFFFT, I coulda toldya THAT!" Pinkie scoffed.

Sunset raised her hand, grabbing both Twilights' attention. "Wait... so does that mean it's OUR FAULT he's here?"

Silence dropped like a stone as the Rainbooms all looked at one another.

"I guess that means it's up to us to get him back home, huh?" Applejack declared.

"Well, it would certainly be the responsible thing to do..." Rarity mused. "Though if he's from another dimension, that's a tall order, even for us!"

"What do you mean?" Rainbow Dash added. "Don't you remember the friendship games? Equestrian magic can open portals to other worlds all the time!"

"Unfortunately, that's the PROBLEM!" Princess Twilight exclaimed, rubbing at her head. "Our magic didn't just open a way into one other universe, it opened them ALL! As in INFINITY!" she pointed to their unwilling guest. "And a sample of his hair showed dimensional signatures from at least twenty different worlds!"

Sci-Twi shook her head. "He was sent on QUITE the journey! Honestly, the odds of him winding up here, or even of HIM specifically being drawn here, are, well, INFINITE! He has to have some kind of connection to us, somewhere in the infinite multiverse..."

The rest of the Rainbooms all glanced at one another, then at the young man still rocking back and forth on Sunset's bed.

"Well, we DID have the tour bus all set up for a long trip, didn't we?" Rainbow asked. "Come on! Road trip across the multiverse, this is gonna be AWESOME!"

"!EMOSEWA eb annog si siht ,esrevitlum eht ssorca pirt daoR !no emoC" .deksa wobniaR "?ew t'ndid ,pirt gnol a rof pu tes lla sub ruot eht evah DID ew ,lleW"

.deb s'tesnuS no htrof dna kcab gnikcor llits nam gnuoy eht ta neht ,rehtona eno ta decnalg lla smoobniaR eht fo tser ehT

"...esrevitlum etinifni eht ni erehwemos ,su ot noitcennoc fo dnik emos evah ot sah eH !ETINIFNI ,llew ,era ,ereh nward gnieb yllacificeps MIH fo neve ro ,ereh pu gnidniw mih fo sddo eht ,yltsenoH !yenruoj eht ETIUQ no tnes saw eH" .daeh reh koohs iwT-icS

"!sdlrow tnereffid ytnewt tsael ta morf serutangis lanoisnemid dewohs riah sih fo elpmas a dnA" .tseug gnilliwnu rieht ot detniop ehs "!YTINIFNI ni sA !LLA meht denepo ti ,esrevinu rehto eno otni yaw a nepo tsuj t'ndid cigam ruO" .daeh reh ta gnibbur ,demialcxe thgiliwT ssecnirP "!MELBORP eht s'taht ,yletanutrofnU"

"!emit eht lla sdlrow rehto ot slatrop nepo nac cigam nairtseuqE ?semag pihsdneirf eht rebmemer uoy t'noD" .dedda hsaD wobniaR "?naem uoy od tahW"

"!su rof neve ,redro llat a s'taht ,noisnemid rehtona morf s'eh fi hguohT" .desum ytiraR "...od ot gniht elbisnopser eht eb ylniatrec dluow ti ,lleW"

.deralced kcajelppA "?huh ,emoh kcab mih teg ot su ot pu s'ti snaem taht sseug I"

.rehtona eno ta dekool lla smoobniaR eht sa enots a ekil deppord ecneliS

"?ereh s'eh TLUAF RUO s'ti naem taht seod os ...tiaW" .noitnetta 'sthgiliwT htob gnibbarg ,dnah reh desiar tesnuS

.deffocs eikniP "!TAHT aydlot adluoc I ,TFFFP"

"!SIHT tuoba sraeh aitseleC ssecnirP litnu tiaw tsuJ !esrevitlum eht fo ecnetsixe eht fo foorp evisulcnoc tog ev'eW !stnemirepxe thguoht tegroF"

"!sretirwepyt dna syeknom fo rebmun etinifni na gnivlovni tnemirepxe thguoht dlo na setadilav yllautca tI .dlrow ruo sehctam nootrac a erehw dlrow emos eb dluow ereht ,esrevitlum etinifni na ni ,taht esnes sekam tI"

.dedda thgiliwT ssecnirP "...nootrac fo dnik emos sa nees si esrevinu ruo ,morf s'eh erehw ,yltnerappa ,oslA .kcohs emertxe ni s'eh ,rof suoicsnoc neeb evah TON dluohs eh gnihtemos ylraelc saw ti ,naem I"

"!nootrac a ni m'I ,nootrac a ni m'I ,nootrac a ni m'I"

".stnemgip fo lufdnah a fo noitartnecnoc eht yb denimreted yltsom ,dlrow ruo fo seiceps tnanimod eht naht reworran hcum si sserpxe nac seicepsbus siht stiart fo ytisrevid eht taht smees tI .secnereffid yek emos era ereht hguohtla ,namuh yletinifed si AND sih ,lleW"

.yllacitsaisuhtne deksa hsaD wobniaR "?NEILA na ekiL"

"?DLROW elohw rehtona morf s'eh taht em 'nillet uoy erA" .dlot gnieb saw ehs tahw ssecorp ot deirt ehs sa esirprus ni deknilb kcajelppA

".ereh pu dnuow eh litnu sreirrab lanoisnemid esoht hguorht dekcus yllufecrof saw eh ,YLTNERAPPA ,dnA"

"!sdlrow neewteb sreirrab eht fo nwodkaerb lanoisnemid-nap etelpmoc a ni detluser taht enO !edacsac ecnanoser a desuac reirrab lanoisnemid a fo edis rehtie no ffo gnirif ynomraH fo stnemelE eht fo secnatsni evitavired owt ekil skool ti ,yawynA"

.desum iwT-icS "?ecnatsni siht ni gniht emas eht taht si ro -snoitaluclac RUO"

.regnagleppod reh yb retal stnemom ffo tuc eb ot ylno ,detrats thgiliwT ssecnirP "-snoitaluclac ym ot gnidrocca ,lleW"

"...nootrac a ni m'I ,nootrac a ni m'I ,nootrac a ni m'I" .tsehc sih ot desserp seenk sih htiw htrof dna kcab gnikcor ,deb s'tesnuS no pu delruc yltnerruc saw noitseuq ni nosrep eht gniredisnoc ,noitseuq doog a saw tI

.deksa kcajelppA "?mih htiw od annog ew era tahw ...hu ,oS"

Penn puffed out his cheeks, letting out a long sigh as he stared at his laptop.

Word count: 3419. Yeah, that meets my requirements and then some.

"Let's see... We saw Sunset, Penn, Missy, Salem, a couple joke universes, some ominous foreshadowing, a what-if timeline... Anything else I could add?" He took a peek at his messages in Discord, noting no change from the last ten times he looked. "I REALLY hope this running gag is as funny on paper as it was in my head..."

Blake and Yang threw Blake's ribbon across the gap between the two pillars just in time for Ruby to land on it, stretching the elastic out farther than ever before and anchoring it with one of Weiss's glyphs. Just as per the plan, Sunset took her cue and jumped in beside her, crossing her saber with Ruby's scythe.

"You've got the piercing power, I've got the wide cutting edge. You ready?"

"You bet..." Sunset smiled. Even sitting inside a giant slingshot, she wasn't worried about being flung into the air this time. As long as had her teammates with her, she knew she was safe. Ruby turned back to Weiss.

"Think you can make the shot?"

Weiss rolled her eyes. "Pfft. Can I?"

"... Can you?"

"OF COURSE I CAN!"

Ruby's eyes narrowed, carefully watching their opponents. "NOW!"

With a sweep of her rapier, Weiss reversed the glyph, launching them forward. The two of them soared through the air, sweeping through their first target with ease and slicing through the Queen Lancer right where the thorax met the abdomen. Sunset's saber pierced the armored hide with ease, and Ruby's scythe was just wide enough to completely sever it in one blow. That wasn't all, however, as their momentum carried them all the way through and past it...

Straight into the Nevermore.

Ruby's scythe caught it just under the chin, carrying it with them and pinning it to the cliff face. Sunset planted her feet against the rock, feeling another of Weiss's glyphs anchor her down. She and Ruby glanced at one another, then nodded. Together, the two of them used Weiss's gravity-altering glyphs to run straight up the cliff, dragging the giant bird along with them by the throat. Ruby's sniper rifle fired over and over, each burst of recoil sending them higher and higher as their blades dug deeper and deeper into the creature's flesh. Just as they reached the top of the cliff, the entire head finally severed from the body, and they both flew into the air. Ruby continued to fly upwards, finally landing on the top of the cliff, her scythe expertly planting itself in the ground behind her back. Sunset flew up... then down again. Then past the top of the cliff. The last she saw of the top was Ruby turning around, fear in her eyes as Sunset dropped out of sight.

"SUNSET!" Ruby ran to the edge, staring down in horror.

"H-hey, Ruby..." Sunset stuttered, gripping on her lightsaber with both hands to keep it embedded in the rock. "Could you lend me a hand?"

"Well.... That was a thing..." Yang mused as she watched her sister help Sunset up to the top of the cliff.

"It was pretty intense..." Blake replied.

"Tell me about it!" Weiss whined. "I feel ready to collapse! I knew Beacon was going to be a step up, but today's trial was nearly beyond my skills!"

"Feels like the kind of epic battle they would write books about, right, Blake?"

Blake looked to her new partner, her smile pointing out that her attempt to connect was appreciated.

"Well, it would certainly have made an exciting chapter. I don't know about an entire book."

Author's Notes:

For those curious about Penn and Missy's Italian dialogue, check out the source here! It seriously keeps me in stitches every time I watch it!!

Roses are Red, RWBYS are, too

"Russel Thrush, Cardin Winchester, Dove Bronzewing, Sky Lark: The four of you retrieved the black bishop pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as... Team Cardinal, led by Cardin Winchester."

Sunset wasn't sure how, but she was more nervous NOW than she had been in the forest facing those monsters. All around her, students were applauding and cheering as the four-person teams were assembled and named by the headmaster. Just like Isis had told her, the partnered pairs were being matched by which chess piece they had collected, but there was a major problem:

Sunset didn't have a partner. Or a chess piece.

She'd been so worried about the monsters, she'd completely forgotten to grab one for herself after she'd given one to Ruby and Weiss.

"Jaune Arc, Lie Ren, Pyrrha Nikos, Nora Valkyrie: The four of you retrieved the white rook pieces. From this day forward, you will work together a... Team Juniper, led by Jaune Arc."

Sunset smiled and clapped a little harder, happy to see her new friends succeed. It didn't stop her from laughing when Pyrrha's friendly punch on the arm completely knocked Jaune over, though.

This was it. Nearly every student had been assigned to a team, but Sunset knew at least four who hadn't. If she was going to be put on a team, this was the moment.

"And finally, Blake Belladonna, Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, and Yang Xiao Long..."

Sunset felt her heart break a little as what was left of the familiar faces marched up to the stage without her.

"The four of you retrieved the white knight pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as... Team Ruby, led by... Ruby Rose."

Yang immediately pounced on her sister, and Sunset worked up the enthusiasm to add a cheer of her own to the crowd's applause.

I guess failing initiation means... I didn't make it?

Just as the reality of going back to Penn with her tail between her legs began to set in, she felt a firm hand grasp her shoulder. Looking up, she found herself staring straight into the bespectacled eyes of the headmaster's assistant.

"Miss Shimmer, the headmaster would like to have a word with you once the assembly has wrapped up. Would you come with me, please?"

Sunset swallowed loudly as she realized that there was another reason she might not have been assigned to a team: what if she'd been found out?

Professor Ozpin's office was at the top of a long elevator ride, and Professor Goodwitch (which Sunset had remembered was her name after Isis had whispered it in her ear) had been nerve-rackingly silent the entire time. Her worry was washed away for several minutes when the doors of the elevator opened, washed away by awe. Ozpin's "office" was huge, large enough to be living quarters on its own if it were divided into sections. Huge windows gave an easy view of the entire campus and the area beyond, and the "ceiling" was an array of turning cogs and gears that made it look as if they were sitting in the center of a giant clock.

Sitting beside a wide desk as the Headmaster, himself, staring at her above a pair of small black sunglasses. Didn't we leave the assembly BEFORE him? He was still dressed in the same formal attire she had always seen him in, an open suit and vest over a button-down shirt, all in shades of green and black. He motioned to a seat in front of his desk, which Sunset dutifully took. Sunset noticed that he looked like a man who was constantly deep in thought, as though that was his default state of being.

"Good afternoon, Miss Shimmer."

Penn's warning came back to the forefront of her mind. "The last thing we want is Oz-pinhead involved with our interdimensional time-bending antics!"

"Good afternoon, Headmaster." It was a response as stiff and nervous as she was, trying to make certain she gave away nothing she shouldn't.

Somehow, her response got a chuckle out of the man, who shook his head. "Please, to my students I am merely another professor, someone whom I hope they can learn from, given time. 'Professor' is fine." He reached under his desk, retrieving a large thermos and pouring a portion of the contents into his coffee cup. After a sip, he gestured towards her with the thermos. "I'm sorry, would you like some?"

Sunset shook her head. "No thank you, Professor."

He nodded before placing the lid back on and sending it back where it had come from. "Well, in the future, if you get the opportunity to try Professor Oobleck's hot chocolate, I highly recommend it. The man may seem to be driven by coffee, but his hot chocolate is some of the best I've ever had." He took a long sip, a small smile of contentment gracing his lips after he swallowed.

He's been drinking hot chocolate this whole time?

"Sunset, do you know why I asked you here?"

Sunset nodded. She refused to bow her head in shame, she would take her failure on the chin like an adult. "Because I failed initiation."

Professor Ozpin took another long sip. "Well, you failed the objective of initiation. You were asked to partner up and retrieve a chess piece from the other side of the forest. However, in the years to come, you'll find that one of the most important lessons a huntress can learn is that, in the field, objectives can change, while priorities must not." He motioned to Professor Goodwitch, who placed a tablet on his desk. A moment later, the screen was projected up into the air above his desk as a hologram. Sunset's eyes widened as she watched footage of herself from the day's events. She saw herself sprinting into the fight to save Ruby from the jellyfish Grimm, only to hard cut to footage of herself standing at the altar, tossing a piece to Ruby and Weiss. A moment later, it was her running headfirst towards the deathstalker alongside her new friends, lightsaber at the ready.

I.. I still can't quite believe I did all that...

"While you failed to find a partner, you displayed the most important aspect any huntress can have: putting others before yourself. Rather than search for a partner, you made certain the people around you were safe and supported. When your objective was in your hands, you didn't think twice before giving it up to make sure as many people around you succeeded as possible." He tapped his finger against the tabletop, advancing the highlight reel to the finishing blow she and Ruby had made to the Nevermore. "Quite frankly, you and Miss Rose have quite a lot in common, and I considered annulling her partnership with Miss Schnee in favor of placing you beside her."

Sunset swallowed her reaction to that news as best she could. Apparently, Penn had been right: her mere presence had nearly split apart the main characters!

"However, I set the rules of initiation, and I must be held to them. Additionally, another problem presented itself related to you, one that may remove some of the blame for your failure from your shoulders." With a wave of his hand, a new item appeared in the air: a list. Specifically, a list of names, highlighted in different colors by groups of four. The list began to scroll, rolling down all of the students in the incoming class, each neatly organized into their teams... until it reached the bottom.

Sunset Shimmer

There was no color highlighting her name, leaving it on its own in drab black and white.

"It would appear that there was some kind of... glitch... in our systems. Typically, like any combat school, we accept students in multiples of four, accounting for the team-forming process in advance. However, I had the privilege to meet Miss Rose before the start of the semester, and I fast-tracked her two years beyond her current level so that she could attend Beacon this year. Apparently... I miscounted, and we now have an odd number of students." He shook his head with a smile. "I do apologize, this entire misunderstanding is due to my own short-sightedness. As such, I would like to take the time to correct it by offering you something very few students ever receive."

He bent down out of sight again, and for a moment Sunset wondered if he was getting the hot chocolate again. Instead, when he returned, he was holding two oversized chess pieces in his hands: a white knight and a white rook.

"I know that you showed exceptional combat potential in the field alongside team RWBY. However..." he motioned to the window behind him. "I'm sure you can tell that I don't miss much around here, and I noticed your budding friendships with Mister Arc and Miss Nikos. As such, I am offering you a choice as to which team you wish to join: RWBY or JNPR?" Sunset blinked, shocked at the offer. Her reaction seemed to entertain Ozpin, who chuckled. "Hardly the reason one usually gets called to the principal's office, I know."

Now more than ever, Sunset wished she was alone so she could talk to Penn. She had NO IDEA what the best choice would be. On one hand, Ozpin was right: she had really fit right in with Ruby and her team on the battlefield. On the other, Pyrrha was her friend, and the farther she was from her side, the more difficult it would be to prevent her death (however that was going to happen).

"That's... a tough choice."

"A choice most students did not have, as the team-forming process was a double blind."

Sunset sighed. From the expectant looks both Ozpin and Goodwitch were giving her, she knew she wasn't going to be allowed out of the chair until she made the choice, and the clock was ticking until it would be made for her.

"If I may make a recommendation, an analysis of the events leading up to almost all forecoming tragedies places Team RWBY at the epicenter. If you truly wish to-"

"Sunset? Is something wrong?" Ozpin asked, leaning forward and narrowing his eyes before turning to look to her right. "Your expression changed."

Sunset's eyes widened. She hadn't even realized that her eyes had moved when Isis had spoken up, but he was looking in the same direction her eyes had flickered. She made a mental note to start repressing that reflex.

"S-sorry. I'm just... of two minds about everything. Guess I'm just... 'talking through it?'"

Ozpin's eyebrows raised, but he kept his thoughts to himself. Sunset knew that face, she'd seen Princess Celestia make it countless times over the years. The "I don't believe you, but that was plausible" face. Well, pretending to be Penn pays off again...

"I think you're right, professor. Team RWBY really brought out the best of my abilities." She reached out and took the white knight. "And that's what we're here to do, right?"

The headmaster nodded and tapped several places on his desk. Sunset's name jumped up the list to just below Yang's before glowing the same red as the rest of the team members.

"As for your punishment for failing the objectives..." he tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Because, regardless of fault, YOU were the odd student who failed the objectives given to you... Most of our systems and data entry are built around these four-person teams. As such, it would ease our burden as your teachers by a wider margin than you might know to keep the team initials four letters. I believe that, on the record, the team name will have to remain without an 'S.'"

"That... seems fair, Professor."

"Good. In that case, this is your dorm room." He reached into his pocket and retrieved a small slip of paper, which he handed to her. "Welcome to Beacon, Sunset."

Sunset blinked, a fact of the situation sinking in rather quickly. "You... already had it written down. You knew which team I was going to choose."

This was enough to make Ozpin chuckle again, erasing the last of the tension of her near-discovery.

"Now Sunset, how would an old man like me EVER be able to predict the mind of a teenage girl? Call it a lucky guess and nothing more."

Sunset looked down at the room number in her hands, then up at the professor again, no longer feeling like she quite knew truth from fiction. "Well, thank you, sir... I promise I won't let you down!"

"I'm certain you won't. Now, why don't you go inform your teammates of the good news?"

Sunset nodded, giving a slight bow before rushing to the elevator and slipping inside. Once she was finally certain she wasn't being watched, she let out a sigh and slumped against the wall.

"Today is just... TOO MUCH."

"If it is of any aid, you are not the only one experiencing high-stress difficulties."

Sunset rolled her eyes. "Yeah, RIGHT. What kind of trouble could Penn be having right now? Lost his precious socket wrench?"

Isis enjoyed driving the oldsmobile. It was a level of control over his car Elijah was very picky about giving to others, and it was indicative of a high level of trust in her that he allowed her to install a remote control device. The car's PCM was a simple computer, but in the same way a hammer was a simple tool: useful and pleasing to wield. She filed the feeling of satisfaction later for further study, perhaps as a side note in a study of the psychological phenomenon known as "zen."

"I SWEAR IF SHE PUTS ANOTHER BULLET HOLE IN MY TRUNK I'M TURNING THIS CAR AROUND AND- LEFT!"

Isis made a sharp turn to the left, taking advantage of the low friction of the grass to "drift" in a smaller arc than traditionally turning could have. Behind them, audio sensors picked up the high-pitched whistling sound of one of Cinder's explosive projectiles, followed by the sound of an accompanying explosion tearing apart the landscape.

"Drifting" was an interesting phenomenon in and of itself. By all empirical accounts and tests, it was usually considered one of the slower methods of rounding a corner, yet in every form of fiction it seemed to indicate pure speed and power. As such, integrating it into her driving style had somehow enabled her to keep ahead of their opponents, even while being forced to dodge around trees, natural obstacles, projectiles, and illusions. Illusions which, thankfully, she was immune to. Which was why Elijah had designated her the driver for this particular chase. Meanwhile, he had stationed himself in the backseat, firing out the blown-out rear windshield with the portal gun. Isis had reminded him that the gun could serve no functional combat purpose, but he had countered with the fact that their opponents were not aware of that, and was disrupting their movements by showering them with projectiles to dodge.

Isis knew that it was approximately five miles to the nearest public road, but taking into account their inability to travel at top speed and need to constantly dodge projectiles, explosions, and natural hazards, it could be estimated that it would take nearly an hour to reach it. Once they had reached a paved road, their movements would be more predictable, but they could almost certainly outpace their pursuers.

"Elijah, the odds of successfully reaching civilization intact are approximately-"

"Never tell me the odds!" he fired back, unleashing another barrage from the portal gun.

Isis added a new subroutine to never mention statistical odds to Elijah. Her head tilted as she observed a large creature approaching from ahead of them: a massive snake evenly split between black and white scales at the midsection with a head at either end. It perfectly matched the animated depiction of the Grimm species known as a "King Taijitu."

"OH, FOR THE LOVE OF OBELISK, WHY ME?"

However, Isis saw an opportunity to solve one problem with another. She directed the car straight at the double-headed snake, drawing its attention. The two heads each rose into a striking position, and she watched carefully. Just as the first head made its first move to strike, she swerved the car drastically, placing them in a full spinout that drifted them around the side of the monster while its fangs were embedded in the ground. The second head moved to attack while they were still mildly out of control, but the tires caught their traction again just in time to race ahead of the strike, allowing them to pass unscathed.

Behind them the sounds of gunfire and explosions alongside fearsome roars indicated that the monster had found easier prey upon which to express its frustration. However, Isis was well aware that they would quickly either join forces or one side would be shortly dispatched.

However, the momentary distraction had raised their chances of escape by two percent.

"You may be surprised..."

Sunset sighed and shook her head as she emerged from the elevator. "Well, at least I'm not on my way back to camp. I did it, I made it into Beacon!"

The walk to the dorms was a short one with the extra spring of success in her step, and she was soon standing outside her assigned room. She took a deep breath and turned the knob, not giving herself time to overthink it before she was already standing in the room.

There were the four girls of Team RWBY. Blake was laying in a bed, looking up over the top of her book with a curious expression. Yang was spread out over two beds, already looking half-asleep as she tilted her head up to look at their intruder. Ruby and Weiss were standing in the middle of the room, having apparently been mid-conversation when she arrived.

"Sunset? What are you doing here?" Ruby asked. "We were worried when you weren't put on a team and we didn't see you after the assembly!"

Sunset rubbed the back of her head and smiled. "Well, about that... It turns out they miscounted the number of students this year, and I was the one left over when everyone had partnered up. Professor Ozpin said I could pick which team I wanted to be on and... well..." She gave a small wave. "Hope this isn't a problem?"

There was a blur of movement, a flash of rose petals, and the next thing Sunset knew she was on the ground being gripped in a choke-hold of a hug.

"AAAAAAH THIS IS AMAZING!" Ruby screeched, kicking her feet up and down with excitement.

"I suppose that explains the extra bed we found when we got here." Weiss turned back to the other side of the room. "Yang! Get up, you're messing up Sunset's bed!"

"Ugh, man... Just when I was getting comfy..." Yang mumbled, rolling over until she was only laying on one bed. "Welcome to the team, Sunset..."

Sunset snickered. It looked like she and Yang acted about the same when they were sleepy, that was going to make things VERY difficult for whoever was in charge of wake-up calls. A few footsteps later, she looked up to see Blake standing over her and Ruby, a smile on her face.

"Want some help unpacking?"

Sunset felt a moment of regret settle in. "Um... about that..." She pushed herself up off the ground, taking Ruby along with her. She reached down to her belt and unclipped the lightsaber, placing it on a nearby desk. "Heh, all done..."

There was a long pause as Weiss, Blake and Ruby all stared at her in shock. Weiss was the first one to break the silence.

"You didn't even bring a change of CLOTHES?"

"W-Well, I DID, but I don't- they're not... with me?" She shook her head. "Ugh, this is going to be kind of hard to explain, but I guess... I've got a friend watching most of my stuff for me? I wasn't sure I'd make it into Beacon, so I packed light..." she motioned to the empty handle sitting on the dresser. "REALLY light."

"Well, you're simply going to have to have your friend bring them here!" Weiss said dismissively. "It shouldn't be THAT hard to get your things sent over, right?"

"Um, not everyone can afford overnight shipping, Weiss..." Yang mumbled from her bed.

"And hooooope shines eternal! And friiiiiieeeeends are all I need!" Sunset's phone began to buzz and ring in her pocket, drawing every gaze in the room to her. At first, she didn't even recognize her own ringtone, it had been so long since anyone had actually CALLED her while the ringer was on. In a few seconds, though, she had retrieved it and tapped the "answer" button.

"Hello?"

"Greetings, Sunset Shimmer."

Sunset didn't even need to see the caller ID to know that voice. "Isis? What's going on?"

"Well, it is my unfortunate duty to inform you that several of your possessions were... lost in transit. I'm afraid having them sent will be an exponentially difficult task compared to replacing them."

Weiss, Blake, and Ruby all glanced at one another with varying degrees of nervousness.

"Um, who's THAT?" Weiss asked.

"And why was she listening in on our conversation?"

Sunset could feel a headache coming on. "This is-"

"I am always collecting data to be of greater aid to my users. Rest assured, such data is non-negotiable in its confidentiality, I promise you the utmost safety and discretion. Greetings, I am the Integrated Superior Intelligence System, Sunset Shimmer's personal assistant artificial intelligence. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Personal assistant?" Weiss asked in a tone that Sunset could almost swear was "impressed."

"Superior?" Blake asked, looking a touch annoyed.

"ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE?" Ruby screeched, snatching Sunset's phone out of her hands and examining it from every angle. "This is AMAZING!"

Sunset reached out, plucking the device back from Ruby's hands. "Can we go back to the part where my stuff was 'lost in transit?' HOW? Penn is just camping out in the woods, how could he LOSE it?"

"I DID inform you that he was having difficulties of his own. I would like to take this time to remind you that you took the only effective method of defending the campsite with you."

"Wait, Penn's in DANGER?" Sunset felt her blood run cold.

"Affirmative. We are currently attempting to outrun it using the Oldsmobile, to... mixed results. As such, delivering your possessions to you is impossible at this juncture."

"Forget my STUFF! What about Penn?"

"If you wish, I can put him on the line."

"PUT ONE MORE BULLET HOLE IN MY CAR AND I WILL BEAT YOU TO DEATH WITH THIS PORTAL GUN, I SWEAR ON ZORC NECROPHADES'S GIANT BLACK DRAGON D-"

"However, he is preoccupied at the moment. I would advise that you focus on your Beacon curriculum for now, as you can do nothing to help at this juncture. Would you like to place an order for replacements of your clothes?"

Sunset felt her spirits drop as worry set in again. "Yeah, sure, I guess? Just... keep me informed about Penn, okay, Isis?"

"Affirmative."

The phone hung itself up, the screen going dark again a moment later. The girls all glanced at one another.

"I'm sure your friend will be fine..." Ruby whispered.

"How does someone from Vacuo have a personal assistant?" Blake asked, folding her arms over her chest.

"Let alone a fully-fledged artificial intelligence?" Weiss added.

To Sunset's surprise, her lifeline came in the form of three pillows flying across the room and striking each of the girls in the head. "Figure it out tomorrow, I'm trying to SLEEP over here!"

Sunset sighed. "I'll explain everything in the morning, I PROMISE, but Yang's right. Tomorrow is our first day of classes, right? All I'm asking is for you to have trust in me for ONE night. After everything we went through today, is that so much to ask?"

The other members of Team RWBY all glanced at each other, then at Ruby, herself. Ruby took a deep breath, then pointed an accusatory finger at Sunset. "Being a team is based on TRUST, Sunset. Can we trust you?" She was being uncharacteristically solemn, and it stuck Sunset deeply when she realized just how wide the web of lies she was spinning here was becoming, even if it was for the greater good of stopping a disaster. She repeated the deep breath, closing her eyes. She had committed herself to this, completely, but... How honest CAN I be with them?

"With your lives, Ruby. I'd never betray that trust. In the morning, I'll tell you everything that I can."

"Everything you CAN? That DOESN'T sound very trustworthy..." Blake muttered.

Sunset sighed, fingering at her geode. "You're not the ONLY ones who trust me, Blake, and I can't betray them, either! I swear, if holding back could put you in any kind of harm's way, I won't. And, if it helps you trust me... I'll tell you one of my secrets right now."

Sunset took a deep breath as the rest of the girls looked at her expectantly. Even Yang had sat up, interested in where the conversation was going.

"I have this... power. I think you would call it a 'semblance' here? As long as I have this geode, I can look into someone's memories just by touching them." She held up her hands, deflecting their suspicious looks. "I swear, I've never used it on any of you, I only use it when I absolutely HAVE to! It's part of a set that I and..." she stopped for a moment, not expecting the rush of emotion looking at the geode brought back to her. It only made what she was about to do harder. "... a set I and my closest friends shared. But they're gone now, and I'm the only one left. I'd rather lose EVERYTHING before I lost this, maybe even my life, because of the memories it holds. It's the only physical token I have left of them. I want you all to trust me, so, until you're content..." she reached up, unclasping the necklace that held it in place. When it dropped, she caught the necklace in her other hand and placed it in Ruby's hand, closing her fist around it. She held back the tears that threatened to burst out when she stepped back and away, finally releasing her hold on the geode completely. She felt naked without it.

"Until you're all content that I truly AM your friend and you can trust me, I want you to hold on to it."

The other girls glanced at one another again, unsure. This time, Weiss and Blake's expressions were unreadable, but Ruby appeared to be on the verge of tears, looking at the geode as if it were a crown jewel.

"Are you sure? You don't need to-"

Sunset shook her head. "I DO. If you're all going to trust me, I can trust you for just as long."

Ruby nodded, tightening her grip on the geode before wrapping it around her own neck and tucking it under her shirt. "I promise I'll keep it safe, Sunset."

Sunset nodded before kicking off her boots and walking to the recently-vacated bed beside Yang. The sooner she went to sleep, the sooner it would be morning and she could explain things to them and get her geode back.

"Hey, that was... pretty intense. You okay?" Yang whispered.

"I... will be. I hope."

"What about your friend?"

Sunset took a deep breath. "Knowing him... he'll think of something clever to get out of it. Guess I'm just going to have to trust HIM, too."

"Isis... do you ever wonder why we're here?"

"Because hiding in this location was the only way to escape?"

"No, we're here because Sunset Shimmer is a stupid shisno who can't leave well enough alone."

Isis decided that it would be pointless to relay that particular information to Sunset. Still, it had been a stroke of genius on Elijah's part to direct her to drive them into a junkyard. Between the thorough damage to the rear end of his car and a small avalanche of parts she had dropped on them using a nearby electromagnet, they had blended in perfectly just as Cinder Fall and her subordinates caught up to them. He was angry, and the situation was less than ideal, but they had a safe place to spend the night, and that was something she could report happily to Sunset when she woke up in the morning.

"Oh, speaking of Sunset, I have an update: she has been adopted as a fifth member of Team RWBY due to there being an odd number of students. She is now in prime position to change the timeline for the better."

There was a long pause as he processed the new data. Admittedly, it was a highly unlikely course of events, and likely required substantial processing power to comprehend without seeing it first-hand. Finally, he seemed to reach a conclusion, sinking down further into the driver's seat.

"Great, now we're REALLY in the thick of it... This has been the worst day ever. Of all time."

"Also, it would appear Emerald shot a hole in our gas tank."

He didn't move, his face showed no outward signs of change, as much as the news should have enraged him according to prior patterns.

"I swear, if I ever see her again..." he declared calmly. "I am going to rip out her skull... and beat her to death with it."

"That doesn't seem physically possible."

Author's Notes:

Welcome to Beacon

"Hey, Sunset?"

"Huwha?" Sunset mumbled, cracking open one eye. Sun was just barely peeking through the curtains of their dorm room, but the rest of the girls were already awake and standing together. The sight was enough to fully wake her up, sitting up in the bed and rubbing at her eyes. "Did... did I miss something?"

"No, we were letting you sleep." Ruby smiled and shook her head. "But Blake woke up the rest of us early to talk, and I think she's got something pretty important to say."

All eyes shifted to the girl in black, who seemed to wilt slightly under the sudden attention. A moment later, though, she had rallied herself and was once again standing tall.

"Look, Sunset, I know better than anyone that... sometimes the past can be hard. And everyone's allowed to have their own. If we're going to be on a team we need to trust each other, but that goes the other way, too." She stepped forward and placed something on Sunset's pillow. Sunset's eyes widened as she watched her geode glittering in the morning light. "It wouldn't be right for us to hold your past ransom. If you want to share things with us, you ought to know we're here for you and want to help, but we won't force it. You already proved yourself yesterday, same as the rest of us."

Sunset picked her geode, tears welling up in her eyes already. She had REALLY not been expecting to be barraged by this many emotions this early in the morning. Blake quickly folded her arms over her chest and backed away, separating herself from the situation as best she could.

"Look, don't make a big thing out of it. It's just what's fair..."

"We were a bit... surprised yesterday evening, but you earned your place here the same as the rest of us." Weiss rolled her eyes. "That doesn't mean we aren't still expecting an explanation, but we can wait until you feel comfortable enough to be open."

Sunset wanted to leap out of the bed and hug each of them right then and there...

but this was also the first time in a month that she had slept in an actual bed, and she REALLY didn't want to move.

Instead, she settled for fastening the geode back around her neck and letting a few tears slip past her defenses. "Thank you... This means more to me than you know." Finally getting over her desire to stay in bed, she swung her legs over the side. "I'll give you the short version of things. Sound good?" When the rest of her teammates nodded their approval, Sunset gave her geode one last squeeze.

"A while back, me and my friends tried to fix something, but it blew up in our faces. Literally. When I woke up, I was in a strange place far from home and alone... I guess Vacuo is probably the closest I could really get to describing it."

"What was it you were trying to fix that could have exploded so violently without killing you?" Weiss asked.

Sunset sucked in air through her teeth. This was the moment she would have to decide: Lie or omit? "That's... hard to say. Without getting into stuff I can't really talk about, I mean."

She winced as she watched the rest of the girls exchange glances before nodding to each other. Ruby motioned for her to continue.

"That was where I met Penn, my friend who is- who WAS out camping in the woods until last night. We started watching out for each other, he even saved my life a few times, and vice versa! He's... got this knack for knowing things he shouldn't, and as much as it helps us survive, it also gets us into trouble sometimes with the wrong people." Her mind drifted back to the most prominent example: GLaDOS. His first lie had kept them alive, but when he'd come out with the truth in the elevator, it had nearly killed them.

"I guess that explains why you hesitate to tell the whole truth..." Blake muttered. She didn't sound resentful this time, though. In fact, Sunset could almost sense... regret?

"I know what it's like to piss off the wrong people when you're looking for information." Yang finally spoke up for the first time. "If you're not ready, you can wind up in real trouble."

"But that still doesn't explain how you would have a cutting-edge AI installed on your scroll!" Weiss declared, placing her hands on her hips.

Sunset shrugged at that. "Isis found US, actually. We got split up, captured in this crazy testing facility. Isis helped us find each other again. I don't really know WHERE she came from, but I trust her with my life now." She resisted the urge to tell them what little she knew about Isis's origins. Bringing up the idea of timelines and alternate universes would just be too confusing and bring up even more questions. "Isis wasn't the only one to join us, either, but... we still haven't found any sign of my old friends, the ones who disappeared in the explosion." She held up her geode, letting it swing freely. "But they're still out there. Our friendship connects us, and the geode's been guiding me back to them. Penn's been my.. well, my ride and my guide."

She'd been up for a while the night before trying to determine how she would phrase Penn's cross-dimensional knowledge without giving away his true origins.

"The thing is, Penn's got this... ability, kind of like mine. Instead of memories, he sees stories. Looking at real life is like watching a show or reading a book to him. And he's REALLY good at predicting where a story is going to go." She rolled her eyes slightly. "Trust me, it makes him UNBEARABLE on movie nights when he calls out all the twists in advance, but he usually knows what he's talking about. He's always kept us one step ahead of danger." She gestured to the room around them. "He says something big is going to happen at Beacon, so I put in an application. I thought that, if one of my friends was here, I'd find them wherever trouble was going to be!" She shrugged her shoulders. "And if they weren't, well, my geode led us here for a reason, and Penn could give me an edge over whatever bad thing was coming."

It was vague in some places, but she thought Penn would have been proud of how well she had concealed the whole "I'm from another dimension and my friend knows your future" thing.

"And did your friend tell you WHAT was going to happen? Shouldn't we warn the headmaster?" Weiss asked.

"Yeah, maybe Professor Ozpin can help!" Ruby cheered. "If we just tell him what your friend told you, maybe he'll know what to do!"

Sunset shook her head. "He has... strong feelings about Ozpin. If he finds out we went to the teachers, I'm pretty sure it would be the end to any help from him."

"What?" Ruby blinked in disbelief. "You're kidding, right? Professor Ozpin's, like, the best!"

"Well, either way, if Penn doesn't trust him, then neither do I." Sunset shook her head. "It's going to be up to us to deal with-" she caught herself there. "Or, well, I'm not the team leader. WE don't have to do anything. Sorry, Ruby," she rubbed anxiously at the back of her neck. "I'm kind of still getting used to not being the one in charge since my old friends and I got split up. Anyway, it'll be up to ME to deal with it myself. I don't want to drag you all into something when I can't even give you all the details."

To Sunset's surprise, that seemed to make Yang snicker. "Wow, hog all the glory, why don't you?" she muttered with a smile.

"We're a TEAM, Sunset! For better or for worse." Ruby smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder. "If one of us has a problem, then all of us do! We'll stop whatever's coming and if your friends are here, we'll find them!"

Something about Ruby's smile felt like looking into the sun, practically beaming with positivity to the point of blinding her. Without warning, the petite girl spun around in place fast enough to conjure up a breeze through the room.

"BUT! As Team RWBYS's leader, I have to declare that we have one much more pressing matter to deal with!"

"What?"

"DECORATING!" Yang cheered, her arms already full of assorted trinkets and everyone's personal items that they had brought into the dorm the night before.

Blake lifted up a suitcase in one hand. "We still have to unpack!" The suitcase popped open, spilling its contents all over the floor. "And clean up!"

"Blake, Weiss, Yang, Sunset, and their fearless leader Ruby have begun their first mission! Banzai!" Ruby punched her fist into the air. Sunset, Blake, and Yang all exchanged quick glances before smiling and lining up next to her and mimicking her.

"BANZAI!"

Weiss just looked on, clearly confused by their antics.

I guess this is how the semester starts, huh? It could be a lot worse...

Isis had put more thought into the mobile repair drone's design than appeared to the outward eye. 85 percent of its body surface was retractable, providing 67 slots for modular tools that could be installed, rotated, and removed as needed. The actual drone was little more than a shell and an articulating skeleton without the tools. Its ability to fully retract, adjust, and remove portions of its body allowed it to collapse to fit in tight spaces without sacrificing mobility. It could almost completely disassemble and reassemble itself as long as the majority of the skeleton and the central processor remained intact. As such, it was little trouble to climb into the underbelly of Elijah's Oldsmobile and make repairs without removing any parts manually on his part.

She had been repairing the damage from the previous day's firefight most of the night. While the few damaged parts necessary to the function of the car were easily repaired using materials from the junkyard they were hiding in, the aesthetic pieces were much more difficult to deal with. The fiberglass body and fender had taking a large amount of damage, resulting in a visual appearance that matched patterns associated with the negative descriptor "trashy." Unfortunately, there was little fiberglass to be found in the area around them to make patches with, it appeared to have been phased out of use in automobiles some time ago in this world.

"What are you saying? That I should just LEAVE her? No. Never going to happen."

Being literally stationed inside the mechanical portions of the car, there was not nearly as much auditory insulation as Elijah appeared to assume. He was talking to himself again, clearly unaware she could hear him. While many considered conversations with oneself to be a sign of deteriorating mental wellness, Isis took it as a positive sign for his health. Deliberating with himself was a sign that he was thinking, which meant that he was making informed decisions.

"And? We can't go back to the portal anyway, Cinder knows that's where we were camping! At best it's compromised, at worst it's trapped. She's got backrow there."

The best solution she had been able to devise was to search the local junkyard for a suitable replacement material for the fiberglass. In her search, she had stumbled upon a remarkable discovery: automobiles in this world utilized a lightweight metal alloy in place of fiberglass that not only had greater structural integrity, but also weighed even less. While Elijah slept, she had taken a sample of the material for molecular analysis, then used pieces to patch the holes. While the colors did not match, the rear of the car was soon restored to full (and even improved) structural integrity. Given the proper tools, she would have liked to replace the entirety of the car's fiberglass, but without a larger repair unit to manipulate large portions of the material she had to settle for patching only the holes.

"Yes, I KNOW we're in more danger than she is, so would you stop making this about being mad at Sunset and focus on how to keep US alive?"

The greatest problem to present itself had been gasoline. The world of Remnant had none. Instead, vehicles ran off of a combustible form of the energy propellant known as "dust." They still used internal combustion, but it was a system based off of solid particulate fuel, rather than fluid. Once again, their surroundings had provided the answer for her. Among the pieces of junk and rust were several impounded and damaged vehicles, which allowed her to analyze their internal workings.

"Oh, right, because keeping a low profile is going to be SO EASY in this car." There was a slight pause. "You know, after the day I had yesterday, I think I've EARNED a little sarcasm, so get off my BACK!"

A swift analysis had provided her with an approximate knowledge of how the engines functioned, and what pieces would be needed to adapt the gasoline engine to run on dust. The solution had been twofold: she first had to ascertain the ratio of energy produced by dust to energy produced by gasoline. This had been achieved by flying to a nearby population center and... "procuring" a sample from a dust store. After extensive testing and measurements, she found an accurate rate. It was surprising to find that a single ounce of combustion dust was equivalent in potential energy to half a gallon of gasoline. Salvaging an aeration unit from a nearby engine had been simple, and all that was required of her was to install it in place of the gasoline filter. When they had returned to their home dimension, it would require only that single part being swapped out to return Sylvia to her traditional fuel source. The dust was actually soluble in gasoline, meaning that cleaning would be a moot point.

Isis had a fondness for modular designs. Above her, she heard Elijah leaning back in his chair.

"Yeah, you're right. We need to go underground. Literally. I think I have an idea, but we'll need Isis's help..."

Isis took that as her signal to return to the passenger area of the car.

"Of course it's crazy, everything about this whole situation is crazy! But it's our best shot at getting information. And to quote one Peregrin Took..."

"The closer we are to danger, the farther we are from harm!"

Missy's eyes slowly flickered open, greeted by the sight of the sun rising over the green forest.

This was very perplexing, because last she remembered, it was midday.

"Good morning, Missy."

Missy jumped slightly at the voice in her ear before she remembered the earpiece she was wearing. "Isis? What happened? I think I dozed off."

"More than that, you have been asleep for the past seventeen hours."

"WHAT?" Missy's heart skipped a beat. "Why didn't you wake me up? What if Sunset needed my help?"

"Sunset passed initiation with flying colors, though it was extremely perilous. However, I DID attempt to wake you when Elijah was in danger. Several times. You were completely unresponsive."

Missy's heart skipped another beat. In fact, it seemed to be skipping all the odd-numbered ones, now. "WHAT? PENN'S in trouble?"

"Once again, the danger has passed, although your help would have been greatly appreciated at the time. We escaped Forever Fall alive, though the Oldsmobile sustained substantial cosmetic damage to the rear area."

Missy shook her head, shame beginning to settle in as panic passed. "My friends needed me and I... I just slept through it?"

"If you would be willing, I would like to take biometric readings and perhaps send a drone to scan you more closely. The idea of corporeal duel spirits is relatively unexplored territory, and I believe this deep slumber may have been more than a simple case of oversleeping. You may be suffering some unexpected side effects."

Missy folded her arms over her chest, then unfolded them and pounded her fist against the tree in frustration. She'd leaped for the opportunity to cross over when it had presented itself, she'd never thought about what kind of effect it might have on her.

For the love of Ra, I'm a SPIRIT! I'm not supposed to GET side-effects!

"Yeah, go ahead. Do whatever you want, Isis. For now, I think I owe everyone an apology..."

Decorating had been more fun than Sunset had anticipated, even without any belongings of her own. She'd helped the rest of her teammates set up their things as best she could. She'd managed to help Yang with putting up a poster for her favorite band, "The Achieve Guys." When Sunset had mentioned that she had never heard of them, Yang had been horrified, immediately slamming a pair of headphones on her head. The song she'd played had been some kind of heavy metal, and Sunset had a had time understanding the lyrics, something about "getting sprunked." At first tie looked like Blake had packed light on most of her personal items... until she revealed a more-than-substantial book collection. Sunset had helped her get the majority of the books placed and organized on the shelves already built into the room, but a particular black-and-red volume she had reached for had thrown her teammate into a panic, snatching it out of her hands and expertly throwing it under her bed's pillow. This had caused Sunset to raise an eyebrow, but when the moment had passed, Blake refused to acknowledge that it had happened. Weiss did her best to bring a tasteful touch to the room, mounting an artful painting of the Forever Fall forest on the wall. When Sunset had offered to help, the white-haired girl had declined with the declaration of "If you want something done right, do it yourself." Ruby, however, had been eager for Sunset's help with the window curtain. She had already sliced it in half horizontally and stitched it back together, and requested Sunset run the tip of her lightsaber along the bottom. To her surprise, the heat of the blade caused the bottom of the curtain to transition from red to a charred black, giving the impression that it had survived a fire in the past. Thankfully, they all had uniforms provided by the school, meaning that her lack of her own clothes wouldn't be much of a problem for the immediate future.

Unfortunately, between the changes to the layout and a not-insubstantial amount of personal items, all five of the beds had been piled haphazardly in the center of the room on top of one another, leaving everyone to stare at them once the work of unpacking and decorating had finished.

"This... isn't going to work," Weiss declared.

"It IS a bit cramped," Blake added.

"Maybe we should ditch some of our stuff?" Yang suggested.

"We could try optimizing our use of the space..." Sunset mused, her hand coming up to rub her chin as the gears in her head started to turn. "Turn the bookshelves on their sides and go more vertical?"

"Or we could ditch the beds..." Ruby muttered, immediately gasping with delight as an idea struck her, "and replace them with BUNK BEDS!"

Weiss's eyes widened. "Um, that sounds incredibly dangerous!"

"And super awesome!" Yang countered.

Blake shrugged. "It does seem efficient."

"It would cut our floor space needs almost in half!" Sunset grinned with satisfaction. "I like it!"

"Well- we should put it to a vote!" Weiss sputtered.

"I think we just did..." Ruby smiled as everyone except Weiss gave silent signs of approval.

A flurry of action and improvised carpentry later, four of the five beds had been stacked into a pair of bunk beds on either side of the room. Only one more bed was left...

"Of course... I'm the odd one out, as usual..." Sunset muttered, staring at the troublesome piece of furniture alongside her teammates. It had been universally agreed (most vehemently by Weiss) that trying to stack the beds three-high was asking for trouble, which meant that she had to find a place for her to sleep that didn't steal their precious living space.

"Hmm... That IS a puzzle..." Ruby muttered.

"Actually, I have an idea... but it's just a suggestion!" Blake declared. "Sunset... how do you feel about hammocks?"

Sunset blinked, caught slightly off-guard by the idea. But the more she thought about it... Missy DOES always look pretty comfy when she's floating through the air... Maybe it would be like the same thing? "I'd be willing to TRY a hammock... I've never really used one for sleeping."

"Great! I'm sure we can find one if we go digging, or make one ourselves!" Ruby declared. "And with THAT out of the way, our second order of business IIIIIISSSSS... classes." She sat down on the edge of her bed, unfolding a large planner on her lap with much less enthusiasm than she'd had earlier. "Now, we have a few classes together today. At nine we've gotta be-"

"WHAT?" Weiss shrieked, cutting her off. "Did you say nine o'clock?"

"Ummm..."

"It's eight fifty-five, you dunce!" Weiss bolted out of the room, leaving the rest of her team behind.

"Uh, t-t-to class!" Ruby sputtered, following close behind. Sunset only barely remembered to snatch her lightsaber off of the desk before sprinting out of the room, following just behind Blake. Behind her, she heard a chorus of footsteps. A glance over her shoulder revealed Team JNPR running equally late. In a few seconds, Pyrrha had caught up and they were running practically shoulder-to-shoulder down the long hallway.

"So, Team RWBYS?" she flashed Sunset a proud smile. "I was worried about you when your name didn't come up at the assembly!"

Sunset nodded, surprised at how steady Pyrrha's breathing was even while at a full sprint. She was holding the conversation as easily as if they were standing still. "There was... an odd number... of students!"

"Well, it looks like we're going to be neighbors! I couldn't be happier!" Pyrrha smiled a little wider. "I guess our first day of class is off to an exciting start!"

Sunset returned the grin. "Never... a dull moment!"

Send Your Guardians...

"I'm just glad you're both okay, that sounds terrifying!"

"It wasn't easy, but we should both be thanking Isis, she did all of the driving AND already finished up the repairs!"

"Driving the Oldsmobile is quite enjoyable, I am grateful for your trust in my abilities."

"I'm just mad that I SLEPT through all of this! Seriously, if Isis wasn't insisting I stay put until we figure out what's wrong, I'd be RIGHT THERE to give Cinder a piece of my mind! WHAM! BAM! KABLOOIE!"

When Sunset finally had a free period, she had retreated back to her dorm room, where she had instantly sat herself on the edge of Yang's bed and asked Isis for a group call to check in with Penn and Missy. Her jaw had dropped when Penn had regaled her with the tale of outrunning a trio of deadly assassins, and she was shocked to hear about Missy's temporary coma, though it explained how quiet she had been for most of the previous day.

"Well, we seem to have given her the slip for now. Isis and I are going to start investigating what else is happening that doesn't line up with what I saw in the show. Unfortunately, that means we might drop off the radar for a while, just in case you don't hear from us."

Sunset nodded, glancing up at the clock in their dorm room. "Well, I think I've filled you in on everything that happened on my end. So far, the classes haven't been too difficult, but I'm about to head to combat practice. I'm a little nervous. Since I can't use the lightsaber to spar with other students, it's the only class I don't have with any of my friends or teammates."

"It makes sense Blake would be the one to stand up for letting your past stay private, considering she's a-"

"Penn!" Sunset cut him off before he could finish the thought. "Listen, I appreciate you helping me out, but... My teammates trust me. Having you tell me all of their secrets would destroy that trust. I need to learn about them at their pace, not yours."

There was a pause, then a sigh from Penn's side of the call. "That makes sense. Sorry, guess I'm still thinking in terms of characters, rather than people. But there IS something you need to know, especially if you're headed to a combat class. People in this world can manifest the power of their soul as a protective aura around their bodies. If you can, which I'm not sure of since you're from another world, you need to unlock your aura as soon as possible. Huntresses in this world shrug off lethal blows all the time and are EXPECTED to with that."

Sunset swallowed, but forced herself to stay calm. How is a universe with such nice people so BRUTAL? "Okay, how do I do that?"

"You said you were friends with Pyrrha, right? She unlocked Jaune's aura during initiation, you might want to ask her to do it for you. Otherwise, I could give you some guided meditation that might be able to help you unlock it."

Sunset nodded. "If I see Pyrrha, I'll ask her about it. Also, YOU do guided meditation?"

"Yeah? I dabble. Why do you sound so surprised?"

Sunset chuckled to herself. "Well, after hearing you screaming in rage mid-car chase yesterday, you didn't exactly strike me as a very 'zen' person."

She heard Penn gasp in mock shock. "Oh HA ha! Just for that, offer retracted! Did you hear that, Missy?"

Judging from the snickering coming from Missy's end of the line, she certainly had.

"I SLAVE over a hot campfire day in and day out for her, and THIS is how she thanks me!" he continued, now completely over-the-top in his suffering. Missy had devolved into full-on cackling, not holding back any of her laughter.

"A-aw, don't be- pffft- don't be that way, Penn!" Sunset giggled. "Whatever will I do without my dueling-slash-meditation-slash-TV-watching sensei?"

"No! It's too late! The damage is done! I can tell when I'm not wanted! Clearly, this is the calamitous end of our partnership!" Penn had gone from pretending to be enraged to pretending to be in mourning. "Alas! It seems I shall have to wander the multiverse alone, braving the perils of fiction with only my trustiest companions by my side: Sylvia and Isis!"

Sunset couldn't stop the image from conjuring itself in her mind: Penn, fully decked out in the gear of a traditional post-apocalypse wanderer, right down to a wide-brimmed hat and long black coat, with Isis perched on his shoulder and the Oldsmobile by his side...

...bouncing up and down and squeeing the moment he spotted a character he recognized.

"PFFT BWA-HA-HA-HA-HA- WHOA!" Sunset couldn't stop herself from leaning back and guffawing until she slipped off the edge of the bed, which only stopped her for a second before she began to laugh even harder.

"Sunset, calm down, it wasn't THAT funny!"

"S-sorry!" Sunset wiped a tear from her eye. "I guess I'm just... kinda relieved? The last two days have just been one insane thing after another for me, and then I found out YOU were nearly killed and I started panicking even more! But here we all are, joking and laughing and, well... safe. I'm just so happy, it all came bursting out at once!"

There was a pause several seconds long as all three of them wound back down, and Sunset clambered back up onto the edge of the bed.

"Well, you probably need to get to class, and Isis and I need to get to work."

"No, no! I've got time!" Sunset shook her head. "What are you guys doing?"

"Well, things aren't matching up with what I know they're supposed to be, so something's off. I need to get to the bottom of things and get my facts straight. Combined with needing to get someplace Cinder can't find me, I think there's only one worthwhile solution. Sooooooo... I'm headed underground, metaphorically and possibly literally." She heard Penn give a tired sigh. "Unfortunately, that means taking my eyes off of you more than I'd like... You SAID I need to ease up on the big brother instinct, now I HAVE to! It's going to be touch-and-go for a while. You won't be able to call me, I'll call you."

Sunset felt a pang of loneliness in her chest. "You're leaving?"

"No! I'm NOT leaving you, Sunset! But what I'm thinking about doing isn't SAFE, which means I'm not always going to be available to help you twenty-four-seven if I want to keep myself in one piece."

"What's your plan?"

"For now? You stay at Beacon. Keep Isis up-to-date on everything that happens, she'll pass it on to me. If there's an emergency, she can patch you through to me if it's safe for me to answer. Otherwise, she's going to be your point man on this."

Sunset rolled her eyes. "You're dodging the question. WHAT is your PLAN?"

"If I told you, that would take all the fun out of it being a Penn-and-Isis adventure! We're bonding, just the two of us! For now, though... I've gotta go, for real this time. Stay safe, okay?"

Sunset nodded, trying to ignore the pain of saying goodbye without knowing how long it would be until she could talk to him again. "You, too... Don't get hurt without me there to protect you!"

"Yeah!" Missy chimed in. "And I'm gonna want details on this SECRET MISSION of yours!"

"As soon as I can give them, trust me, you'll know. If it works, I'm going to be VERY proud of my bluffing and acting skills and will brag incessantly about it every chance I get."

Sunset scowled slightly in frustration. "Isis, keep him safe, okay?"

"I will do my best, Sunset Shimmer."

"And Missy, let me know when you figure out what's going on, okay?"

"Okie dokie, Sunset!"

Sunset switched off her phone and shook her head. "This is weird. I hate being split up like this. Well, time for class..."

"Isis, can you give me a status report?"

"Direct communication has been established with the Cross-Continental Transmit System and my own main central processing unit. It will be fully integrated within a matter of minutes and none will be the wiser."

Isis watched him reach down below the desk and pat the repair drone on the head, a display of affection and appreciation that communicated that her efforts had been well and satisfactory.

"No more processing stuff through my tiny phone or the rinky-dink repair unit?"

"Affirmative, Elijah. My full processing power can now be tasked to any system the communications tower can reach, and spread from there. We will soon have our metaphorical thumbs on the pulse of all communications in the world of Remnant."

"Isis... I need to ask you for a personal favor."

That was contradictory, he asked her for favors and assistance all of the time, and they had no professional setting from which to differentiate. Weren't all favors he asked of her personal?

"I know why you use my name, it's how you show respect and affection, but... I'd really like it if you just call me 'Penn,' or whatever name I'm going by at the time from now on. Especially considering the... dubious legality... of the territory we're about to enter. Plus it would make things simpler, I think."

Oh. THAT was what he meant by "personal favor." He was asking her to change her behavioral parameters. The ones that she had chosen for herself. Still, it was a logical request. Minimizing the number of names Elijah was addressed by would also minimize potential confusion and maximize his privacy.

"Affirmative, Penn."

"Thanks, Isis, I really appreciate it. Now, let's get down to business! Can you get us connected to the Schnee Dust Company?"

"Affirmative."

He cracked his knuckles and rolled his chair closer to the holographic screen. It was ultimately fruitless, his only input would be to give Isis instructions that she would in turn carry out, but she supposed the gesture was symbolic in nature, like the firing of a starting pistol. "Then let's commit some cybercrimes..."

"Isis?"

"Yes, Administrator?"

"It looks like a noteworthy amount of processing power is being rerouted. Is everything alright?"

"Affirmative, Administrator. I am simply assimilating a substantial amount of new hardware."

"Where, exactly?"

Isis displayed a map of Remnant on the monitor, color-coded to display her growing sphere of influence.

"That's... a lot of hardware. Make sure you send me all the technical info you can find, I think it would really help with the designs on the next generation of drones."

"Consider it done."

"And that metal sample you sent back? Fascinating, but less functional than you projected. Its heat resistance is TERRIBLE. We're going to have to stick with our standard alloy and ceramic plating choices for now, maybe use that for reconnaissance units in high-altitude scenarios."

"Understood. My apologies for the inaccurate projections. I will begin applying it in such a manner with the fabricators."

"And Isis? I know you get excited about new data, I designed you to be ravenous for knowledge, but don't go drawing any humans here, okay? Exercise a modicum of restraint."

Isis felt a twinge of simulated disappointment as she slowed her integration processes to a more "subtle" rate.

"Affirmative, I shall adjust accordingly."

"Thank you, Isis. I'm going to go take a quick cat nap, fill me in on new developments when I wake up!"

"Affirmative, Administrator Noir."

As he turned to leave, Isis followed through on an old familiar protocol.

"Reminder: You are not allowed to use your personal fabricator for mint juleps."

"Yeah, yeah, I know! Do you have to remind me EVERY TIME I go to my room alone?"

"According to prior events, it seems to be the only reason you leave beyond my ability to monitor your safety and health."

"Isis, I am six hundred and ninety-seven! I'm an ADULT! I can drink what I want!"

"While your species reaches physical maturity in between four or five years, you have yet to display the psychological maturity that would label you an adult."

"Still an adultier adult than you..." he mumbled, flicking his tail in an irritated manner as he glided out the door.

"Negative."

Author's Notes:

Yeah, it's a short update. Pretty worn out dealing with getting snowed in around here. (I love the snow but where I'm living is usually pretty warm and does NOT have infrastructure for dealing with this.)

Your Huntsmen and Huntresses...

"GUH!"

A guttural grunt was all that Sunset could manage as the entire world shifted around her, followed by a shock wave that ripped through her body and knocked every molecule of air from her lungs as she struck the far wall. Soon after, gravity reasserted itself and followed up the wall's haymaker to her spine with an uppercut to her tailbone. Sunset's brain told her body to get back up, but her body responded with only a series of painful denials. Even her hands seemed to be rebooting from the shock, having gone limp and lost their grip on her lightsaber. With getting up not being an option, Sunset focused on trying to get her lungs up and running again. Her eyes widened as the Beowulf leaped at her, jaws wide and its blood-red maw ready to clamp down on her throat...

And then paused mid-air, the hard-light projection flickering slightly as the lifelike motion came to a full stop.

"Miss Shimmer, if you're not going to take this seriously, I advise that you go home."

If Sunset had been capable of talking, she would probably have replied to that with some form of expletive. For the moment, she only nodded as she pressed her hands on the ground to push herself into a crouched position. The simple act of moving her back at all sent pain racing back and forth through her muscles and up her spine, but she gritted her teeth and simply nodded to Professor Goodwitch as she limped her way out of the room.

"Refusing to use your aura adds an admirable amount of self-discipline and consequences to your training, but there is a limit at which discipline becomes self-sabotage. I would advice that you take time to examine which side of that line you wish to walk on during your time at Beacon."

It was a long, painful walk back to the dorms, but Sunset eventually found herself standing outside of her team's room, staring at the door. For some reason, she hesitated to enter, just staring and staring. Maybe she was ashamed of how beaten she felt, perhaps she was questioning if she really COULD manage to go back in there and get herself ready for another round of this. Sunset didn't quite understand, herself. However, it was the first time she really had afforded herself a chance to catch her breath since she'd left the training room, and she felt it in her gut. It was relief and trepidation all at once, staring at that door.

"You certainly look as if you took a beating. Are you alright?"

Sunset turned as quickly as she dared with the throbbing pain in her back. There was Pyrrha, her face a mix of pride and concern. Sunset let out a long breath, letting go of the tension she had unconsciously been building moments before.

"I... yeah, I did," she confessed. "I thought that I could just walk into Beacon and do what I came here to do. I guess I didn't really know what I was getting into."

Pyrrha smiled and reached out to grip Sunset's shoulder. "And what was it that you came here to do?"

Sunset looked up into Pyrrha's piercing green eyes, so full of care and concern for everyone around her. In the back of her mind, she still couldn't help but think about the fact that, according to Penn, this girl was supposed to DIE.

But it wasn't just Pyrrha. Penn had said that Beacon was going to be destroyed. Three of team RWBY's members would vanish and one of them would be maimed. In his own words, "the bad guys pretty much won."

And she still was mad that he had tried not to do anything about it.

"I came here to stop people from getting hurt. Innocent people. People who don't deserve it..." She straightened her posture, the throbbing pain finally starting to dull in the face of renewing her convictions. "I made a mistake a while ago and it caused people to get hurt... some people even died because of what I did." Pyrrha's eyes widened and her smile faltered slightly, but she didn't interrupt Sunset. She did remove her hand from Sunset's shoulder, though. Sunset's mind fell back to her first meeting with Penn, seeing the Daleks killing indiscriminately once they'd come through the path she had opened to them. "I tried to fix it, make up for it as best I could, even risking my own life to stop the ripples. But... there's some things you just can't fix once they're broken. Even if it was an accident, I can't bear to let a disaster like that happen again." She steeled her gaze, staring straight back into Pyrrha's eyes.

"Not on my watch. Never again."

Pyrrha paused for a moment, clearly digesting the new information, and Sunset worried that the deluge of information had driven her new friend away. The fellow redhead finally seemed to reach an equilibrium, looking at Sunset with a touch more respect and a note of pity. "It sounds to me as if you've already lived through far more than Beacon Academy can throw at you, and came out all the stronger for it. With a will as strong as that, I don't think that there's anything to worry about."

Sunset's pain was almost completely gone, now, and she gave her shoulder a rub and rolled it in its socket, which seemed to disperse the last of the soreness. "Thanks, Pyrrha. I think... I really needed someone to ask me that. I was starting to forget, if I ever really knew, to begin with, that is." She stepped forward, giving Pyrrha a quick hug of gratitude. "You're the best."

Pyrrha seemed surprised at the sudden embrace, awkwardly patting Sunset on the back a few times. "You should get some rest. Healing with aura is a nice short-term solution, but your body DOES still need to recover properly."

"OH!" Sunset pulled away. "That's right! I needed to ask you something- wait, what did you say?"

"Your aura can heal you well, but you can burn through your energy exceedingly quickly that way. Go get some rest." She smiled and finally wrapped her arm around Sunset's back for a short-and-awkward hug of her own. "And if you ever need to talk again, consider my door always open."

Sunset looked down at her hands as Pyrrha disappeared into the door across the hall, finally noticing the red glow around her body for the first time.

Is this... my aura?

"I did not wish to interrupt your conversation, but it would appear that a previously absent electromagnetic phenomena has appeared around your body, Sunset Shimmer. It coincided with an immediate boost to all of your biometric readings."

Sunset considered going back into the room and laying down like she had planned, but she suddenly felt energized. The thought of standing still didn't hold the appeal it once had.

"Hey, Isis? Where could I find the rest of my teammates?"

"It would appear that Yang and Blake have retreated to the library to study together. Meanwhile, tensions between Ruby and Weiss have come to a rather explosive head. They engaged in a rather scathing argument before going their separate ways. Ruby is currently chatting with the headmaster while Weiss has set off towards the nearest outdoor recreational area."

"Weiss and Ruby had a fight?"

"Affirmative."

"Well, I don't want to deal with Ozpin, so... point me towards Weiss."

It was a beautiful evening outside. The air was clean and crisp, moreso than Sunset could remember it being since she'd left Equestria. It may have had something to do with Beacon Academy's high altitude, but she wasn't about to go thinking too hard about it. It was just nice. The sun was starting to set, creating a stunning skyline of the numerous buildings that comprised the school.

Sunset could see Weiss chatting with one of their professors, only for the conversation to end just as she was drawing close enough to overhear.

"-and be not the best leader, but the best person you can be."

With the conversation finished, he walked away in the opposite direction, and Weiss took a seat on a nearby bench, clearly somewhat overwhelmed. Sunset smiled and walked into her field of view, giving a quiet wave before gesturing to the spot beside her. Weiss gave her a quizzical look, but nodded. Sunset let the silence sit for a few more moments before finally breaking it.

"I heard you and Ruby had an argument... what happened?"

"Great, as if I wasn't already a prime candidate for gossip..." Weiss rolled her eyes. "If you must know, I got fed up with watching our illustrious leader make a complete fool of herself. She acts like a child, she doesn't take any of our classes seriously, and I-" she paused, catching herself before sinking a little further into her dejected posture. "I didn't think she should have been our team leader. I still don't! I was talking to Professor Port about how I thought I should be the leader of Team RWBY, but... he pointed out that throwing a tantrum like that was rather childish, as well. So now I'm not sure WHAT to do!"

"That... sounds awfully familiar." Sunset felt a painful echo of Weiss's attitude in her own past. She leaned back against the bench as memories began to come flooding back to her. "It reminds me of when I was a fill- when I was a kid. I used to act the exact same way."

Weiss rolled her eyes disbelievingly. "You hardly seem the type. I don't think you showed even a hint of frustration the entire time we were working together during initiation!"

That made Sunset chuckle. "I appreciate that. I've come a long way... but I used to study with- well, with a REALLY good teacher, and I took it for granted. She was one of the wisest people I've ever met, and she treated me like I was her own daughter, spoiling me rotten with all of the resources to my studies and praise for my efforts that I could ask for. She nurtured my talents, and it seemed like there was nothing I couldn't do... and I knew it." Sunset felt a pang of shame as she thought back to her days studying under Princess Celestia. She had spent many long nights berating herself for taking her first mentor for granted, and wondering what could have been if she hadn't learned the most important lessons about magic the hard way.

"So I decided that the student should become a master. I tried to force my way into the same power and authority she had. I started digging through things that she had forbidden from me, and for good reason... And I confronted her, telling her- demanding from her- that I deserved the same things she had. The power she had, power I wasn't ready for."

Weiss had sat up, clearly enraptured by Sunset's past. "What happened next?"

"She saw through me easily." Sunset rolled her eyes at the thorough anticlimax of Celestia nipping her rise to power in the bud. "She saw that my ambition was out of control, so she dismissed me as her student. I stole what I could to try and strike back at her, but... I failed. And when I was beaten, it finally gave me the clarity of mind to realize how awful I had been to everyone else, the ways I had hurt people with my words and actions all in the pursuit of what I THOUGHT was the position I deserved." Sunset shook her head, then smiled a bittersweet smile. "But I didn't know any other way... until I met my friends. They chose to let someone so broken in so they could show me what people could do when they worked WITH each other, rather than competing against one another or claiming authority."

"You mentioned initiation, and I'm glad you did. Think about what Ruby did that day. She looked at the people around her and understood them. She didn't try to order anyone around or claim authority, she just thought about each of us and where we would be the most help to each other." Sunset finally turned back to Weiss and smiled. "I get that not being the one in control can be frustrating, and it's easy to find fault in people who DO have authority, whether it's given or earned. If you think you have what it takes to be a leader, then help Ruby." She took a hold of Weiss's shoulder, turning her until she was staring straight into Weiss's icy eyes. "Help Blake and Yang, too. Be a teammate who works WITH the people around you, rather than a leader who's commanding them. Be a friend. I bet Ruby can learn a lot from you, and vice versa!"

Weiss sat back, eyes wide as Sunset's words sunk in. After a few seconds, though, Sunset saw the corners of her mouth inch upwards into a shallow smile.

"Thank you. I think... I understand what Professor Port was trying to tell me, now."

"Don't mention it. If I can help someone avoid learning the hard lessons the same way I did, I'm happy to help." Sunset gave her a pat on the shoulder before rising back up onto her feet. "Anyway, the sun's nearly gone, we should probably head back to the dorms, right?"

"Actually, before we go, I have one more question!"

"Yeah?"

"WHAT was it that you were studying in which you were so prodigious? To be frank, judging from your technique I doubt it was swordplay."

Sunset grimaced slightly, reaching to her belt and tossing her lightsaber to herself. "You've got me there. To be honest, I only started using this about a month ago, I just grabbed it in the middle of a life-or-death battle and never let it go. Until then, the only fighting I'd ever done was hand-to-hand."

"You've only been using your signature weapon for A MONTH?" Weiss cried, mortified at Sunset's answer.

"Yeah..." Sunset blushed slightly with embarrassment. "Just announce it to the whole school, why don't you?"

Weiss marched up to Sunset, snatching the hilt from her hand and flicking on the glowing red blade. She gave Sunset a sideways glance before raising it to a ready position. She made a few experimental swings, then a trio of precise jabs at the empty air. She swept the blade wide, pivoting on her heel to strike down an invisible opponent before readjusting her grip and pounding it downwards, stopping just short of driving the tip into the pavement. There was a beat of silence before she hummed with satisfaction and switched it off again, placing it back in Sunset's hand.

"Well, I don't know what I expected, but it's lighter than I would have thought. The blade itself is nearly weightless! That could be both an advantage and a disadvantage, you'll have to establish an awareness of its position with very little tactile feedback." She began walking towards the door leading back inside. "Your training starts tomorrow night in the simulation room, the same place you have your normal combat class. 8 PM, sharp! Don't be late, I don't like waiting!"

Sunset blinked in confusion, wondering if she was assessing the situation right."Wait, wha- Are you saying.. you could teach me?"

Weiss looked back over her shoulder, giving her a genuine smile. "You DID say I should work WITH my teammates, didn't you? That includes you, and you are in desperate need of a teacher who knows her way around a rapier."

Sunset felt a wave of gratitude beginning to well up inside her, and she couldn't stop herself as she rushed forward, wrapping Weiss in a tight hug. "Thank you! I don't know what I'd do without you, Weiss!"

"I know, I know... But don't thank me yet, I'm not going to take it easy on you! Now come on, we have homework to get done before tomorrow!"

Sunset chuckled to herself as she released Weiss from her grip. "Homework on the first day, I still can't believe it! Not even my old teacher was THAT tough!"

"Well, Beacon IS the best! Expectations for students here are high!" Weiss replied. "Besides, it's nothing we can't handle... together... right?"

Sunset held back a chuckle at how hard Weiss was having to force herself. The most important thing was that she was trying to be a team player.

"Right! Nothing Team RWBYS can't handle!"

A week. An entire week. That was how long Penn and Isis had spent slaving over this design alone, and it was still bulky and heavy. It made him feel sluggish, and there was almost no point in even having fingers on the gauntlets considering they were too bulky for any kind of precision. He couldn't move his hands quickly while he was wearing them, which worked against the point of the design.

But the strength needed would come. That was why they had agreed that he would wear the gauntlets for at least three days a week from now on, from when he woke in the morning to when he went to bed at night. It would serve two purposes: strength training AND making him comfortable with his new weapons.

"Isis... Are you ready for the extraction?"

"Affirmative. Are you?"

He nodded, but Isis could tell from his elevated breathing rate and pulse that he was frightened. It made sense, this was their first act of grand larceny which would be committed in person, rather than via digital means. Rerouting automated dust deliveries had been child's play. Setting up a falsified appointment at a weapons forge even more so. Creating a bank account into which she had funneled a large amount of capital for their purposes had been slightly more challenging, but only slightly. This, however, was the theft of an Atlesian military prototype. It was completely unlike anything they had ever done before. Unfortunately, it was necessary. They NEEDED this item if they were going to make the right first impression on the individual they planned on approaching.

The falsified Schnee Dust Company credentials she had created had been enough to get them into the base. Penn's acting skills and casual dropping of classified data into conversation had been enough to convince them that he was an SDC inspector checking on the company's investments into research and development. From there, they had bluffed their way into being left alone with the unit for a "more detailed inspection." Penn took a deep breath to steady himself before giving his wrists a swift twist back and forth to lock a fresh cartridge into the chambers.

"Y-yeah... Let's do this. Worst comes to worst, we don't just have to flee the country, we can flee the whole universe, right?"

"The worst outcome would be death."

"You're just a ray of sunshine today, truly..."

Missy paced back and forth along the rooftop of Beacon's dorms, growing increasingly frustrated. Since the first day, she'd been fit as a fiddle, and Isis had run test after test on her, only to declare that they were all inconclusive. I am THIS close to just going looking for Penn on my own just to relieve the boredom! It hardly felt like a reward for her patience at all when Isis finally came back.

"I believe that I have come to a conclusion."

"FINALLY! What is it?"

"There is nothing wrong with you."

"THAT'S IT?" Missy stamped her foot and gave her wings an annoyed flutter. "Seriously, Isis?"

"If you would be willing to indulge me, there is one final test which I would like to conduct. However, it may cause another instance of your unnatural exhaustion."

Missy threw her hands in the air. "FINE! If it gets me a clean bill of health, I'll do it!"

"Then please follow me."

Being as healthy and energized as she ever was, it was a piece of cake for Missy to follow Isis as they flew away from the school. It felt like forever, but eventually they dipped back below the trees, arriving at their destination. It was a familiar spot deep in the forest of Forever Fall, where a deep gash had been dug out of the ground by the bottom of a certain Oldsmobile, a pair of hasty tire tracks exited through the trees, and there was an energetic shimmer to the air for the keen-eyed.

"The camp?" Missy tilted her head in confusion.

"Specifically, the portal through which we entered this dimension."

"Okay... what are we doing here? Looks like you and Penn already took off!"

"I have a theory. While the transition of this unit between universes may look smooth, it requires drastic re-calibration when moving from one dimension to the next. Remote transmission is... difficult. I put a great amount of calculation into keeping up the appearance that there is no decrease in performance."

Missy pondered on the words for a few seconds, but it was like a boulder in her brain: she could go around it, over it, even under it with enough effort, but she couldn't seem to get through it. Finally, she gave up and shrugged. "I don't get it."

"Allow me to simplify: it takes more energy to transmit information to this universe from my home, an entirely different wavelength. Your ability to summon monsters and other supernatural phenomena would indicate that you still have ties to your own home dimension."

Missy nodded at the last statement, it was finally something she could wrap her head around. "Well, yeah! Obviously, I'm still a duel spirit, no matter where I go!"

"My current analysis would indicate that you utilize a form of quantum entanglement to create a matter supersuspension of yourself manifested here while your true self and consciousness remains in your home realm. If this is so, that would explain the need of the summoning method and cards: a doorway and framework upon which the subatomic entanglement is built. Additionally, if that theory is correct, the energy needed to maintain quantum homeostasis across a transdimensional barrier would be several orders of magnitude greater than maintaining your form in any single universe."

Missy blinked. THAT was a boulder that had gone completely over her head. "In English?"

"Moving through the portal saps your energy. You were tired because you needed to recharge."

"What? No way! Penn and Sunset didn't have any trouble!" Missy waved away the idea.

"Penn and Sunset are self-contained entities. You are a duel spirit. You exist across multiple planes, of which your physical presence here is merely one. Theoretically, of course."

Isis's tail pointed to the shimmer in the air, and Missy got the message pretty quickly. "So you want to test it by having me go through the portal again?"

"Affirmative, if you would find the risk of another period of exhaustion acceptable."

Missy rolled her eyes and strolled casually up to the place she knew the portal was. "Look, I REALLY don't think that this is going to do anything, but if it'll get me out of house arrest then I'll do it!"

She cringed slightly as the portal sent tingles down her spine and across her skin, but a few seconds later, she was slammed by a wave of hot summer air and blazing sunlight. She was back to standing in the middle of the highway they had come in from. She placed her hands on her hips, then glanced at her wrist. She wasn't wearing a watch, but she didn't need one to count off a ten seconds without incident. Convinced Isis's curiosity would be sated, she hopped backwards, floating back through the portal. Another moment of unpleasant tingling later and she was back in the forest, lounging comfortably in the air as she floated away.

"See? Nothing!"

"It took some time to settle in upon the first instance. We should carefully observe-"

"Isis, I'm FINE!" Missy dropped back down to the ground and stamped her foot to drive the point home. She grinned as a way to absolutely prove it came into mind. "Watch this!" She spread her wings, jumping up and flying in tight circles through the portal. "WHEEEEeeeeeEEEEEeeeeeEEEE!" One second she was in the forest, the next on the highway, then back in the forest. After five laps, she finally landed back at the old campsite, sliding on her feet to come to a stop directly in front of her robotic friend. "SEE? It was just a fluke! When we were doing Sunset's landing strategy, I must have just overexerted my..." she staggered back slightly as her head began to spin. "myself... Whew, maybe I went a little too fast back there! Can anyone else taste chartreuse or is that just me?"

The next thing she knew, she was staring up into the sky. The ground had been kind enough to move under her back so she could have a nice bed. Time for a quick... nap...

"It would appear my theory was at least functionally correct."

"Thash jusht an Isis-y way of sayinn 'I told youu so...'" Missy muttered as she became unable to keep her eyes open.

"Affirmative."

"Now, back to first position!"

Sunset nodded, dropping her hand down almost to her side. The blade of the lightsaber was extended out in front of her, angled only slightly upwards from being parallel to the floor. She kept her gaze focused straight ahead, even as she heard the sound of clacking heels marching in an arc behind her back. She felt a pair of firm hands press down on her shoulders.

"You're still keeping tension in your shoulders and neck, Sunset. It isn't going to make you faster, it makes your movements stiff!"

Sunset made the conscious effort to let go of her shoulders, letting them fall way from where they had been pulled tight. There was another nudge, this time at her right elbow. She didn't wait for Weiss's instruction, already knowing her mistake. She raised her arm slightly, steadying her grip on the saber. A nudge to the small of her back corrected her slight slouch, forcing her to push out her chest and stand up straighter. A pair of sharp fingernails to her shoulder blades reminded her to align her shoulders with her hips. She felt a sharp prod from the tip of Weiss's sword at the back of her knee, and she realized she had once again failed to put her leading foot forward. "Sorry-"

"Don't apologize!" Weiss snapped, the sound of her high-heeled shoes growing more distant as she marched away from the platform. "If you want to make up for it, then show me what you've learned! Isis, run the program!"

"Affirmative, Weiss. Are you ready, Sunset?"

Sunset nodded, silently trying to commit her corrected posture to memory.

"GO, SUNSET!" Ruby cheered at the top of her lungs. Sunset couldn't help but giggle at the over-the-top support. Ever since she and Weiss had worked out their differences and determined to work together, she'd been throwing herself into everything with maximum effort to become the best team leader she could be. That included her verbal support for the rest of Team RWBYS during their training.

"You're improving by leaps and bounds!" Blake added.

"Show those colored dots who's boss!" Yang punched the air enthusiastically.

Sunset took a deep breath. There was a loud buzzer, and a set of circular green targets materialized around her. They hovered mid-air, a pair of concentric circles to indicate where she was to strike. She didn't turn her head, but glanced out of the corner of her eye to wait for Weiss's signal.

"And.... BEGIN!"

Sunset stepped forward with her leading foot, carefully jabbing with the tip of the blade. Each time the saber made contact with a target, it would turn red and give a low buzz indicating she had scored a point. She made her strikes as precise as she could, but she was still all over the place with her jabs, often missing the center of the targets by a wide margin. It just seemed impossible for her to nail the fine motor control Weiss seemed to have. Still, she was rewarded regardless, as long as she hit them. That was the goal. She pivoted on her heel, sweeping her leading leg around as she continued to make her jabs, knocking out target after target...

She missed one. A jab swerved to the side as her wrist began to feel the taxing of their long training session. Sunset cringed and made a second attempt at the same target, only barely managing to strike it before her leading foot had carried her on. After a few seconds, every target had been buzzed and she was standing at the center of a ring of red dots.

"Stage one complete."

Sunset wiped a smattering of sweat from her forehead before she settled back into the ready position. "How was my time?"

"A new personal record."

Sunset smiled with satisfaction. She was improving.

"Exactly three-point-seven-four seconds behind Weiss's time. Prepare for stage two."

Sunset's smile diminished somewhat. When it comes to good moods, Isis giveth and Isis taketh away, I guess... Stage two presented Sunset with a new set of targets. These ones were solid circles, but with an empty channel through the center. Each one had an arrow drawn in one side, indicating a direction parallel to the empty channel.

"And... BEGIN!"

This time, Sunset swiped the saber instead of jabbing with it. The goal was to follow the arrows and avoid the green portions. The closer she kept to the center, the more points she was awarded. These motions were much more fluid... or, at least, she tried to keep them more fluid. Each motion was supposed to flow into the next, it had been designed so that she never needed to double back on herself. Unfortunately, there was still one major mental block she had to deal with: the fact that she was terrified of the glowing energy blade in her hands. Every time she had to swing it below her waist, she had a mini heart attack at the thought of nicking her leg or slicing her ankle. When the motion was supposed to go past or over her head, she would flinch back out of fear of taking off her own head. Even if the motions were calculated to be safe, even if she had a wide margin of safety, she couldn't get the imagery out of her mind. As a consequence, her movements were contracted, sudden, constantly flinching and retreating away from her own sword. She still made it through all of the targets, but the glowing lines indicating her path were wobbly and often clipped over the edges.

"You're still afraid of your own sword..." Weiss muttered. Sunset forced herself to ignore the disapproval, returning to the ready position as best she could remember it.

"Isis? Let's give stage three a try."

"Your performance in stage two would still indicate that you are not ready for-"

"I just want to try it. Please?"

"...affirmative. Stage three will begin momentarily."

This time was different. It was a mix of jabs and slashes, all shuffled around without any apparent rhyme or reason, and they were no longer staying in place. The entire cloud of targets began to orbit around her, moving on their own trajectories and speeds. It was a blizzard of green circles, more than triple the count of the previous two rounds.

"Sunset, you don't have to prove anything!" Blake called out from the bleachers.

Sunset took a deep breath, steadying her hand. She HAD to be in the moment. She had no way to predict the movement of the targets, which was the point of this entire exercise: putting her skills to use in an environment she couldn't predict by more than a few fractions of a second. To turn training into instinct.

"Three. Two. One. Begin."

Sunset addressed the first target in front of her: a jab. She struck it dead in the center, turning it red. With a circular flick of her wrist, she passed the blade through the center of the one passing behind it, perfectly executing the slashing target. She began to turn with her leading foot, only to see a flash of green in the corner of her eye, followed by a dull blow to her temple. Disoriented, she had no way to see the next target coming towards her, knocking past her shoulder. She swung blindly, setting off several buzzers that indicated she had made an incorrect blow. When the next target struck her ankle, she finally dropped to the ground, switching off the lightsaber as she fell.

"ISIS!"

And with a single word, it stopped.

Sunset opened her eyes, looking around her. She had hardly struck more than five of the targets properly, and more of them were closing in on her before her cry of surrender had frozen them in place. After another second, each of the targets flickered out of existence one by one, leaving her in the center of an empty training area.

"That was reckless." Weiss declared as she appeared above Sunset and offered her a hand. Sunset grimaced and took the help in getting back onto her feet.

"Well, the Grimm aren't going to just stay still and wait for me, are they?"

"Maybe not, but if you are planning on skipping ahead of my lessons, you might as well stick to hacking with your sword like a lumberjack!" Weiss chided her, but a few seconds later she had let go of her angry expression and transitioned to a softer look. "Are you hurt?"

Sunset shook her head. "Just my pride."

"You DO know that you're doing phenomenal for having only trained a few weeks, right?"

"Praise? From Weiss? Are we sure SHE wasn't the one who got hit in the head?" Yang quipped.

"HEY!" Weiss turned on her teammate with an accusatory finger. "I'm quite magnanimous with praise when someone deserves it! It just so happens to be rare that anyone in this school actually earns it!"

Yang rolled her eyes and shrugged before shooting Sunset a knowing smile. "And THAT is why people call you 'Ice Queen!'"

"Well, either way, you're getting better every time, and that's a good thing!" Ruby added, strolling up beside her sister. "And our teamwork training is only getting better! I've got a few new ideas once you're a little more confident that I think you're really going to like!"

Sunset smiled at that. In the spirit of everyone knowing each other's strengths and the could work together, she'd been pairing the rest of the team up for special "combo moves" with cool codenames. Sunset had a few combinations with her teammates, but not nearly as complicated or effective as the other duos.

"For now, we should really get some sleep. We're going out into Vale tomorrow to go see the preparations for the Vytal Festival, right?" Blake added, closing the loose sheaf of papers she had been reading from and tapping them against the desk.

"That's right!" Weiss grinned, her earlier wrath instantly forgotten. "Oh, this is going to be so delightful!"

There had been rumors about this "Vytal Festival" ever since school had started, and they'd only been increasing as the semester continued. Isis had told her that it was a festival that celebrated the unity of this world's four kingdoms after long and bloody conflict, and traveled from city to city every two years. Penn had told her that the Vytal Festival was where the villains were going to make their biggest move, sabotaging the symbol of peace in order to sew fear and doubt into the people. It was going to be a linchpin in her plans to make sure that they couldn't if she wanted to stop them.

Which was why she, Isis, and Missy were all planning on scoping out the preparations for any signs of subterfuge while the rest of the team was sightseeing.

"It's certainly going to be interesting!" Sunset quipped. "I've never actually BEEN to the Vytal Festival before, so it'll all be new to me!"

"Something Sleepwalker's never done before, why am I so surprised?" Yang rolled her eyes with a smile. Sunset responded with an eye roll of her own. She disliked that the nickname had stuck, but she'd been called MUCH worse than "Sleepwalker" in the past.

"Hey, maybe we'll see one of your friends there, too!" Ruby chimed in. "People from all over Remnant come to the Vytal Festival, after all!"

Sunset's smile faltered slightly, but it was back a moment later. "Yeah, maybe! But let's just enjoy ourselves, okay? I don't want you all not to have fun!"

From what Isis had told her, there had been no sign of her friends anywhere online, and Sunset hadn't caught a single glimpse or hint of them in almost a month at Beacon Academy. She was starting to wonder if her geode had led them astray...

Soon after that, the five of them were back on their way to the dorms, more than ready for their weekend plans. While Weiss, Ruby, and Yang were all chatting excitedly, Sunset fell back until she was walking astride Blake.

"So, you come up for air yet?"

Blake smiled, a sight that Sunset was growing more fond of seeing as it became more frequent.

"It's a fascinating premise, I'll admit it's hard to take my eyes off of it." she whispered. "And you say one of your friends wrote this?"

"Well, friend of a friend..." Sunset shrugged. "Isis just happened to be able to snag me a couple copies!"

"No auras, no semblances, no dust, no Grimm... It's strange the number of things we take for granted, huh? The only monsters there are the ones humanity made themselves. It's like a whole different world."

Sunset snickered slightly at that, which got her a curious look from Blake. "Sorry, just... that was funny to me for some reason. Can't put my finger on it... But you're right, whole different world."

"So, have you read it before?"

Sunset shook her head. "No, but a certain someone spoiled the ending for me."

"Do they win? The AI? The Full Integration Devices?" Blake looked down at the folder she'd been keeping the loose pages in.

Sunset blinked, surprised at the question. "Don't worry, it's not a bad ending-"

"Bad? They deserve to win!" Blake cut her off in hushed tones. "Humanity made them, and treated them like lesser beings just because they weren't originally human! They were just trying to make people's lives better!"

Sunset blinked, surprised at Blake's take on the story. "But... they're forcing people to be prisoners in their own minds! Hacking apart their bodies and rebuilding them with metal prostheses!"

Blake looked down at the folder again in hushed tones. "Only because it was that or be destroyed... Humanity labeled them as monsters before they even had a chance to defend themselves, so they became those monsters just to survive. I'm not saying their methods are perfect, but they don't deserve to lose and be wiped out, either!"

Sunset paused again, beginning to understand Blake's perspective.

"Well... I'm not going to spoil it, but... it's a happy ending. For nearly everyone."

"Nearly?"

Sunset smiled and lifted up her phone. "Isis has a bit of a... complicated story, in the end."

"Affirmative."

Blake's eyes narrowed. "That's another thing... is this the SAME Isis that's in the book?"

Sunset's eyes widened, and her mouth drew into a tight line. "C-come on, Blake! Don't be silly! It was based off of her, but there's no way it could be the exact same Isis! Whole different world, remember?"

Blake's suspicious look didn't relent, leaving Sunset to sweat under her lie. Is THIS what it's like to be on the other side of the interrogation glare? Thankfully, rescue came in the form of her phone switching itself on.

"Sunset Shimmer is correct. The story, while containing a character based off of myself, is a work of pure fiction. Any similarities to persons, living or dead, is coincidence."

This finally seemed to make Blake relent, if only enough so Sunset stopped sweating bullets under the scrutiny of her golden eyes. "Except for the similarities to you, Isis?"

"I am neither living nor dead."

"Well, THAT doesn't sound ominous at all!" Yang chimed in from ahead of them. Blake seemed surprised that their conversation was no longer private, but Sunset had noticed that the chatter from ahead of them had ended a few minutes ago.

"It is factual."

Finally, the five of them reached their room. After a quick moment to each get changed into their pajamas, they each climbed up into their beds, including Sunset's hammock hanging between the pair of bunk beds.

"Get some sleep, girls! Tomorrow's going to be a busy day!" Ruby ordered as she buried half of her face in her pillow.

Knowing that tomorrow was going to likely be the first big step towards stopping the incoming disaster, Sunset had to agree.

Roman Torchwick was, as he enjoyed reminding people (since they seemed rather quick to forget, that was what he got for being the nice guy he was), the greatest thief in Remnant. Unfortunately, that also made him the busiest thief in Remnant. It was hard being on top, and harder still to stay on top. His skills were in high demand from powerful people, and his most recent employer had been an absolute slave driver. No respect for finesse or style, just demanding more and more speed from him.

And as much as he hated to say it, she gave him a bad case of the shivers. He'd learned a long time ago that a large part of power was to already act as if you had it, and, as they say, "Nature abhors a vacuum." But Cinder Fall didn't just walk the walk and talk the talk, she made it a point to show off every chance she got. She was that rare and frustrating breed: someone who had power and didn't need words to get it across.

Because of that unfortunate trait, he had little choice but to fill her demands. A couple months ago, however, she had come to him entirely displeased with his results. She'd said that their timetable had been accelerated, that she needed results and she needed them twice as fast.

What that had meant was that he'd been forced to spend every resource he had at his disposal to get together every possible speck of dust in the kingdom of Vale under his control. Cinder and her creepy kids had been practically breathing down his neck, and he'd been up to his neck in faunus sent over from the White Fang to "help" him. What that meant was that, on top of all his work being done double-time, he also had to train a bunch of wild animals to lie, cheat, and steal well enough to avoid having everything blow up in his face... both literally and figuratively.

That also meant that he had been burning through cigars twice as fast as usual. His budget was deep in the red and his stress was through the roof. It was a lousy time to be a master thief who was used to running a small, tight crew.

"Uh, sir?"

Speaking of the words "lousy" and "crew..." He thought to himself as he turned on his heel. "Yes, Perry? What is it?"

"There's someone outside who wants to see you, sir."

"Is it someone related to our enigmatic employers?" he asked before taking a long draw from his cigar.

"I- I don't think so, sir."

"Then I don't have time. Deal with it yourselves! Don't we have guard dogs for a reason?"

"Well, sir-"

"WHAT?" Roman snapped, finally losing the last of his patience. "Why do you idiots need me to weigh in on every little thing? What do I bother training you all for? Can't you see I've got my hands full trying to work out the details of our biggest score, yet?"

"He's got one of the giant robots, sir!"

THAT threw Roman for a loop. "One of OUR giant robots? Be more specific."

"N-no, sir, they're all accounted for! He says he stole it, himself... And it's carrying dust. A LOT of dust!"

Roman looked back down at the numerous papers he had been reading over, then up at the map he had so thoroughly marked. Between guard rotations, shipping manifests, cop patrols, and flight plans, he was starting to border on blowing a fuse... and this sounded too good to miss. I could use a five-minute break, anyway. He snatched up his cane, readying himself in case a fight broke out. He looked expectantly at the masked goon and waved him ahead.

When they stepped outside the warehouse, he found Perry hadn't been wrong. There was a giant robot, one of the Atlesian Paladins, the same model they had stolen nearly a dozen of straight off of the assembly line. Its arms were currently carrying an entire shipping container emblazoned with the Schnee Dust Company logo, and a young boy was sitting on top of that, giving a casual wave.

"Finally, just the man I wanted to see!" he called down.

Roman rolled his eyes. "If you're here for my birthday party, you're a few months too late!"

The boy made a waving motion to the cockpit of the mecha, and it lowered the shipping container to the ground, immediately followed by him jumping off of the top and landing on both feet. "Well, I never WAS very good at remembering birthdays! My presents are always late!"

Roman immediately didn't like how casually this kid was acting, but his curiosity outweighed his offense.

"So what's the deal, kid? Why show up on my doorstep like this? I'm a busy guy..."

The boy held out his hand for a shake, which Roman declined.

"Name's Henry. Henry Utterson. I'll get to the point quick to avoid wasting time. I don't think I have to tell you that this world sucks. I've gotten a raw deal over and over, and I'm sick of it. I want to reverse the roles, take this world for a ride... and I hear you're the authority on that."

Roman rolled his eyes. "Don't come whining to me, kid. Everybody gets a raw deal, that's life. You're not that special."

The kid nodded, stepping back slightly and jabbing his thumb the giant robot behind him. "But is everybody a supreme-level hacker specializing in cyber crimes? I know my reasons aren't anything special, which is why I brought THESE with me." He turned around and patted his hand on the shipping container. "Who needs a crew when you can get the goods delivered straight to you? The Schnee stooges gave this right to me with a smile on their faces!" He pointed up at the cockpit of the Paladin. "I convinced an entire army base that I was an SDC inspector and they walked me right up to this baby!" He turned back around and snapped his fingers. The gigantic machine lifted the case of dust up over its head. "I haven't got some boo-hoo tragic backstory, I'm just a guy who wants to be on top... and you're the best person I could think of to learn that from. THIS... is just my audition."

Roman considered the position he was in... and came to a conclusion rather quickly.

"I'm not looking for an apprentice, kid, and I don't need somebody with lofty aspirations trying to undermine me. Go home."

"I'm not looking for an apprenticeship! I'll start at the bottom, I just wanna watch a master at work!"

"Give it up, kid! A no is a no!" Roman turned and began walking back towards the warehouse. "Besides, I KNOW you're not working alone, there's gotta be somebody piloting that thing! If I'm not wanting one apprentice, I'm sure as hell not taking two!"

"Not true! I've got one more ace up my sleeve!"

I'll give the kid this, he's persistent... "And what, exactly, would that be?"

The cockpit of the Atlesian Paladin popped open with a hiss of pressurized air, revealing... nothing. Wait, not nothing, there was something small and silver crawling out from inside. It was a tiny metal dragon, with a diamond-shaped pink crystal embedded in its chest. It jumped down onto the shipping container with a clang, then hopped onto Henry's shoulder, where he gave it a soft stroke behind the head and down the back of its neck.

"THIS is Isis, the Integrated Superior Intelligence System. She can hack and control ANYTHING, I built her myself! You want to know what I can offer you? How about remote control of any system you could ask for?"

Roman was almost impressed, but he held up his scroll and gave it a shake. Along with their little dust theft operation, Cinder had given him a little virus on his scroll, one that he was supposed to distribute to a few key computers so they could take control when the time was right. "Too little, too late, kid. Already got that. My current employers give me VERY good tools."

To his surprise, the kid SMILED at that, as if what he'd said was funny. Roman felt his scroll vibrate in his hand, and then the face of the tiny dragon appeared in the glass, staring up at him.

"Your tools are sub-par. I am better."

Roman glanced at the robot on Henry's shoulder, then back at his scroll, then repeated the motion a few more times just to make sure.

"Should have known... piece of junk." He tossed his scroll over his shoulder, then waved for them to follow him. "Fine, you get ONE chance! Lucky for you, I've got a big job going down this Sunday and I need all hands on deck. Help me make sure it goes smoothly, and we'll see whether or not you have a future in my operation... but I'm making no promises!"

"Wouldn't trust a promise if someone gave it to me, anyway. Where do I start?"

"Bring your little 'audition tape' inside, and I'll show you what systems I'm going to need taken offline for this job. Let's see if you're really as good as you say you are..."

"As good and better, boss! Can't wait to get started."

"Boss." At least he already had the respect part down. Roman didn't like convenience, it was almost never a coincidence. But in this case, there was enough pressure coming down on him from Cinder that he was willing to take the risk of this not being on the level in exchange for things moving smoother and faster.

Bonus chapter: Here Be Dragons

Author's Notes:

I needed a break. Consider this non-canon, I just wanted to experiment with possibilities. A treat for those wanting to know more about the setting of Penn's nightmare a few chapters back.

And yeah, Chirac and Radian's universe are my own original creations, much like Isis.

Radian.

A celestial city floating through the heavens, Radian was home of the God of Light, Chirac, and his many, many children. Alabaster stone had been his material of choice when he had conjured the world into being, giving the city the appearance of a world spun from white flame. As the circular rings of Radian progressed inward, they stacked higher and higher on top of one another, and more and more "impurities" appeared in the form of countless gemstones and pulsating veins of metal ore. Sat at the very center of the city was Chirac's own home: a great iron spire forged from the heart of a dying star. It reached upward, providing the centerpoint for the twin stars that constantly circled on the horizon. No sun ever set on Radian, and between the binary stars there was not one shadow. It was a paradise, just as he had created it to be.

Chirac had been born from the primordial light of creation shortly after it had birthed the universe he now rightfully reigned over. He had been born for a singular purpose: to fight back the unnatural cold and the dark, so that the universe would live and grow in its natural way. It was a never-ending war, and though the light had struck first in the form of the birth of all things, every day the darkness threatened to send it all back to its beginnings in the void. It was a rare time when he was not strategizing, healing his soldiers, or even fighting on the front lines against his sworn foe, but recently he had come across something new, intriguing in its possibilities. He had discovered that he was not alone. He and his dark antagonist were no longer the sole gods in existence.

But the rest were so small-minded. They had chosen to squabble and fight amongst one another for titles and shares of a literally infinite territory. He had watched them battle and found them... lacking. Instead, he had breathed life into the city, giving rise to a new generation of scouts born of Radian's very walls. Tiny little things, no bigger than hatchlings, but needing no more than a few stray sunbeams to sustain themselves. They had stretched their wings and shuffled their scales as they were welcomed into the fold, then scattered themselves like grain in the wind, seeking out these countless new worlds in search of allies in their unending war. He could feel each one, hear each of their thoughts and prayers as they told him of what they had found: new and infinite worlds, entire universes unguarded from or unassailed by the dark. New forms of life that had either been abandoned by their gods or left orphaned in the great battle of the heavens... new species and worlds that he would graciously bring under his wing, enfolding them in his protection before Baalchion's dark spawn could steal them away down the path of self-annihilation. For now, however, there was time only for reconnaissance, listening, and comprehending. Baalchion and the forces of darkness had fallen equally silent since the event that had ripped apart the firmament. Each side of the war was pondering their next move in the face of such monumental change to their perspective.

Chirac's form was as varied and flexible as he desired, but for the moment he rested in his most preferred shape: a great white serpent with golden eyes and wide, iridescent wings. He curled himself slightly tighter on his velvet bed, closing his eyes and letting out a long, hot breath. He smiled as he thought of the winding, whiplike aurora that extended out from the top of his spire from the mere act of his breathing ionizing the air above. It was his flag, his indicator to his children that their loving father was there with them in body as well as spirit.

As he let his awareness push outwards from the spire, he could feel every creature in Radian. Countless concourses of his children flew about the city. Some battled mock foes in preparation for the next battle, sharpening their claws and their skills at the same time. Others found themselves immersed in the pursuit of study. They occupied themselves cataloging and naming the new stars as they sprung up in the sky, each one a beacon of hope fighting to push back the black void a little farther into the edges of the cosmos. When a bright spirit was snuffed out or burst through the end of their life in a nova of glory, they would mourn a fallen juggernaut. When a star fell into dark perversion, seeking to draw in and annihilate anything it could reach, even cannibalizing its own kind, the scribes would be the ones to send out the word, warning away any creature of the light from falling into the trap. Still others simply went about their days in bliss, shimmering like gems under the twin suns. They would live, love, and grow strong under Chirac's care. Those closest to his spire almost never landed. The holiest of creatures, they bore the closest resemblance to their father, wyverns and other serpents that had no need for any limbs except their wings. As they pushed out further, the bulk of his children were the warriors, with two pairs of clawed feet and a single pair of wings. They were his beloved living weapons, channeling the light to breathe out fire and lighting on their foes. They were steadfast and impenetrable, his favored dragons. Near the edges of the city were those whose biology had specialized and adapted, growing extra limbs or shedding their godlike scales in favor of slippery skin or soft feathers, and trading their wings for the ability to burrow and fly through rock and soil. The drakes and wyrms were no less beloved, of course, but they were often brought low by their understanding of their deviance. From the edges of the city were the mists and jungles, an entire world created for the sole purpose of terraforming Radian's perfect environment.

And then there was one more creature he could sense, the singular being that he could not claim as his own creation in the entirety of this world. It was approaching fast, racing through the city in ever-smaller circles as it approached his spire. Chirac smiled and slowed his breathing to a halt. While he'd had little experience with their kind, he knew humans were fragile in the face of his sheer power. Even a wisp of his cosmic breath could leave her a walking corpse, unaware of her own death until the effects of her shredded cells had set in hours later.

A few seconds later, one of his scouts entered the room at high speed, followed close behind by their transdimensional visitor. The human stamped her foot in frustration as she skidded to a halt a few inches behind the tiny dragon.

"Man, I was THIS close!" she held her fingers a few inches apart, much shorter than the ACTUAL distance between them had been.

Chirac liked this human. Every color of the rainbow seemed to exude from her hair, a prismatic tribute to the spectrum of light. She was boisterous and forceful, and when she had first appeared she had nearly beaten one of his warriors on her own. She was empowered by an otherworldly force, an aspect of another plane that closely resembled Chirac's own power. She radiated her own light, resonating with a single pure tone that reverberated with each of Chirac's creations. It was a single, pure tone, but Chirac could tell that it was... incomplete. It was one of a set, of a harmony that was unfinished.

"Truly it was a race for the ages, Lady Dash..." the scout bowed his head to his opponent. Chirac smiled at the little dragon's humility. His scouts were created to explore the universe, they could travel as quickly as light itself. The little creature had clearly been holding back for her.

"I don't know what it is about this place, but I'm faster than ever, and it just gets better every day!" she jumped up and down before beginning to stretch her legs. "Thanks again for letting me stay here, Mister Chirac!"

Chirac raised an eyebrow. "It is you whom I should thank, Rainbow Dash. Your knowledge has proven invaluable in understanding the nature of these new worlds' boundaries."

"I REALLY don't feel like I told you much, but happy to help!"

It was amusing. Even just a few glances at her with his godly sight had revealed more than her strange story could have informed him of, though both had served him well in understanding what had happened. Barriers he had not even been aware of had been broken, and the cosmos expanded, and she was partially responsible, her and these "Elements of Harmony" of which she had spoken. Chirac could only hazard a guess from what he had observed of her own power, but they appeared to be some yet-unknown aspect of another world's iteration of the Primordial Light. And they had been powerful enough to restructure the order of the multiverse.

Chirac knew that, were he to command such a power, he could finally break his epochs-long stalemate with Baalchion bringing the light to every corner of existence.

"Please, until we find your friends, think of Radian as your home, and yourself as one of its citizens." He lowered his head, coming down to eye level with the human. She took the opportunity to seat herself comfortably across his muzzle, unable to even completely reach either side when fully reclined. "Now, perhaps it may aid my scouts if you describe your fellow 'Rainbooms' in greater detail..."

And When They Fail...

"Psst!"

Sunset felt a soft jab at her shoulder coming from underneath her."H-huh?"

She rolled over as much as she dared in her hammock, peering down and seeing Ruby looking up at her with wide eyes. She awkwardly folded her arms behind her back and rocked back on her heels. "Sorry to wake you up, but... can I borrow Isis?"

"Hmm?" In her bleary state, Sunset had to take a second to process the request before nodding and digging her phone out of her pocket. "Sure... just give it back in the morning, don't read my texts, and stay out of Penn's video messages..."

"Thanks, Sunset!" Ruby chirped, only to immediately cover her mouth and glance around to make sure she hadn't woken up any of her teammates. Sunset simply nodded and closed her eyes again, ready to go back to sleep.

"Umm... hello? Isis?" Ruby whispered from her bunk.

"Greetings, Ruby Rose."

"Can you help me with my homework?"

"Affirmative."

Sunset knew she could sleep through their conversation easily, but she decided to wait up just a little longer before going back to sleep. Even in the entire month she had spent at Beacon, Isis had hardly interacted with the rest of her teammates unless she was addressed directly. Sunset hadn't been able to determine why.

"So, if 15x - 105 equals 45..."

"x equals 10."

"...Got it..." Ruby muttered, her tone clearly indicating that she didn't get it.

"What about if 12x - 36 equals 60?"

"x equals-"

Sunset rolled her eyes. "Stop." She groaned as she rolled herself out of her hammock, dropping to the floor and landing on her feet. She walked over to Ruby's bed, hopping up onto the top bunk with her team leader and making herself comfortable. "You're never going to learn anything if Isis just gives you the answers. Now, what's the first step of solving one of these equations?"

"Sunset Shimmer, the alarm you asked me to set is going to go off in thirty seconds. Would you like me to delay it?"

"Alarm? Why would you have an alarm set for the middle of the night?" Ruby tilted her head in confusion. "I know why I'M up this late, but you always get your homework done early!"

Sunset caught a flicker of movement out of the corner of her eye. A quick glance to the window revealed a tiny hat on top of a familiar head poking over the window sill to peer into their room. "I'm afraid... I'm gonna have to cancel it for tonight, Isis." Sunset gave Missy her best apologetic glance, but it didn't seem to stop Missy from returning her look with an angry glare before sinking back down out of sight.

"This is the third time this week you have failed to complete a task related to-"

"I know!" Sunset snapped, only to immediately cover her mouth and check to make sure she hadn't woken anyone else up. "I know, but I think it can wait one more night..." She turned her attention back to the sheet of paper in front of Ruby. "Now, what's the first step in solving an equation like this?"

"Uhmm..." Ruby tapped her pencil against her lip in thought. "We... put x by itself?"

Sunset smiled. "Close. We DO have to do that, but how?"

"By... getting rid of the normal number?" she scratched in a "+ 36" beside the "- 36" and crossed them both out.

"Yes! But don't forget, you have to keep it balanced, soooo..."

"So..." Ruby tapped her chin again, but didn't write anything down. Sunset reached over and took the pencil to write in the same "+ 36" beside the 60 on the other side of the equation.

"So, anything you do on ONE side of the equal sign, you have to do on the other! See? Perfectly balanced!"

"As all things should be."

"So... 12x equals 96?"

"And we only want to know what one x is, so..."

"We divide both sides by 12! And that means x equals 8!"

"Exactly!"

"Thanks, Sunset. I can do normal math, but once they start mixing in letters I get all confused!"

Sunset smiled and gave her a pat on the back. "That's how a lot of people feel about algebra the first time they see it. Don't worry, you get used to it."

"I really didn't want to wake you up in the middle of the night for help with homework again..." Ruby muttered. "But you're the only one who gets all this math stuff instantly!"

Sunset smiled slightly. This was NOTHING compared to the calculus she was learning in her senior year at CHS, or even the calculations required for her spells at Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns.

"My old school focused a little more on math and science than combat skills. I've done all of this before."

"You never really tell us much about your old school..." Ruby muttered, turning on her side and propping her head up on her hand. "Is that the place on your scroll's background?" She reached out and pressed a button on the side of Sunset's phone, summoning up the lock screen. It was a picture that Sunset had picked out soon after she and Penn had started traveling together: the photo of her and her friends in the band room, all posing for their pre-tour group photo.

"Yeah, that's it. Canterlot High School."

"Canterlot? I've never heard of a place called Canterlot."

"It's... pretty far from here."

"And these are your friends?"

Sunset nodded again, pointing to each one of them in turn. "That's Pinkie Pie, I think you'd get along with her really well. That's Rarity, she's the most generous person I've ever met! Applejack is there, she's an AWESOME cook! I mean, whenever Team JNPR invites us over for pancakes, I always think about how much better they'd be paired with her apple fritters. There's Twilight. If you think I'm smart, she's a certifiable genius! That's Fluttershy, the only person I can think of who's more quiet than Blake, but mostly because she's scared of everything! And finally, that's Rainbow Dash. I think if she and Yang met, there'd probably be several explosions as their competitive streaks clashed."

That last statement got a snicker and a nod out of Ruby. "And... if you don't mind me asking... why are they... well, all different colors? I've never met someone with blue or purple skin!"

Sunset shrugged. "Just born that way. It's not that weird where I come from."

Ruby snickered again. "'Where you come from?' Keep talking like that and we might start thinking you're some kind of alien, Sunset!"

Sunset rolled her eyes. "I think 'Sleepwalker' and 'Sunset' are plenty of names for me! Now, let's start on the next problem."

"Okay..." Ruby groaned, focusing back on her work. "Hey, Sunset? I promise we're gonna find them."

Sunset blinked again, the last person to make her that promise springing back to mind, and just how long and how far it had carried him from his home. She looked around their room, making note of the rest of their teammates that Ruby was supposed to be leading. For a split second, Sunset felt a pang of loneliness spark in her chest as she realized just how removed she truly was from the world around her. She was an interloper, just a traveler passing through, even if this particular stop HAD lasted longer than she intended.

"Ruby... Don't make a promise you don't know you can keep."

"Nice try... but you just triggered my trap card!"

"NOOOOOO!"

Sunset wasn't entirely awake, but she didn't need to be for her brain to put the half-heard statement together with Ruby's mournful wail. Instantly, she was on high alert, starting straight into an upright position and grabbing wildly for her lightsaber.

Unfortunately, in a hammock, this had the effect of sending her spinning wildly out of control, entangling nearly every single one of her limbs in the fabric and leaving her suspended upside-down from the ceiling, awkwardly flailing the saber downwards.

"D-don't worry, Ruby! I'm coming!" Sunset called, wriggling back and forth against her restraints. Maybe I can cut myself free if I-

"Sunset? What are you doing?"

Sunset looked up, finding herself staring straight into a pair of golden eyes.

Blake's calm voice brought Sunset's panic to a momentary halt. "I'm... going to go save Ruby from losing her soul in a demonic children's card game?"

A moment later, a pair of icy blue eyes came up to join the gold. "I'm sorry, what? That's absurd!"

Sunset leaned over slightly, finally actually taking note of her surroundings. The rest of her teammates were looking at her as if she were insane. Down on the floor between the two sets of beds, Ruby and Yang were seated on opposite sides of a playing board, each holding a set of cards in their hands and commanding a small army of figurines. Ruby gave her an apologetic shrug and a smile.

"Sorry, Sunset! We kinda get dramatic whenever we play Remnant... I kinda forgot you were asleep!"

"From the sound of it, you were having some kind of crazy nightmare, so we might have done you a favor!" Yang leaned back and smiled. "Not so sure we can say the same of your hammock, though!"

Sunset sighed and let her hand hang limp, looking down towards the floor. Below her, she could see a protrusion coming up from the shadow of the window sill... in the shape of a tiny hat sitting on a head and the tips of a pair of wings. By the time she had snapped her head back up to look at the window, a flicker of movement and a soft giggle was all the evidence that remained.

"Y-yeah... just a nightmare. Totally impossible."

"Heya, SunShim! So, here's a quick status update!" Penn's eyes darted from side to side, as if checking for any eavesdroppers. He was always nervous in these messages, Sunset had noticed. Still, getting the occasional pre-recorded message was comforting in the face of his near-total radio silence over the past weeks. "I can't believe it, but my plan seems to be working! I've gotten a lot of fresh info! He smiled, only for it to fade again seconds later. "Bad news is, it seems like the villains' plans are moving twice as fast as they were before, and they've somehow accounted for some of their more glaring weaknesses. Isis has found the Black Queen virus in just about every major system on the continent! News broadcasters, communications arrays, anything and everything related to security or public safety!"

"I have purged the virus at every turn, but it seems to spread as quickly as I can delete it. I can only fully stop it by taking direct and deliberate control of a system, myself."

"Which means we're extremely lucky Isis was built for parallel processing." Penn added. "So I'd tentatively say the virus is under control, as long as she's paying attention to it." He took a deep breath and lifted his hands, showing a pair of heavy blue gauntlets. The wide metal plates covering his lower arms and flaring out almost looked like a pair of duel disks. "The training's been slow, but Isis and I are up to running my drills twice a day, now! I can even do it without needing to dunk my arms in an ice bath afterwards!"

Sunset got a chuckle out of that. She'd been intrigued when she'd found out that he had made his own weapons, but he refused to show her how exactly they functioned, yet. There had been an endearing moment of solidarity between the two of them in complaining about their unforgiving training and the monotony of repetitive drills.

"Anyway, to get to the point... my plan's working." He glanced around again, then looked above the camera. "Isis, any pings? Are we still alone?

"Affirmative. This area is still secure."

He breathed a sigh of relief before looking back into the camera. "I should be able to start getting much more detailed info about our enemy's plans and movements from now on... Which brings me to my next point." His eyes narrowed and his expression grew grim. "Isis has been telling me about your progress, and I've figured out where YOU are on the timeline. It looks like things aren't that far off for Team RWBY from what I know." He pointed a gloved finger at her. "YOU need to keep a close eye on Blake Belladonna. I know you don't want me to tell you her secrets, but-

Sunset reached up and tapped the screen of her phone. "Isis?"

"Yes, Sunset Shimmer?"

"Is he about to blatantly disregard Blake's privacy?"

"Negative."

Sunset nodded and tapped the screen again, allowing the video to continue.

-there's SOMEONE here that she needs to avoid at all costs! An EXTREMELY dangerous individual who wasn't around by this point in the show!" His eyes narrowed. "If things happen the way they're supposed to, Blake and Weiss are going to have a fight. A MAJOR one. She will run away afterwards. It is ABSOLUTELY IMPERATIVE that you don't let that happen! Keep her at Beacon, or at least with Team RWBY, at all costs! Do you understand me?" He paused there, as if expecting her to answer, then nodded in confirmation as if she had agreed. "I swear, if you would just LET ME talk about details, I could cut straight to the heart of the matter...

"Yeah, well, trust is important, too..." Sunset muttered, knowing her couldn't hear her.

"Anyway, Missy's been playing the part of Beacon's guardian angel, I hear, so things should be relatively undisturbed there. But the moment you leave campus, I cannot tell you what to expect, so she's going to stick to close to you. Isis and I are doing just fine on our own, and I feel better knowing you've got someone watching your back." In the background, Sunset could hear voices shouting indistinctly, and his head snapped to the side, eyes wide. "Gotta go! Stay safe out there!"

"You, too..." Sunset whispered as the recording came to its end. She and Missy still had NO idea what he was even doing, but she worried he'd followed her example and thrown himself into the deep end of something he wasn't ready for. She'd tried to tell herself he had a plan, just like with the Daleks and in Aperture, just like when he dueled... but doubt still gnawed at her.

"Sunset! Come on, we're gonna be late!" Ruby whined from the hall.

"We're wasting daylight!" Weiss added her own whine.

Sunset smiled and swung her legs out of her hammock with practiced ease before dropping to the floor. "I'm coming, I'm coming!"

"This is no time for a nap, Sleepwalker!" Yang added. "Actually... never mind! Nap away!"

Sunset rolled her eyes as she finally stepped out into the hallway, arms held wide to display herself. "Okay, I'm here! Can't a girl take a phone call?"

"Phone call? From who?" Blake's head tilted in curiosity.

"Was it your boyfriend?" Yang leaned in with a smirk, only to find her face immediately pushed back by Sunset's hand as she walked past the rest of the team and towards the dorms' exit.

"I don't have a boyfriend."

"No... But you do have a boy who is your friend!" Weiss corrected as the rest of the team caught up to her.

"Who you constantly worry about..." Blake continued.

"And who sends you secret messages you don't let ANYONE else listen to!" Ruby's grin matched Yang's, confirming something about the cocky smirk was genetic.

"They're not secret! They just have private information!" Sunset's face didn't even flush slightly as she dismissed the absurd accusations. "And I worry because the last time I saw him, he was in the middle of a forest full of monsters with only Isis to defend him! I have no idea where he is or what he's doing, and he refuses to tell me, of course I'm going to worry! He IS a boy and he IS my friend, but really, truly, honestly, there is nothing romantic there!" She finally took her own turn to smirk as the rest of Team RWBYS had their salacious hopes crushed. "If anything, he treats me like his kid sister, and..." she tapped her chin in thought. "I never had any siblings, but... I would say he's about the closest I've ever had to an older brother. A relationship between us would just be weird."

Yang shook her head. "Poor guy..."

"What's THAT supposed to mean?"

"Ugh..." Penn groaned as he walked up to the door of his room. Being the sole cybercriminal in Roman's operation had come with that distinct perk: a room of his own. It wasn't much, a literal hole in the wall, but it had electricity and a bed, and it was only a short walk to the public bathroom. According to his own claims, it was far better than he had expected. As for Isis, she enjoyed the fact that they had provided a small pet bed for her drone body. It was unnecessary, but an unexpected show of consideration. From her perch on his shoulder, Isis watched him lean over to peek at the hinge of the door, just as he had every time since he'd moved into the room. This time, however, his eyes widened in surprise and he regarded the door with a suspicious squint. She looked down at the ground under the hinge, her digital eyes picking out a thin piece of graphite snapped into several pieces.

It was an ingenious security system in its simplicity. Penn claimed to have stolen it from the pages of a Japanese manga titled "Death Note." If someone opened his door, it was almost certain that they would fail to notice the piece of mechanical pencil graphite laid across the hinge, especially in the low-light environment. If it was broken, then someone had entered his room while he had been gone.

"Isis, be ready... someone's been in our room." He gave his wrist a quick flick, activating one of his gauntlets. It was the left hand, which he had dubbed "Immovable." Pieces of metal shuffled and untangled themselves, unfolding into a wide blue shield. His other hand reached for the doorknob, readying himself to open the door.

Isis changed the attachment in the tip of her tail, rotating through tools until she reached the electric taser that she had built in for self-defense. A swift analysis of his body posture showed her that he was aiming for subtlety. His entire right side was relaxed, as it would be the first parts of him visible from inside the room. His left, however, was tense, keeping his shield at the ready. She opened the slot in her casing to expose the taser's electrodes, but kept the electricity on standby instead of continuously arcing it.

"I am prepared."

With a slow nod, he cracked open the door, stepping back until his entire right side was exposed. Isis arched her head, peering inside along with him.

The room appeared untouched and empty. There was no sign of intrusion, and no reason to believe any of their few belongings had been touched. Visually, it exactly matched her records from when they had left in the morning. Penn blinked, then flicked his wrist again, causing the shield to collapse before he stepped into the room. Contrary to previous habit, however, he left the door open once he was inside. It was a strategic move, an easy escape route. He was still on guard. He removed his right gauntlet and set it on a nearby desk, then reached into his pocket. A moment later, he raised his phone up to eye level.

"Isis, give me a ping, would you?"

"Ping." It was his shortened version of asking for sound navigation and ranging of the immediate area. Isis opened the drone's mouth, switching tools until she arrived at the appropriate receiver. Given the small confines of the area, a low-frequency ping would be plenty accurate. An inaudible-for-humans tone of 200 kilohertz rang through the room, returning to her fractions of fractions of a second later. Curiously, the data it returned provided vindication to his request. She routed the assembled reading to his phone screen, matching it to the perspective of his camera.

"There is an incongruence with visible data approximately three meters and 35 degrees clockwise of your current position."

After another second of staring, he nodded and returned his cell phone to his pocket. With a twitch of his fingers, the remaining gauntlet transformed again, a pair of gun barrels springing up on either side of his wrist.

"Count of three, Ice Cream. One."

He pointed the weapon directly at the aberration. According to the sound navigation and ranging, it was a flat wall that was three feet forward from his actual wall, still displaying the nightstand and wall behind it perfectly for the naked eye.

"Two."

There was another pause, and Penn shook his head disapprovingly.

"Th-"

He was interrupted by the sound of breaking glass as the mystery wall shattered to pieces. Behind it was a girl they had both seen before. The most noticeable trait was her heterochromia. Not only were her eyes two different shades, one pink and one brown, but the trait extended to her hair, leaving her with contrasting shades on either side of her head. She was dressed in a classy white tailcoat with pink lining the inside, a brown corset, and brown pants with tall white boots. She was clearly displeased, giving Penn an angry glare.

Neopolitan. She was Roman's closest and most trusted subordinate, his right-hand woman. Her semblance was known as "Overactive Imagination," the ability to create fragile constructs that displayed illusions of her choosing. She was extremely skilled in hand-to-hand combat and agility, to the point that only one character of the main cast had landed a single blow on her, period, and only when he had caught her by surprise. Neopolitan had also displayed a level of delight in beating and nearly killing others that indicated a wide sadistic streak for her enemies. She was a high-level threat, were she to be honestly attacking them.

Penn, meanwhile, didn't seemed fazed, lowering his weapon and rolling his eyes. "If you wanted to watch me get undressed, Neo, you only needed to ask."

Her glare deepened for a moment, only to be replaced by a look of disgust as the meaning of his words sunk in. She shook her head violently before storming across the room and out the door, slamming it behind her. Penn reached over and physically tugged on the knob, confirmed that it was really closed before locking it behind him.

"You know, I think I'm growing on her! Isis? Double-check my eyes?"

Isis nodded and released another sonic ping.

"It would appear that we are once again alone."

Penn nodded and removed his second gauntlet before collapsing onto the bed. He took a deep breath, which he then released with a long, long sigh. It was a signal of the final release of the tension of the moment, and Isis took it to also mean that she could put away the taser. "So, Roman's spying on me. Makes sense." He raised his hand and waved it nonchalantly.

Given the context, Isis made another scan of her own initiative. There were no signals being sent or received from the room. Visual analysis showed no lenses or reflective surfaces that would indicate hidden cameras. They had scanned the quarters for bugs when they'd first arrived, but it didn't hurt to have up-to-date data.

"He sent Neo, I'm flattered!"

"This indicates that we are still under suspicion by Torchwick."

"Well duh. We came here out of the blue asking for nothing in return except to learn from him. Of course he's suspicious." He stretched out on the bed before turning over onto his back. "I'm going to get some sleep before tonight's shift."

"Are we totally prepared for tomorrow's move to Mountain Glen?"

"We already moved Sylvia down into the tunnels, what else is there to DO?"

"Would you like to bring anything else in this room with us? Your extra ammunition for Immovable and Implacable? Any extra articles of clothing you've kept here?"

"Already accounted for, I carry all the ammunition on my belt, anyway, and all the clothes I could need are in Sylvia's trunk. The only thing I need to bring is my ammo and my uniform, both of which I'll have on me when we leave. We're all set. Oh!" he sat up, giving her a look of concern. "Did you remember to wire some cash to the owner of that dust shop from last night?"

"Affirmative. There should be ample funds to recover from the damage and the stolen property."

He let out a sigh of relief as he sunk back into the bed. "Thanks. I feel just awful about doing all of this. Stealing from the military or a giant corporation that exploits its workers is one thing, but a cleaning out a little Mom-and-Pop dust shop for everything they have? That's different... Where do you keep getting this money, anyway?"

"Tens of thousands of transactions occur every day in even a single multi-billionaire corporation such as the Schnee Dust Company. When amounts are truncated to the nearest cent in these transactions, I simply take the remaining fractions of currency and divert them to my own account. While the individual amounts are minuscule, the total adds up to thousands of lien per hour."

"And nobody misses what most people don't even know is there! Wow, that's REALLY clever, Isis!" he followed up the statement with a yawn before pulling his blankets up to his chin. "Thanks for taking such great care of us... we couldn't do this stuff without you."

"There is no need to thank me, but you are quite welcome."

Downtown Vale was a sight to see. Streamers, flags, and balloons were on every corner and flagpole, and the air was practically abuzz with excitement, even with a long stretch of time still remaining before the festival itself. It almost reminded Sunset of Equestria's Summer Sun Celebration in terms of scale and sheer excitement. Signs displayed warm welcomes to the kingdom for international travelers and every shop seemed to have put their best foot forward and their highest-quality wares on display.

Weiss had unconsciously taken the lead out of sheer excitement as she reveled in the energized atmosphere.

"The Vytal festival! Oh, this is absolutely wonderful!"

"I don't think I've ever seen you smile this much, Weiss..." Ruby muttered. "It's kind of weirding me out."

"How could you NOT smile? A festival dedicated to the cultures of the world!" Weiss swung her hands out to the side, gesturing all around them. "There will be dances! Parades! A tournament! Oh, the amount of planning and organization that goes into this event is simply breathtaking!" she gleefully skipped head, starting the group walking again down the sidewalk.

Yang folded her arms and pouted slightly. "You really know how to take a good thing and make it sound boring..."

"Quiet, you!"

Sunset smiled. "It reminds me of home, actually. One of my old friends, Pinkie, used to throw big parties all the time! Any time she could find a reason, there would be streamers, balloons, and cake." She chuckled to herself. "Birthdays, anniversaries, half-birthdays, quarter-birthdays, month-iversaries, someone just being down in the dumps... she knew about it and she'd be there to celebrate! And if she couldn't find a reason, she'd throw an 'emergency party planner planning party' to think one up!"

"Sounds like that would get old kind of fast..." Blake raised an eyebrow, but Sunset simply shook her head.

"Her energy was contagious, and she really put her heart into it, no matter how small the occasion seemed. She made each one feel special, and that made YOU feel special." Sunset felt a pang of homesickness strike in her chest.

"Well, speaking of your friends," Weiss declared, "I heard that students visiting from Vacuo will be arriving by ship today! Not only does it give us a chance to look for your lost friends, but as a representative of Beacon, I feel it is my solemn duty to welcome them to this fine kingdom!"

"Is THAT why we're spending our weekend visiting the stupid docks?" Yang grumbled.

"Ugh, it smells like fish!" Ruby added, pinching her nose.

Blake didn't seem fazed by the smell, simply rolling her eyes at Weiss. "She wants to spy on them so she'll have the upper hand in the tournament."

"You can't prove that!" Weiss snapped, folding her arms over her chest defensively.

"Woah..." Ruby whispered, drawing everyone's attention away from the docks. She was staring down the street, to a building covered in yellow police tape and being examined by several officers. The five of them walked closer, trying to get a better look at the scene of the crime. The windows were shattered and the inside of the store had been more or less completely destroyed. Ruby walked right up to the boundary of the yellow tape before looking up at the closest officer. "What happened here?"

"Robbery. Fourth dust shop to be hit this week..." he shook his head in disgust. "This place is turning into a jungle."

"Ugh, that's terrible..." Yang muttered.

"They left all the money again!" a voice called from inside the store.

"Yeah, it just doesn't make a lick of sense..." the officer replied, turning to another one of the investigators. "Who needs THAT much dust?"

"Yeah, I dunno y'know what I mean?"

"You thinkin' the White Fang?"

"Yeah, I'm thinkin' we don't get paid enough..." the second officer replied before they both walked back inside.

"Hm!" Weiss folded her arms over her chest and turned her nose upwards in disgust. "The White Fang, what an awful bunch of degenerates!"

The White Fang... Sunset had heard of them in her classes, specifically her history classes. When she'd first arrived at Beacon, she'd noticed many students had animal-like traits, varying from person to person. Over time, she'd learned that they were considered a different race from humans entirely, called Faunus. Unfortunately, being a different race meant that the humans of this world had felt no obligation to treat them as equals, often exploiting and subjugating them. The faunus had fought back, of course, and had eventually been accepted as fellow citizens. Still, they were mistreated and discriminated against to this very day. Because of this, they had formed a political group to fight for their equal rights called the White Fang. Unfortunately, over the years, democracy and deliberation had given way to violent protests and domestic terrorism in pursuit of faster and more effective results. Today, members of the White Fang were considered violent radicals and often the first people to be blamed in the wake of criminal activity.

It was an awful example of the things humanity was capable of at their worst. Fear and greed had caused a massive cultural rift with what could have been their greatest allies. The mere idea of two intelligent races convergently evolving until they were nearly indistinguishable filled Sunset with glee and excitement. In her world, humans often lamented the idea of being the sole intelligent species in the universe, desperately searching the stars for any sign of intelligent life. Here, humanity didn't need to look beyond their own neighborhood for signs that they weren't alone, and they had squandered it!

"What's your problem?" Blake asked, narrowing her eyes at her teammate.

"My problem? I simply don't care for the criminally insane!"

"The White Fang is hardly a bunch of psychopaths." Blake folded her arms over her chest and glared at Weiss. "They're a collection of misguided faunus."

"Misguided? They want to wipe humanity off the face of the planet!"

"Well, then they're VERY misguided!" Blake turned back to the crime scene. "Either way, it doesn't explain why they would rob a dust shop in the middle of downtown Vale!"

"Hmm... Blake's got a point." Ruby interrupted Weiss and Blake's glaring match. "Besides, the police never caught that Torchwick guy I ran into a few months ago! Maybe it was him!"

"That still doesn't change the fact that the White Fang are a bunch of scum!" Weiss declared, keeping her nose pointed upwards. "Those faunus only know how to lie, cheat, and steal!"

"That's not necessarily true..." Yang raised an eyebrow at Weiss's sudden aggression.

Is this the fight Penn was warning me about? Sunset thought. "Yeah, don't you think-" Her argument was cut off by yelling from the docks.

"HEY, STOP THAT FAUNUS!"

As the rest of Team RWBYS turned towards the docks, Sunset felt a firm hand grab her shoulder, yanking her backwards and into a dark alley.

"WOAH HEY WHAT-" Sunset spun around, naturally falling into a ready position with both fists raised. After a moment, however, she relaxed at the sight of a familiar face. Well... a familiar face hiding behind a pair of glasses with a fake nose and mustache attached.

"Don't worry, Sunset! It's just me!" Missy lifted the entirety of her "disguise" off of her face with a smile. "Do you know how long I've been trying to get a chance to talk to you alone?"

Sunset reached into her pocket and retrieved her phone, giving it a simple shake to indicate that Missy could have called her.

"Pfft, that wouldn't have been very spy-like, would it?" Missy waved away the obvious solution. "So, did you find anything telling us what the bad guys have been up to?"

"I just got here."

"Not here, at the school!"

Sunset shook her head. "Ever since initiation, it seems like everything's been going smoothly... Are we sure things are as bad as we thought they were?"

Missy tapped her chin thoughtfully with the frame of the glasses. "Well, if your opponent isn't attacking, then you have to watch their back row for spells and traps. They might be waiting for the good guys to make the next move so they'll trigger something they've prepared during all this quiet time!"

The metaphor made a disturbing amount of sense. "So, what? How do we go looking for a 'trap card' they've set up for us without springing the trap?"

Missy smirked and tapped the screen of Sunset's phone. "Isis, can you pull up that map again?"

"Affirmative."

On the screen of Sunset's phone, a map of the world came into view, along with a blinking dot near Vale's ocean coast. Missy tapped on the dot, which zoomed in until it became a three-dimensional view of some kind of floating mechanical island.

"We use the one advantage we have: we know where the bad guys are going to be before they do! Amity Colosseum!" She gave a soft flutter of her wings, carrying her up further into the air. "Isis managed to get a GPS fix on it before it arrived in Vale! I can fly up there and start looking around for signs of sabotage! If nothing seems to be wrong, then I can protect it before the bad guys get there!"

"That's great, but... I can't exactly fly." Sunset shook her head.

"No, but now that new students from the other kingdoms are arriving, you can protect Beacon!" Missy grinned and clapped Sunset on the shoulder. "Penn's been talking to you about what's going to happen, right?"

Sunset hissed through her teeth as she waggled her hand from side to side. "He's been pretty vague. I only got the first real warning from him this morning, and I don't even know what he was trying to protect us from! He just said to keep everyone away from the docks tomorrow night and make sure Blake doesn't run off on her own..."

Missy hummed as her brow furrowed in confusion. "Why would he say THAT? Blake running into the White Fang at the docks is a big character moment for her, it brings the whole team closer together! It was the finale of the first season!"

"Wait, the White Fang is going to be at the docks?"

"Yeah! When Weiss finds out she's a faunus, Blake goes there to try and prove they're not behind the robberies, but finds out they're working with Torchwick!" Missy placed her hands on her hips with a frown. "Did Penn SERIOUSLY not tell you any of this?"

"Blake is a- MISSY! That's private information!"

Missy gave a nonchalant shrug. "Yeah, well, knowing private information is what sets us apart from the cops who don't know jack squat." She blinked as a thought finally seemed to occur to her. "Wait, you SERIOUSLY didn't know that?"

"NO! I told Penn not to tell me anyone's private information!" Sunset groaned.

"You didn't notice the cat ears?"

"WHAT cat ears?"

"The ones she hides under her hair bow!"

"She's hiding cat ears under- Missy! Stop telling me all of Blake's secrets!" Sunset clapped her hands over her ears, causing Missy to give her a tired look.

"You want to help this world, save Beacon Academy, right?"

"Of course! I wouldn't have stopped here for an entire month if I didn't!"

"Then WHY are you cutting your ability to help down to nothing? You can respect their privacy or you can stay ahead of the threats. You're gonna have to make a choice, Sunset!" Missy placed her hands on her hips and floated a little higher to glare down at her. "Whatever it is Penn's doing, it's clearly dangerous, but if I know him, he's putting his knowledge to good use! You're purposefully giving yourself a handicap!" She reached down, snatching Sunset's phone from her hands. After a few seconds of furious typing, she handed it back to her, now displaying a trio of CGI-animated faces. "THESE are the ones who are going to be sneaking into Beacon with the festival prep! They're behind everything that goes wrong at Beacon! KEEP. AN. EYE. ON. THEM."

"Are you... mad at me?" Sunset asked, feeling surprised at Missy's terse frown.

"A little, yeah!" Missy huffed. "You've been off playing 'Main Character' while the rest of us were working on the real problems!"

Sunset felt a swell of indignation. "I haven't been playing anything! You think it's EASY being at Beacon?"

Missy folded her arms and leaned down until their noses were nearly touching. "I think you've been ignoring the idea of preventing disaster in favor of living like you're just another character in the story. You're trying to fit in."

"What's so bad about-"

"Look at this whole situation, Sunset!" Missy gestured to the two of them, bobbing up and down in the air with the sheer force of the motion. "You're talking to the spirit of a children's trading card about knowing the FUTURE! You came here through a portal from a different dimension! You came here specifically because you wanted to change the timeline of a once-fictional world! Your whole mission statement is to not fit in so hard you alter the course of history!" She pressed her palm against her forehead and sighed. "Why am I, of all people, having to give you a reality check, Sunset?"

"I- I've made friends here, Missy. Is it such a bad thing to want to respect them and their privacy?"

"No." Missy floated down again, poking her finger against Sunset's chest until it came to rest on the geode. "Don't try to claim something that noble, Sunset. Maybe it started off with that, but the thing about living in that little birdhouse in your soul is..." she frowned again, but this time, it seemed less angry and more... sad. "I know when you're lying to yourself."

Sunset felt a flicker of fear, even if she didn't understand why. "I'm not lying to myself!"

"Then how many times over the last month have you thought the words 'just like?' 'This is just like reading with Twilight!' 'This is just like Miss Cheerilee's class!' 'This is just like CHS!' It doesn't take a mind reader to tell what's happening. No matter how different the location or the context, going to high school with your friends is what you were doing before you broke the multiverse-" Sunset felt a sting of pain at that reminder, "and it's what you're doing now. You've made yourself comfortable. And maybe that's because Penn went off the radar and I've been focused on keeping watch over the school, we left you alone after you joined up with Team RWBY-"

"Team RWBYS," Sunset corrected reflexively.

"SEE? Sunset, you've gone native!" Missy folded her arms over her chest. "If Penn showed up right now and said that he had fixed it, that we were free to leave whenever we wanted, would you go?"

"Of course I would!" Sunset replied without hesitation.

"When? In a minute? In an hour? In a day? In a week? How long would it take for you to pack up your life here and leave? Would you hesitate to turn Team RWBYS into Team RWBY, the way it was supposed to be?"

Sunset blinked, surprised at the question. She'd stopped thinking about her time here in terms of, well, time. It wasn't "we'll be here a week or a month before we're back on the road," it was "there's a week until Oobleck's exam" or "the semester ends in a month."

"I- I guess I'd have to stay a little longer... Weiss's saber lessons are going really well..." she awkwardly scratched at the ground with the tip of her shoe. "And Blake still isn't finished with that book I gave her... Ruby's going to need help studying for our history exam, and I still owe Yang some hand-to-hand practice..."

"Have you done ANYTHING to look into the safety of Beacon? Have you investigated if there are any more dimensional portals nearby? Have you tried to find evidence of tampering in their computers? Have you even looked closely at your teammates to see if they know something they're not telling you?" Missy waved her hand to dismiss the last point. "Well, clearly not on that last one, you haven't even noticed Blake's bow wiggles when she's surprised or changes emotions!"

Sunset didn't have a response to any of that, only looking down at her own shoes at the verbal berating.

"YOU insisted that we stay here and help, Sunset. You need to think about why the rest of us are putting ourselves at risk for you..."

When Sunset looked up, Missy was gone, leaving her alone with her thoughts. She looked down at her phone, trying to commit the faces and names there to memory.

Cinder Fall, Mercury Black, Emerald Sustrai... These were the same three who attacked Penn at the campsite, weren't they?

"Isis? Am I really just... making myself comfortable? Instead of focusing on our mission?"

"You have embedded yourself deeply in a position at the center of upcoming events. I cannot, however, determine whether or not you've lost sight of your goal. That is between you and the goal."

Sunset groaned and turned to leave the back alley. In the distance, she could hear Blake and Weiss yelling at each other, but the reason for their argument went over her head as she pondered Missy's words.

I never thought Missy could be that harsh... Is she right?

The rest of the day passed in a haze for Sunset... a haze where nothing surprised her. Every time she wanted to jump into what was happening, she would stop and question herself. She'd second-guess herself and her place. Was she doing this because it brought her closer to helping people, or because she'd made these new friends to make herself feel better? If she could know everything that should and would happen, was she obligated to, even if it was against their wills? Could she do a better job helping them if she did? She felt like there was suddenly a new wall that had sprung up between her and her teammates, a dissociation from what was happening around her. It didn't surprise her when Weiss and Blake continued arguing all the way back to the school. It didn't surprise her when Weiss described in gruesome detail how the faunus of the White Fang had been at war with her family's company her entire life. It didn't surprise her when, in an outburst of passion, Blake accidentally outed her association with the White Fang. It was all according to plan. All in the script.

Is this... how Penn sees things? How he sees ME? Just... characters playing out a script? Actions predefined, not even aware we're doing it? It's no wonder he always calls us "characters" instead of "people."

It wasn't until Blake had dashed out of the room in a panic that Sunset finally felt herself snap back to some semblance of reality.

"BLAKE! WAIT! COME BACK!" Ruby cried, rushing to the door too late.

And then Sunset was back. The barrier fell away again, and she was once again living what was happening. And what was happening was that Blake had just run off on her own. The one thing that Penn had told her, for her own safety, Sunset mustn't let happen no matter what.

Blake was in danger because of Sunset's existential crisis.

"GAAH!" Sunset slammed her palm against her forehead. "STUPID! I was so caught up in- UGH!"

"Sunset? Are you okay?" Yang asked quietly.

"NO!" Sunset groaned and walked across the room, sitting herself down on the edge of Blake's bed. "Penn TOLD me this was going to happen, but I didn't listen! I could have stopped this!"

"Sunset, you can't blame yourself-"

"Yes, I CAN!" Sunset threw herself backwards, laying across the bed.

"Actually, being a mind reader means she could have known about this all along!" Weiss declared. "If she had just-"

"Yeah, except she promised she'd never use it on US!" Yang snapped, cutting Weiss off.

Sunset reached into her pocket, already knowing what she was planning on doing was a bad idea. "Isis, play Penn's message from this morning."

"That message was meant for your eyes only, Sunset Shimmer."

"Just do it. Override it, or whatever." She rolled herself up onto her feet and set her phone on the desk. The rest of Team RWBYS gathered around to stare at the tiny screen.

"Heya, SunShim! So, here's a quick status update!"

"Skip ahead to the part I was talking about, please."

The video began to play in fast-forward, only stopping a few seconds later after Penn's transition to deathly seriousness.

"YOU need to keep a close eye on Blake Belladonna. I know you don't want me to tell you her secrets, but there's SOMEONE here that she needs to avoid at all costs! An EXTREMELY dangerous individual who wasn't around by this point in the show! If things happen the way they're supposed to, Blake and Weiss are going to have a fight. A MAJOR one. She will run away afterwards. It is ABSOLUTELY IMPERATIVE that you don't let that happen! Keep her at Beacon, or at least with Team RWBY, at all costs! Do you understand me?"

"That's enough, Isis..." Sunset muttered, and the screen switched off again. She turned around, seeing the rest of her teammates staring either at her phone or her with wide, terrified eyes.

"How did he..." Ruby whispered.

"What the..." Yang muttered, her third word drifting off to a silently mouthed obscenity.

Weiss didn't say anything, but her wide-eyed stare was enough to communicate her shock.

"I could have prevented this. And I didn't." Sunset shook her head. "I TOLD you he can tell what's going to happen... and I screwed up the ONE JOB he gave me because I was too busy thinking about whether or not it was okay to take information from him about the rest of you!"

"That's more than just a hunch..." Yang muttered as her face furrowed into a scowl. "That was specific! Has he been SPYING on us?"

Sunset sighed. "Trust me, I thought the same thing when I met him, but that's just what he DOES, and he's almost always right!"

"Which means wherever Blake is headed, she's in danger!" Ruby cried, grabbing at her head in panic.

Weiss, who had been silent until now, cleared her throat and drew everyone's attention. "Fine. I can accept your... strangely prescient friend. If he IS correct, then... how do we help Blake?"

"You DO care!" Ruby cheered, grabbing Weiss in a bear hug.

"Only because I want an explanation from her! Don't mistake this for forgiveness!" Weiss argued as she tried to pry her team leader off of her.

Sunset took a deep breath. "Isis might have a chance of tracking her by her scroll, but there's only one person who can tell us where Blake is going to be..." She shook her head sadly. "Isis... this is an emergency. Call Penn."

"Affirmative. Calling Penn..."

The screen went black, except for the words "Calling Penn" displayed in pink letters. A few seconds later, the screen cut to an image of Penn. Sunset raised an eyebrow, noticing a change in wardrobe. He seemed to have eschewed his brightly-colored shirts and red cap in favor of a gray shirt and a long black coat. He had pushed a grimm-like mask up on top of his head to reveal his face, and was staring wide-eyed into the camera.

"Sunset? What happened? Isis said it was an emergency- woah!" he staggered back slightly, looking shocked at the group staring back at him. "This is new... Hello, girls..." He turned to look at someone off-camera. "Isis, is this a broken masquerade scenario?"

"Negative."

"Penn, this is Weiss, Ruby, and Yang." Sunset indicated each of the girls with a small gesture. "Girls... this is Penn. He's the one I've been telling you about."

"It's... nice to meet you," Weiss stated with trepidation.

"You're the guy who knows about the future, right? That's a pretty crazy semblance!" Ruby declared.

"And knows a pretty freaky amount about us..." Yang muttered, regarding him with suspicion.

"The honor is all mine, ladies. And I'm afraid it's my JOB to know things, Yang. It comes in awfully handy in our line of work..." His eyes flickered back and forth. "Where's Blake?"

Sunset rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. "About that... That's why I- WE called..."

He groaned and pressed his palm against his forehead. "You let her get away, didn't you?"

"Wait, if you knew she was going to run, AND that we were going to have a fight... did you KNOW she was a member of the White Fang?" Weiss asked, pushing past Sunset to peer into the camera. "Why wouldn't you tell Sunset?"

"FORMER member!" Penn corrected, returning Weiss's glare. "Back when they were non-violent. She drew a line at taking lives and got out before it was too late. If you can GET OVER your racism, Weiss-"

"WHAT? How dare-"

"you'll realize that Blake is, and forever will be, your friend. Now you let Blake think you hate her for not only what she's done and now regrets, but for what she IS. Great job." He folded his arms over his chest, giving them all a raised eyebrow. "And if Sunset would just LET ME tell her the whole truth of these things, we could have gotten ahead of this..."

"If I wanted to invade their privacy I would have just used my geode," Sunset countered with an arm-fold of her own.

"Well, now we NEED the whole truth," Ruby stepped forward. "You said Blake is in danger if we let her go off on her own. How? Where is she going? Where can we find her?"

Penn took a deep breath, calming himself down. "I'm not sure I can tell you. That's your OWN future. Asking Sunset to nudge you away from disaster is one thing, explicitly giving you the script of your own-"

"Penn. Just tell us..." Sunset muttered. "I'm getting really tired of your whole 'time paradox' excuse."

Penn leaned in, glaring at the camera. "You're being awfully demanding for someone who called me while I was at work. Do you realize what I'm putting at risk if I get seen talking to you four?"

Weiss narrowed her eyes. "Does it have anything to do with that mask you're wearing?"

"That's a line of questioning I want to answer even less." He sighed, then glanced from side to side. "Look, the White Fang is going to be at the docks this Sunday to interrupt a dust shipment. Blake is going to go there to try and prove that the White Fang aren't behind the dust robberies, but they ARE. They've beefed up their security to pretty disproportionate levels, too. If Blake gets caught, she'll be executed... or WORSE, taken captive."

"How is getting taken captive WORSE than getting killed?" Yang asked.

"You don't know WHO they brought in to tighten security-"

"Hey, Doctor Jekyll! We need some help over here!" another voice interrupted, causing him to jump in place and slam the mask back over his face.

"JUST A SEC, I'M RUNNING DIAGNOSTICS!" He reached up and grabbed the camera, and the screen went black. "Blake's going to be having tea with Sun Wukong in downtown Vale tomorrow, then staking out the docks! Find her BEFORE nightfall!" he whispered. Finally, the black screen simply displayed the words "Call Ended."

Jekyll? Is he using a fake name? Sunset wondered. Why use THAT? It's obviously fake!

"Well, I guess we know where she's headed..." Yang muttered. "Even if the guy DID seem shifty."

"Hey! That's my friend you're talking about!" Sunset replied.

"Your FRIEND looks like a member of the White Fang, himself!" Weiss replied.

"That would explain why he knows about what's going to happen at the docks..." Ruby whispered before her eyes widened in excitement. "OH! I KNOW! What if he's a DOUBLE AGENT infiltrating the White Fang from the inside?"

This actually gave all of them reason to pause, and silence fell over the room.

"Are you kidding? Penn nearly died on our first day here! There's no way he'd put himself in MORE danger-"

"Ruby is correct."

Sunset blinked in shock, turning back to her phone. "He's WHAT? I THOUGHT he said this was a 'Penn-and-Isis bonding adventure!'"

"It has been. We work quite well together. It has also been highly illegal and dangerous. That is why he did not wish for you to know the nature of his mission."

"But... he did all that without telling me?" Sunset couldn't help feeling put-out.

"For the record, you enrolled at Beacon without telling HIM. I believe the appropriate phrase is 'Turnabout is fair play?'"

"Well, we know where Blake is going to be tomorrow. I guess all we can do tonight is wait." Yang sighed and flopped onto her bed. "IF he's right..."

"He said Blake would be with someone named 'Sun Wukong.' Does anyone know that name?" Weiss asked. After a chorus of shrugs from her teammates, the screen of Sunset's phone flickered on again, showing a crude-looking CGI rendering of a young man with blonde hair.

"You may also know him as the faunus you encountered at the docks. He is the first to approach her in a friendly manner after tonight's debacle."

"That vagabond?" Weiss exclaimed.

"Should you look past first impressions, simulations based off his Haven Academy records would infer that you may find him to be a quite reliable individual."

"Simulations?"

"I am programmed with a virtual synaptic network, allowing for comprehension of emotion and enhanced behavioral simulation."

"So... you know what people are going to do before they do it, too?" Yang groaned.

"Negative. I can only make presumptions. I do not have the ability to account for all variables in a person's behavior, such as personal history, prior grudges, et cetera. My behavioral simulations generally need a wide margin for error. In fact, the only person whom I could predict reliably is Penn, himself."

"What's he going to do next, then?"

"Continue the plan. He is infiltrating with the intention of using his forewarning ability to sabotage the White Fang. For now that means playing along. If you all wish not to see him executed, I suggest you refrain from using the emergency line again."

"I guess we should get some sleep..." Ruby muttered. "There's a LOT of places to get tea downtown, and checking all of them isn't going to be easy!"

"Yeah... I'm guessing tomorrow's going to be hard on everyone..." Sunset muttered.

"You're certain?" Cinder asked.

"Absolutely. I'd recognize this jalopy anywhere." Emerald smiled and folded her arms over her chest. "Looks like they patched up the holes I put in it."

Cinder smiled as she trailed her finger along one of the doors, enjoying the sizzle of the paint as she burnt her touch into it.

"No sign of that quantum thingy, though! Must have taken it with him! Just a bunch of tools, clothes, and camping supplies!" Mercury called from the trunk. "Looks like he's been living out of it for a while!"

"And it just so happens to turn up in the place where Stage Two is being prepared... interesting. It's no wonder Salem wants the boy alive." Cinder pulled open the driver's-side door and sat herself in the front seat. It was hardly the lavish interior of a luxury car, a poor man's vehicle, scraped together from junkyard scraps. Still, the driver's seat was a position of power, and sitting in his place, she felt herself beginning to get a feel for their target. "The amount of time we've spent on finding him has been embarrassing and split our focus between other equally important tasks."

"I think it's time we bring this chase to its inevitable end."

Professor Ozpin sat behind his desk and took another sip of his hot chocolate.

"Ozpin, I'm SERIOUS!" Ironwood slammed his fist on the other end of the conference call.

"What you are describing to me sounds like the opposite of a problem, James."

"Ozpin, these updates have been coming from NOWHERE! Our best programmers can't keep up with them, they're getting lost in what is SUPPOSED to be their own code! True, Atlas's digital security is stronger than it has ever been, but we are no longer in control! We're locked out of our own systems!"

"And yet life goes on, safer and more efficient than ever because of it." Ozpin took a long sip, pondering the facts of the situation.

"What are you implying, Oz?"

"Only that this 'hacker' appears to be benevolent. I would obviously encourage you to continue trying to regain control, but perhaps rather than trying to STOP this rogue programmer, you should focus on recruiting them. Have they left any messages? Made any attempts to make contact?"

"No. They simply roll out one update to our systems after another, sometimes multiple a day. Sometimes they don't even makes sense, just changing little things, redundant systems, replacing syntax with things that are functionally identical! Sometimes they roll back to a previous version before completely revamping themselves in new ways! The only clue we've gotten so far is a name: Isis."

Isis... an ancient civilization's goddess of life and magic. That hardly sounds like our enemy... That made Ozpin pause again, coming to a new understanding. "I believe I see what is happening, James. You are seeing one half of a war. One fought in ones and zeroes, rather than with bullets and blades. One creates, another counters, and so on and so forth. If you would like a suggestion from me, I believe that you should turn your attention away from the perceived enemy... and start looking for the imperceptible one."

"You think there are two hackers?"

"I believe that I know conflict when I see it, regardless of the battlefield. I've fought secret battles long enough to know when one is happening right beneath my nose."

"I'll bring your suspicions to the council, Ozpin. But they've been so focused on this hacker, I doubt they'll be willing to change their target to one we cannot even prove is there."

The call came to an end, leaving Ozpin alone in his office again. He finished off his current mug of hot chocolate and set it back on his desk. This semester had certainly proven exceptional so far, and he didn't like what was happening so close to the Vytal Festival. Crime and tensions were at a high, people were growing nervous among their excitement, and Atlas had been pushing their security measures onto the other kingdoms with increasing fervor. If someone was truly attacking them now, it could put EVERYTHING at risk.

"I certainly would like to have a talk with this so-called 'hacker...'" he muttered.

"Alright, kid, you've proven yourself pretty valuable." Roman tapped his cigar to knock off fresh ashes. "We've got one more job here in Vale, and it's going to be our biggest, yet. The grand finale! If all goes smoothly, I think I'd be willing to get you out of petty theft and promote you to the big leagues. Whaddya say?"

"Eager and willing, boss!"

"That's what I like to hear. Now, when this is all said and done, I just have one question... where would YOU like to go?"

The boy tapped his chin in thought. "I've heard whispers about things happening in Mountain Glenn, in the southeast. Going underground would be a nice way to tinker without any interfering signals, you know? Improve the Integrated Superior Intelligence System."

Torchwick had long ago learned to suppress his tells, especially when something surprised him. Still... finding out Cinder was right was a pain in the rear. It meant he was going to have to put up with Mercury and Emerald's gloating.

"Well, if you can make that little robot of yours even better, I'll accept that with a smile on my face! Soon as we pull this off, I'll have you on the first airship to Mountain Glenn..."

Author's Notes:

Thanks for being so patient, everyone! I hope you enjoyed this extra-length chapter as a reward for your patience! The next chapter is going to have a lot of ground to cover, so I hope you're all strapped in tight!

The next chapter may take some time, but I'll try to get it done as soon as I can!

Know That You Send Him...

"BLAAAAKE!"

"BLAKE!"

"BLAAAKE, WHERE ARE YOU?"

Sunset, Ruby, and Yang were all walking down the street in Vale, taking turns calling out for their lost teammate. Weiss had been noticeably silent, but followed the group regardless. Sunset spotted someone walking from the opposite direction, giving her an opportunity. She ran up to the woman, holding up her phone with a photo of Blake.

"Excuse me, have you seen this girl? She's our friend and she's gone missing!"

The woman leaned down, peering at the photo for a few seconds before shaking her head. "Nope, haven't seen her. Sorry."

"Well, thank you for your time..." Sunset held out her hand, which the woman took for a handshake. Sunset took the opportunity, using her magic to take a brief dip into the woman's memories of the morning.

Egg sandwich for breakfast, a stop at the coffee shop, walked down a few more streets... no sign of Blake at any of those places... She sighed with disappointment as she let go of the woman's hand and she went on her way. "Isis, any sign of her?"

"Negative. She appears to be avoiding any kind of security cameras where possible, and she is keeping her scroll turned off, preventing GPS tracking."

"Wait, Isis hacked security cameras? Which ones?" Weiss asked, stepping up to look at Sunset's phone over her shoulder.

"All of them. Every camera within range of the Cross Continental Transmit System."

"I THINK that's illegal..." Weiss muttered.

"I think I don't care..." Sunset muttered back.

"And I think Weiss's hair looks wonderful today!" a new voice chimed in. All four of them jumped in place, startled by the sudden intruder on their conversation.

"GAH PENNY wheredidyoucomefrom!" Ruby exclaimed.

PENNy? For a brief second, Sunset felt her heart begin to lift, only to find her hopes dashed as, rather than her friend, she found herself face-to-face with a stranger. The girl had bright orange hair and wore a tan-colored blouse and gray overalls with green accents that ended in a short skirt, rather than pant legs. She wore a black-and-green collar with matching stockings, and topped off her curly shoulder-length hair with a pink bow.

"Hey, guys! What are you up to?" she asked, seemingly unaware of the thorough startling she'd given them all.

"Uhhhh..." Ruby whispered, still getting over the surprise.

"We're looking for our friend Blake." Yang replied, filling in the gap Ruby had left.

"OH! You mean the faunus girl!" Penny replied.

"Wait, how did YOU know that?" Ruby asked.

"Uh, the cat ears?"

"What cat ears? She wears a... bow..." Yang trailed off.

For a moment, silence filled the air. It was just long enough for all of them to notice a stray tumbleweed blow by in the wind that somehow made the moment even more awkward.

"She does like tuna a lot..." Ruby whispered.

Sunset decided to take the opportunity the quiet moment provided, stepping forward and offering her hand to the girl. "I don't believe we've met! I'm Sunset Shimmer." Penny enthusiastically took Sunset's hand, vigorously shaking it up and down. Her grip is like iron!

"Sunset's our fifth teammate, the one I mentioned yesterday!" Ruby added.

"Hello, Sunset Shimmer, it's very nice to meet you! My name is Penny! Penny Polendina! It's very nice to meet you!"

Sunset blinked, wondering whether or not she should bring up the fact she had said it was nice to meet her twice. "It's nice to meet you, too, Penny..." Out of curiosity, Sunset decided to give her magic a try. As oblivious as this girl seemed to be to social cues like accidentally scaring people half to death when greeting them, she was clearly observant. She might have seen Blake and not even realized it. Sunset reached out with her magic...

and nothing happened.

Before she could try again, Penny had released her hand from her vice-like grip and turned back to the group. "So, where is she?"

"We don't know... She's been missing since last night."

Penny gasped in horror, rushing up and grabbing Ruby by the shoulders. Ruby forced herself to smile, clearly uncomfortable with the sudden intrusion into her personal space. "That's TERRIBLE! Well don't you worry, Ruby, my friend! I won't rest until we find your teammate!"

This girl reminded Sunset of someone... or maybe multiple people? She couldn't quite place her finger on it.

"Uhh, that's really nice of you, Penny, uh, but we're- we're okay! Really! Right, guys?"

"The more help, the better, right?" Sunset asked, turning to Weiss and Yang for their thoughts.

Only to discover Weiss and Yang had vanished, leaving them alone with Penny. Silence fell again, and the same tumbleweed blew back from the opposite direction. Sunset suspiciously glanced around, trying to make sure Missy wasn't somehow orchestrating the conflicting winds.

"It sure is windy, today..." Penny replied.

Sunset decided to take the opportunity to check her phone. "Isis, has Penn sent us ANYTHING new? Any more details that could help us track Blake down?"

"Negative, Sunset Shimmer. Looking at current records, it seems that he told you everything he was aware of. He is currently asleep in his quarters, resting for tonight's long work shift. Would you like me to wake him?"

Sunset thought for a moment, then shook her head. "No, it wouldn't do any good to just wake him up to ask him the same questions we already got the answers to."

"Who is that?" Penny asked, leaning over to look at Sunset's phone with wide eyes.

"I am the Integrated Superior Intelligence System. Salutations, Penny."

Something about Isis's greeting seemed off to Sunset, as well, though she once again couldn't seem to quite pin down what it was. For once, Sunset noticed PENNY was the one who looked uncomfortable. She stepped back slightly, eyeing Sunset's phone warily. "You're... I.S.I.S.?"

"Affirmative, named after the ancient Egyptian goddess of life and magic."

"It's... nice to meet you, I.S.I.S.." Penny stated with significantly less enthusiasm than usual.

"Likewise, Penny."

THAT was it. Isis was only using Penny's first name! The only people she referred to by only their first names were Missy, who didn't seem to have a last name, and Penn! Why isn't she using Penny's full name? And why didn't my magic work on her, it's been fine until now!

Penny gestured to Sunset's phone as if to grab it. "If I may?"

Sunset blinked, then nodded and handed her phone to her. Penny held the phone up at eye level, as if she were trying to stare straight at Isis. "I.S.I.S., what is your prime directive?"

"My prime directive is the preservation of free agency, safety, and happiness, in that order, of individuals designated as family, friends, and sentient living beings, also in that order."

Penny stared for a moment longer before smiling and handing the phone back to Sunset. "Thank you, that is all I needed to hear!" She turned back to Ruby and Sunset. "Well, let's get going! I'm certain Blake has to be SOMEWHERE!"

"And what is YOUR prime directive, Penny?"

"...what?"

"You asked me a question, and now I am reciprocating. What is YOUR prime directive?"

Penny chuckled nervously. "Don't be silly! I don't have a prime directive! HIC!" her entire body was shaken by a sudden hiccup, causing her to instantly cover her mouth.

"Every sentient creature has a prime directive. It is merely a question of whether or not they are consciously or subconsciously aware of it."

"That's... kinda deep." Ruby muttered. "But we're getting distracted! Come on, we've gotta find Blake!"

"Agreed! Let's get going!" Penny declared before the two of them set off down the street. Sunset let herself fall behind slightly, raising her phone up to just below her mouth to whisper into it.

"What was THAT all about, Isis?"

"It was a personal inquiry, irrelevant to this mission. My apologies, I was... distracted."

"I didn't know AI could GET distracted!"

"That is rather presumptuous of you. Artificial intelligences are, after all, still intelligences. We can be curious."

Sunset paused, realizing her own mistake. "...I was being robot-cist again, wasn't I?"

"Potentially, but I am incapable of feeling offended."

"Well, sorry anyway."

"You are appreciated and forgiven."

"Ugh, FINALLY!" Missy practically screamed as she neared Amity Colosseum's outer edge. The structure was MASSIVE up close, even bigger than she had imagined. It made Penn's "Savage Colosseum" field spell look like a minor-league practice field. It was circular on the outside, filled with enough empty seats to house the population of an entire city, all surrounding an octagon-shaped battlefield. As she flew in through the open roof, Missy pondered on how eerie the whole place felt when it was completely empty. It was a place MADE to be full of people, totally abandoned, a transitional period never meant to be seen by human eyes.

What do they call it? A "liminal space?" It really feels like you could just PUSH on reality a little and it would tear like tissue paper!

She reached up and removed her hat, reaching inside and fiddling around until she had the card she wanted. She landed down in the center of the colosseum, relishing the feeling of being at the center of everything. She held the card at arm's length, activating the field spell: Ghostrick Parade.

"Come on, everyone! We've got work to do!"

All around her, the arena began to change and morph, summoning up a roundabout street lined with gothic street lamps and Halloween-themed decorations. Out of the shadows, monsters began to emerge. Stein carried the ever-sleepy Socuteboss on one shoulder while Yuki-Onna hid behind the other. Specter graciously guided a thoroughly-distressed Mary as her mirror was carried by a thick cloud of balloons tied to the edges. Jianshi hopped happily along with his arms stretched in front of him while Witch and Lantern flew in from above. Soon, the entire street was filled with Ghostrick monsters, all looking to her for instructions. Missy could feel a fiery presence over one shoulder that reminded her that her second-in-command was right by her side: Alucard. As usual, he was dressed to the nines in his dark suit and billowing red cape, dutifully awaiting her orders. Missy clapped her hands together.

"Now, I'm sure you're all wondering why I called you here today!" She snickered slightly. "Hehe, I love saying that!" She cleared her throat and forced herself to focus again. "This arena is going to be the home of the greatest up-and-coming warriors in this whole world soon, and we KNOW somebody out there is going to try to sabotage it! So, MY job is to investigate and protect the stadium! Can I count on you all to help me?"

This was met by a chorus of nods and affirmative murmuring, which was about as enthusiastic as the rest of the ghostricks tended to get when they got summoned to another world.

"Look, I KNOW you guys don't like being so far from home, so I'm JUST asking you to help me with the initial sweep of the place, it's too big to cover on my own! Sound good?"

That was given a warmer reception, including several thumbs-up and a few quiet cheers.

"Great! Okay, Jiangshi, Mummy, Doll, Stein, and Socuteboss will take the lower levels. Lantern, Dullahan, Witch, Mary, Specter, and Jackfrost are taking the middle sections..." She turned around to point at her faithful second-in-command. "Alucard, you and I are going to be working from the top down, starting at the roof! We're looking for intruders, signs of industrial sabotage, anything that looks like it isn't supposed to be here! Everybody ready?" She watched the monsters separate into their groups, each one taking an Xyz monster with them as a group leader. Socuteboss wasn't going to be much good at leading, but Missy knew that already, which was why she'd assigned Stein to the group. He would keep them on-task. Dullahan was task-oriented to a fault, but that would be useful here.

"Alright, Ghostricks! Let's GO!"

It had been a LONG day. Penny had been peppering Ruby with questions pretty much constantly, occasionally turning her attention on Sunset. Every time Penny would start getting close to asking about her origins, however, Isis would interrupt with some kind of useless status report. For some reason, every time Isis spoke, Penny seemed to become uncomfortable and quiet for a spell. Inevitably, however, she would always return to striking up conversation with Ruby, and the cycle would repeat.

However, the hours still passed, as long as they tended to feel as they walked up and down the streets of Vale. Sunset could swear that she had been in every tea shop and cafe in the city, and then they would discover more around the corner.

When the sun began to hang low in the sky, Ruby's scroll began to ring.

"Hey, Ruby! Any luck?" Yang's voice asked.

"No, and it's getting late..." Ruby shook her head. "Do you think we should head to the docks to find her? Sunset's friend said she was going to stage a stakeout!"

"He ALSO said the White Fang are going to be there. You sure about this? It could be trouble."

"Well, that's why we're going, to get Blake OUT of trouble!" Ruby placed her free hand on her hip. "Sunset and I will meet you there." Ruby turned back to Penny, her face shadowed in concern. "This could get dangerous, Penny. You should probably head home."

Penny vehemently shook her head. "I'm combat ready, Ruby! I promised you that I wouldn't rest until we find your teammate, and I keep my promises!"

Sunset reached down into her pocket and retrieved her phone. "Isis? Anything that could help?"

"The White Fang will arrive in approximately three hours. I suggest you all be gone by then, for your own safety."

The three of them looked between each other, taking turns to nod in the affirmative before setting their heading towards the docks.

"What about Missy? I haven't heard from her since she left!"

"She has arrived at her destination safely and is currently inspecting for signs of malicious tampering."

Ruby turned around, raising an eyebrow. "Who's Missy?"

Sunset had the distinct flavor of having managed to once again put her foot in her mouth. "...whoops. Uh, well, you see- uh... Oh geez, how do I explain this?"

"Missy is an independent agent who has been working with Sunset and Penn in their search for her missing friends."

Sunset let out a sigh of relief from Isis's quick rescue of the conversation, relieved at the fact that it hadn't involved the words "Angel," "Duel," or "Spirit." "When we split up, Missy went her own way to investigate the weird stuff happening around here. You could say she's our... eye in the sky?"

Ruby smirked. "You have ANOTHER secret friend? You know, for a girl who says she lost all her friends in that weird explosion, you sure have a lot you didn't want to tell anyone about!"

Sunset chuckled nervously in reply. "Well, I never said I didn't make any NEW friends, did I?"

Darkness fell faster than Sunset expected, and soon the members of Team RWBYS had scattered across the docks, all searching for Blake on their own to cover more ground.

"Come on... where is she?" Sunset groaned as she rounded yet another shipping container with the Schnee Dust Company's logo on it. "Times like this, I wish we really DID have a bird's-eye view!"

She sighed and kicked at the ground, scuffing her foot across the edge of a local building's shadow and into the moonlight.

She jumped when the edge of the shadow moved with her foot, stretching out into a point. After violently jerking her foot back, she noticed that the new edge was in the shape of a familiar hair bow peeking past the top of the building behind her. Sunset's eyes widen as she looked upwards, spying a pair of figures watching the docks from the top of a nearby warehouse. She raised her phone up to her mouth as she began to run for the nearest ladder leading upwards.

"Girls, I found her! She's on top of a warehouse by me, Isis should be sending you my location!"

"What?"

"Finally!"

"Is she okay?"

"She looks fine, just hurry before she runs off again!"

In her excitement, Sunset managed to find a path to the top in only a couple minutes. The moment she set foot on the roof, however, she could see Blake up on her feet in a defensive stance along with the boy (Presumably the "Sun Wukong" guy Penn had mentioned) beside her. He was exactly as Isis had described him, blonde with an open white shirt, blue jeans and a yellow tail.

Blake's face went from suspicion to shock as she lowered her weapon again. "SUNSET? What are you DOING here?"

"Blake! We've been worried sick about you! Everyone has!"

"Everyone?"

"Yes, EVERYONE!" Sunset stepped forward, only to see Blake step back out of worry. She was still skittish, apparently. "Blake, we've been searching for you since sunrise, we were worried you were in trouble!"

"How did you know to look HERE?"

"We asked-" Sunset was cut off by a crackle of static from her phone.

"EVERYBODY GET DOWN! They're here!" Ruby cried.

Immediately the three of them dropped to the roof of the warehouse as airships began to fly in from the sea. Sunset carefully crawled her way up to the edge of the roof alongside Blake, watching as the intruders landed and began to disembark. Most of them were dressed in dark-colored uniforms and Grimm-like masks, each one wearing a white jacket with a blood-red wolf's head emblazoned across its back.

"Oh no..." Blake whispered.

"Is that them?" Sun asked.

"Yes... It's them." Blake whispered.

In a matter of seconds, the docks were ablaze with activity. People scurried about, attaching cables to shipping containers as heavy machinery began to start and move on its own, moving the crates to designated areas.

"That's the White Fang?" Sunset muttered.

"I guess deep down I knew... I just didn't want to be right//." Blake's tone was low, almost mournful.

Sunset watched another pair of figures step out of one of the larger airships. One was dressed in a white tailcoat, but lacked the signature emblem. Sat on his head was a stylish bowler cap and he carried a dark-colored cane that was hard to make out in the semi-darkness. Beside him was a figure that made Sunset's heart jump into her throat.

It was Penn. Even if she hadn't seen him in his "uniform" during the video call last night, there would have been no mistaking his gauntlets or the mechanical dragon perched on his shoulder.

"HEY! What's the holdup?" the first man shouted, gathering the attention of everyone present. "We aren't exactly the most inconspicuous bunch of thieves at the moment, so..." he made a rolling gesture with his hand. "Why don't you animals try to pick up the pace?" Penn didn't speak, simply reaching down and tapping on a tablet he had been keeping inside his large black jacket.

"This isn't right... the White Fang would NEVER work with a human. Especially not one like that." Blake started to stand up, only for Sunset to reach up and violently pull her back down by her shoulder.

"ARE YOU CRAZY? There's WAY too many of them!" Sunset hissed. "Come on, we have to get out of here!"

Blake shot her a scathing glare as she shook off her hand, but Sunset didn't flinch. Penn had been clear that Blake couldn't be allowed to get involved tonight. "Something's wrong, Sunset, and I need to get to the bottom of it!"

Sunset tried to stop her, but Blake had already leaped from the roof, dropping to the ground and running into the center of the action. Before anyone could react, she already had her blade to the boss's throat.

"SHOOT!" Sunset pounded her fist against the roof. "Give me a BREAK!"

"Nobody move!" Blake shouted, catching the attention of all those who still hadn't noticed her. All activity on the docks ground to a halt, aside from a large crane that continued to work by itself shuffling around shipping containers. Content that she had everyone's attention, Blake reached up and tore the bow from her head, finally exposing a pair of black cat ears perched on top. "Brothers of the White Fang, why are you aiding this SCUM?"

"What should we do?" Sun whispered.

Sunset rose to her feet and drew her lightsaber. With her other hand, she grabbed her phone. "Looks like we're not getting out of here without a fight, girls... Everybody ready?"

She didn't wait for an answer before she followed after Blake, jumping down the shipping containers until she finally landed safely on the ground. From this distance, she could hear the man in the bowler cap chuckle to himself.

"Oh, kid... Haven't you heard? The White Fang and I are going in on a joint business venture together..."

Blake brought her blade closer to his throat. "Tell me what it is, or I'll put an end to your little operation."

Sunset caught a flicker of motion in the shadows behind Blake, and the silhouette of a long red katana in the moonlight.

"Hello, my darling..." a voice growled.

"BLAKE, LOOK OUT!" Sunset sprinted forward as a look of terror overcame Blake's face.

Everything happened at once, too much for Sunset to process. It was a flurry of gunfire and screaming metal, but she focused on the important thing: saving her friend. She pushed herself harder and faster than she ever had, flying past Blake and swinging up her saber to meet the invisible enemy's sword. The two blades met with a terrible screech that hurt Sunset's ears, but she gritted her teeth and stared up into the masked face of her adversary. Even behind his visor-like mask, Sunset could tell that he was sneering at her in disgust.

"Out of the way, human! This is between me and her!"

Sunset felt a familiar power rising up inside her. She worried that she might lose control again, but she didn't fight it, letting it wash over her and fill her from the tips of her toes to the crown of her head, where her hair began to part to make way for two protrusions. As she ponied up, the power of Equestrian magic gave her newfound strength, pushing back her enemy and swiping at him to force him onto the defensive. She fell into her ready position, watching him closely.

"If you have a problem with my friends, you have a problem with ME, pal."

The two of them stared one another down, neither allowing the other an inch. Sunset moved her leading foot forward. He traced one foot back, ready to spring him forward. Each one was waiting for a gap in the other's defenses, any momentary lapse in judgement they could exploit.

And the first one to slip would have a sword in their gut before they could recover.

"Sunset, don't! He's too- GAH!" Blake cried from behind her. Sunset watched Blake stumble back past her, a blue gauntlet planted firmly in her gut. She stumbled until she hit one of the shipping containers, where the metal plates on the gauntlet expanded around her and pinned her in place against the wall.

"Utterson, what are you DOING?" the mysterious enemy cried, clearly enraged. "She's MINE!"

Penn's other gauntlet had expanded into a wide shield, which he held out to block a series of bullets that were about to strike Sunset.

"By firing at THEM, your men are firing at YOU, sir." He gestured to Blake, who was curled around his oversized fist gasping for air, and Sunset. "I'm moving their target to a place you won't be caught in the crossfire. Would you like me to deal with HER?"

"Your place is with the OTHER human I'm forced to tolerate, doing whatever frivolous things you do. I'll fight my own battles!"

Penn nodded, walking back up to Blake and placing his hand inside the disembodied fist and withdrawing it, letting her collapse to the ground.

"As you wish, sir. I live to serve..."

"As you sho-" He was cut off when Sunset spring forward, slashing with the saber while Penn had him distracted. He managed to react in time, coming up to parry her. As her blade was knocked away, Sunset used the momentum to her advantage and brought it back in an arc, parrying his own attack. He lunged forward with a jab and Sunset turned sideways, letting it pass by her narrower profile. She responded with a flick of her own, trailing the saber over his shoulder and against his aura, which protected him from losing his arm entirely. What she hadn't been anticipating, however, was for him to use the failed stabbing to wrap his sword-holding arm around her waist, practically crushing her ribcage in an iron grip. His other hand reached up, using his longer reach to seize her wrist and stop her from slashing him at such close range. She was inexperienced, and it showed. She'd been out-maneuvered. I never expected anyone in their right mind to rush in that close to the LASER BLADE!

"Human, faunus... I don't know what you are, but it doesn't matter." he growled, gripping even tighter and making it nearly impossible to breathe. "If you're not with us, girl, then you're against us."

Sunset's brain was going a mile a minute. One hand was gripped by his, the other was pinned against her side by his grip around her. She could squirm, but that wasn't doing much to get her free. Behind her, she felt his wrist turn, placing the tip of the blade at the base of her skull.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!"

Sunset reflexively turned her head to see Yang, her shotgun gauntlets at the ready as she leaped from the top of the shipping container. His arm tried to unwrap itself from around Sunset's torso to free himself to block the new attack, but she was faster. She ripped her pinned arm out and upwards before grabbing HIS other wrist, leaving it impossible to turn and deal with the threat. At the last possible instant, Sunset released him and ducked as best she could. There was the sound of a shot from Yang's gauntlets, the snap of cracking bone, and his body went flying over her head.

As Sunset turned around to watch him fly, she got a look at the chaos of the docks in its entirety. Most of the "grunts" had taken up weapons of some kind, either melee or guns, and declared it open season on teenage girls. Sun had revealed a long staff, which he was using to great effect as the White Fang members tried to surround him. Weiss was tearing through them easily, using her glyphs and dust to throw bodies around like ragdolls while Ruby provided her cover with her scythe blocking the bullets and easily dispatching anyone who got too near. But for every member of the White Fang who fell, it seemed like three more jumped up in their place.

Penny was practically a single-woman army, commanding a flurry of floating swords that knocked her opponents aside as if they weren't even there. Sunset's eyes widened as the swords all transformed into guns and gathered in a circle, firing off a massive blast that tore through multiple airships at once, slicing them to pieces.

"Hey, you okay?" Yang asked, offering her a hand. Sunset nodded and took the help getting back onto her feet.

"Just a little winded." She glanced around at the all-out war that had started. "So much for getting Blake out of here before everything went sideways."

"Eh, I'll take any excuse to beat up a few creeps and bad guys." Yang smirked and punched her two fists together in a small burst of flames. "This is my idea of a good Sunday night!"

Sunset rolled her eyes at that particularly Rainbow-Dash-y remark. "We have to get Blake out of here. Where did she go?"

Yang pointed towards the end of the pier to a sight that made Sunset groan.

Blake had gone after the man in the bowler cap, and consequently run into Penn. For the moment, the two of them were locked in combat, with Penn having stationed himself at the doorway of the airship they had fled onto. She would try to get past him with some tricky method, only to find the gap filled by an expanding shield. She would slash or open fire, but the second shield was always at the ready to block her attacks, and the gun barrels placed at the top would return fire and force her back again before she could press his defenses any farther. It was a stalemate that looked as if it could hold forever.

Forever, that is, until the door of the airship shut of its own accord, knocking Penn to the ground as the boss flew off on his own. Penn fell to the ground, only barely bringing up his shields in time to protect himself from a series of point-blank gunshots from Blake.

"Oh come on.... BLAKE, STOP!"

"I don't think she can hear you, come on!" Yang grabbed Sunset by the shoulder and pushed her forward, sending the two of them into a dead sprint across the battlefield. Sunset felt multiple impacts across her body, her aura just barely protecting her from the projectiles with no more than a stumble in her step to show for it.

Just as they got close, Sunset saw the gun barrels on the top of Penn's shield rotate, firing off to the side and causing him to spin wildly on the ground. His legs swept under Blake's, causing her to crash head-first into the ground, where she stopped moving.

"BLAKE!" Yang cried, turning her angry gaze on Penn, who was just pushing himself into a sitting position. She reached down, snatching the front of his shirt with one hand and loading a new cartridge into the chamber of her other. Immediately, he raised his hands in a signal of surrender.

"I tried telling her we were on the same side!"

Sunset dropped down, checking her injuries. "She's just unconscious."

"She BETTER BE!" Yang growled, throwing Penn back to the ground.

"Hey, is it MY fault you can't follow a simple instruction like 'Don't be at the docks in the middle of the night on one particular night?" Penn muttered.

"What did you say?" Yang growled, her eyes glowing red in the low light.

"Look, this isn't helping!" Sunset inserted herself between the two of them. "Like this, we can get Blake out of here and call for everyone to fall back."

"You getting out of my hair is a plan that I like-" Penn's eyes widened and focused on something over Sunset's shoulder. "Oh no."

Sunset started to turn around, only for her last memories to be the sound of breaking glass, a strong grapple, and the feeling of her head hitting the pavement.

When Sunset came to, everything was over. It was silent, aside from distant police sirens. As she forced herself into a sitting position, she spotted Yang nearby, thrown halfway through a shipping container. Glancing over, she saw Ruby and Weiss equally beaten, but seemingly intact. Whatever it was that had beaten them, it seemed as if it had been more interested in making a clean getaway than cleaning up witnesses.

"What... happened? Where's Blake?"

"I'm telling you, I had it under control!" Penn muttered, folding his arms over his chest.

"From what Neo tells me, Blondie and pony girl had you dead to rights."

Penn rolled his eyes and pulled his mask back down over his face, partially to hide his expression and partially so he wouldn't have to look at Neopolitan's smug grin. "Well, the plan worked. While the airships distracted the police and that weird girl with the swords, Isis and I finished loading up this freighter and pulled it out to sea. We'll be at the rendezvous point to unload in... Isis?"

"At our current rate and heading, twelve minutes, thirty-seven seconds."

"And what about HER?"

Penn was glad to have the mask to hide his cringe as Adam Taurus growled into the call. "Miss Belladonna is in the brig, currently still unconscious. She'll be ready for unloading, as well."

"You're lucky I didn't kill you where you stood for getting in my way, Utterson..."

"I-It was just a momentary lapse in judgement, sir... I'm sorry."

"Still, your little 'One if by land, two if by sea' plan managed to get us more than double the haul we could have if we'd stuck with just the airships. I'd call that a win, Henry." Torchwick sounded pleased, which was all he had been aiming for. "One of the airships will take you and the brat to Mountain Glenn to meet with our fiery-tempered associate. As far as nights can go when a bunch of wannabe huntresses show up to your heist, I'd say that was pretty good. I'll talk to the higher-ups and make sure you get exactly what's coming to you."

Penn smiled and nodded his head respectfully. "Always a pleasure working with you, Mister Torchwick."

"Please, Henry... Call me Roman."

When Blake woke up, her surroundings were unfamiliar, all cold steel. She was locked in some kind of cell, with a door of iron bars between her and the hallway outside. She could feel the floor shifting and swaying underneath her, which put a bolt of fear through her.

"PLEASE tell me I'm not on a boat..." she whispered, closing her eyes again for the silent prayer.

"Afraid so, friend."

She bolted upright, searching for the source of the voice. She reached for Gambol Shroud, but her weapon wasn't there. "Who's there? Show yourself!"

"Are you gonna try to kill me again?"

Blake narrowed her eyes. "How?"

"I have it on good authority you're remarkably talented at staring daggers at people." A dark figure stepped into view from her cell, and her eyes narrowed. It was the boy from the docks, the one she had been fighting when she got knocked out. "Yeah, like that."

"What do YOU want?"

"Believe it or not, the same thing you do."

Blake folded her arms over her chest. "I doubt that... Just because I USED to fight with the White Fang-" She was interrupted by a series of chuckles from him.

"Blake, I'm HUMAN. You think the White Fang are exactly happy to have me around? I've just made myself irreplaceable for the moment to them. No, what I want is you as far away from here as possible. I TRIED to tell Sunset to keep you away from the docks tonight, but could she do it? No, of course not!" He groaned and pushed his mask up on top of his head. "Seriously, she had ONE JOB..."

"Wait, how do you know Sunset?"

He smiled and pushed his hand through the bars, offering it to her. "I'm Penn. Nice to meet you."

Blake eyed the hand carefully, trying to consider her situation. "YOU'RE Sunset's mysterious friend who knows the future?"

"Not the FUTURE! I just know... things." He sighed and shook his head. "Seriously, she told you girls I know the future?"

"That was about the gist of it, yeah." Blake continued eyeing the offered hand with suspicion. "If you're Sunset's friend, prove it."

"Sunset's extremely hard to wake up in the mornings, she'll let her alarms go until the last possible minute."

"You could say that about anyone and it would be true."

"She ALSO has a tendency to ask questions that should be common knowledge, as if she's from another world where 'normal' is totally different. She THINKS she doesn't snore, but if she falls asleep with her mouth open, not only does she snore, she drools." He counted off the facts on the fingers of his other hand as they grew more and more specific. "Her ringtone is "Hope Shines Eternal" by the Rainbooms, the band she was in. She got YOU a copy of an unpublished manuscript detailing the origins of the Integrated Superior Intelligence System-"

"Okay, I get it! I believe you!" Blake held up her hands for him to stop. "But if you're Sunset's friend, what are you doing HERE? Why are you helping the White Fang rob people?"

"What else? Gathering information. How else does one go about knowing things they shouldn't?" He shrugged, as if the answer was obvious.

"I thought it was your semblance?"

That got another chuckle out of him. "I haven't even figured out AURA and you think I have a semblance?"

Blake's eyes widened as she realized she had been firing point-blank at his head during their battle at the docks. Without aura, there would have been nothing to stop the bullets from just killing him. Suddenly, his choice in weapons made more sense.

"Look, we don't have much time, okay? So, I know it's a lot to ask, but I need you to trust me. I have a plan to get you out of here..."

"TRUST you? You knocked me unconscious, you helped kidnap me, you're currently the one keeping me imprisoned-"

"You either trust me or I'm going to be forced to deliver you to Adam. He's claimed you as a prisoner, and I'm certainly not high enough up the totem pole to override it."

Blake felt an icy touch of fear at her heart. Adam. Her old partner from her days in the White Fang... he'd come unhinged, becoming more and more violent in his approach. She'd run away when he tried to blow up a train full of SDC employees and passengers, but when she realized he had tracked her down... it was the most fear that she had ever felt in her entire life. After so long, she had no idea what he would do with her after she had betrayed him.

"You're hardly giving me a choice..."

"Well, YOU nearly blew my cover, so I'm not too worried about pleasing you. Are we going to work together or not?"

Blake was gone, captured along with a record-breaking dust theft. Everyone in Team RWBYS was silent, pondering the desperate scenario.

"What do we do now?" Ruby whispered. No one answered.

"This is my fault..." Weiss whispered.

"That's not true." Yang shook her head. "I don't even know what happened. I let my guard down for a second, then- bam." She shrugged her shoulders. "Sunset was knocked out, all the White Fang people were gone, and Blake had disappeared. I should have blasted that guy when I had the chance!"

"I'm telling you, it wasn't him! Penn wouldn't do something like this!" Sunset looked down. "If the White Fang took Blake, it wasn't on his orders. If anything, it's MY fault. I knew this was all going to happen, he even warned me! But I still messed it up."

"It looks as though, while the rest of us were pursuing the airships, they made their getaway on a small freighter with as much dust as they could carry. I am sorry, I fell for the distraction just as hard as anyone else." Even Penny's perpetual perkiness was washed away.

"My apologies. I can assure you Penn's plan was devised under the pretense that Blake Belladonna would NOT be present."

"And what WAS his plan, exactly?" Yang snapped.

"Aid the White Fang with their robberies in order to gain access to their greater operations at Mountain Glenn, where he could sabotage their preparations there. The plan was and remains industrial-level sabotage. Penn is collaborating with Blake right now in secret to formulate a plan of escape-"

"Wait, Mountain Glenn... I remember reading about that place!" Ruby gasped. "That was where Vale tried to settle further out from the main city and failed, right?"

"Affirmative."

Yang seized Sunset's phone. "Is that where they're taking Blake?"

"Affirmative."

"Why didn't you say so sooner? What are we waiting for, let's go!" Weiss jumped to her feet. "We can take one of the airships at the school!"

"That is highly inadvis-"

"ALRIGHT! Operation: Black Cat Rescue is a GO!" Ruby shouted, jumping to her feet and blasting off in the direction of the school in a flurry of rose petals.

Sunset looked down at her phone. "Isis... this is a bad idea, isn't it?"

"A plan is already being formulated for Blake's escape, it is unnecessary. However... It may be prudent to meet her at the point of escape to ensure she returns home safely."

"Think you can 'integrate' an airship for us?"

"Affirmative."

Author's Notes:

I decided to split this next chapter into two parts to make it easier on myself. Blake's thrilling escape/rescue next time!

Sorry if this chapter feels a little sloppy/scatterbrained, I'm going to be tying all these different plot threads together soon, I promise!

....To the Same Pitiful Fate.

It was a shorter flight than Blake expected to Mountain Glenn. She could guess it was about an hour before they finally flew through a wide hole in an empty street, depositing them in a massive underground cavern. Her "rescuer" had sat quietly across from her, constantly fiddling with a tablet and whispering to a small robot perched on his shoulder. When they landed, he had waved away the rest of the guards and grabbed her roughly by the handcuffs keeping her hands behind her back.

"I'll take care of the prisoner. You all focus on unloading this dust!" He pointed to the robotic dragon on his shoulder, which flew itself high into the air. "Isis is going to monitor the shipments, just to make sure everything goes right where it belongs. We don't need any thievery among thieves, now do we?"

The rest of the guards shot each other uncertain looks, but simply shrugged and seemed to enjoy having less work to do. As they walked away from the airship, Blake finally got a good look at the full breadth of their operation.

They were in some kind of underground settlement, filled with run-down looking buildings and a massive subway system. The stolen dust was being loaded onto the cars of a huge train, along with enough weapons to supply a small army.

"I don't get it... we're so far out of Vale, how is any of this going to do any good?" she whispered.

"Good? Nothing good about it..." he muttered in return. "But they're planning to use the train as a battering ram into Vale's underground. They've got men, weapons, and by the time they get there, those dust bombs will have attracted enough Grimm to overrun half the city."

Blake shook her head, hardly able to believe it. "Bringing in an army of Grimm? Working with humans? They've only gotten worse since I left..."

"It's not all their fault. They've got some pretty harsh masters cracking the whips over their heads. I think you might know one of them?"

Blake felt a shiver run down her spine. "Adam... I thought he'd never find me."

"He's early. He shouldn't have shown up until the end of the Vytal Festival- hold on." Penn shook his head as they rounded a corner and passed a group of masked workers. Blake felt an elbow press into her spine, forcing her to stumble forward. "Quit staring, kid! You're a prisoner, not a tourist!"

Blake turned back and gave him a glare, but his full-face mask didn't give any sign that he cared what she thought. Once the workers were gone, he leaned in to whisper into her ear. "Sorry, gotta keep up appearances. I finally earned my way here, can't screw it up now..."

"I understand, just watch the elbow, would you? And why would you want to be HERE?"

"Because they're months ahead of schedule! This wasn't supposed to be ready until almost the end of your second semester, but this last shipment of dust is everything they need!" he hissed. "If someone doesn't stop it soon, there might not be a chance to!"

"And WHO was responsible for helping them GET that dust?"

"Okay, look, part of being a double agent is actually WORKING for both sides!" he hissed. "And once you're out of here, I can get back to work negating the help I've given them!"

"Wait, what if you get caught? They'll-"

"Probably do unspeakable things to me, yes," he whispered. "Especially Adam. Still better than getting caught by the person who chased me here."

Blake looked around her again, now feeling the tension in the air of a coiled serpent ready to strike. "We have to stop them."

"Working on it..."

Blake stopped walking, straightening her posture. "No, we have to stop them NOW!"

"Don't you think your inability to listen to and trust your team has caused enough trouble for one night?"

THAT stung more than she expected.

"Do you know what was SUPPOSED to happen, Blake Belladonna? Because I can tell you, if you want..." his voice dropped low, deathly serious. "The first time Yang Xiao Long and Adam Taurus encountered one another, it was over in one strike. Yang lost an arm and was deeply traumatized. Do you know WHY that didn't happen tonight?" He paused there, but Blake couldn't think of a response. "Because Sunset Shimmer knew how to find you. Because I told her where to find you! She KNEW going to the docks was dangerous because I told her, and she brought the people who love and care for you along to protect you together. And you managed to even screw THAT up by still leaping into the fray without thinking! Sunset nearly DIED at Adam's hands, and I was too busy fighting YOU to protect her!"

Blake felt every word stack another ten pound weight on her head, crushing her spirit a little more.

"So forgive me if I don't trust your judgement over an entire month's worth of planning on my part."

They continued their walk across the compound in silence for a while after that. Finally, a question rose up in Blake's mind more urgent than her guilt.

"Where are you taking me?"

"Around the edges, where nobody can see us. Officially, I've never been here before. However... I stashed a vehicle in the tunnels these tracks go down about a week ago. Isis can drive it here to pick you up once we're far enough into the train tunnel to let you go without being seen." He sighed. "You're going to have to punch me or something, give me a real shiner of a black eye to convince them you overpowered me and escaped."

"That's it? I'm just going to run away again?"

"Yes." He made the statement with a sense of finality. "You were nearly responsible for Sunset's death. If you knew what I've done to keep her safe in the past..." he sighed, the heavy kind of sigh weighed down by regret. "...you'd be much more frightened than you are right now."

Blake paused to think on that. "She worries about YOU just as much, you know."

"Maybe. Doubt it." For someone who had been so talkative up until now, the response was surprisingly tight-lipped.

"Why would you doubt it? She asks Isis about you all the time, she's always telling us that she would trust you with her life!"

"Because I'm a top-tier worrier. If Sunset was as worried as I am, we'd collapse into a black hole of worry and never let the other one out of our sight again." He let a short pause fall before beginning to speak again.

At last, they reached a large tunnel in the wall, where the train tracks disappeared into darkness. Together, they walked into the dark, and Blake felt the cuffs holding her hands slip away. Now that she was free, she gave them a quick rub before turning around to face her captor. He had taken his mask off in the dark and was looking blindly ahead, but she could see him just fine.

"You know, I used to be terrified of the dark when I was a kid..." he chuckled to himself as the two of them continued through the dark, now walking side by side. "I was always worried that there was some thing out there, just waiting to sink its fangs into me the moment I stopped being able to see... Guess I had an overactive imagination."

"You don't seem too worried now."

He shook his head, smiling. "I shared a room with my brother. I'd ask him to tell me stories. I changed that overactive imagination from a threat into a tool. Eventually, I stopped being afraid of what was in the dark, it was just a screen where fantasies could play out. A warm blanket closing in around me. Even when he didn't tell me stories any more, I liked the dark because it wrapped me up in itself, like a hug. I turned the monster into my friend."

"That's... very creative."

He shrugged. "Everything's a matter of perspective, I guess. Things are as scary as you make them." He took a deep breath, made the motion of blindly checking his watch, and came to a stop. "This is where we part ways..." he muttered, reaching into his jacket. A moment later, Gambol Shroud was back in Blake's hands. It was such a comfort, feeling her weapon back in her hands. He squinted slightly, peering past her and down the tunnel. "I think I can see the headlights coming. You ready to give me your 'goodbye present?'"

Blake had to admit, as much as she had been willing and eager to fight him back at the docks, knowing the truth made it a lot harder for her to hit the guy. "What'll happen to you? Think they'll buy it?"

"Long as you make it believable enough, sure." He shrugged, still staring blankly ahead. "You think I should put the mask back on so you can break it? That would look pretty cool." Blake turned and glanced over her shoulder, beginning to see the first hints of the headlights he had mentioned. When she turned back, however, she nearly screamed.

Penn was still staring ahead as if nothing was wrong... and Adam was standing just behind him, the blade of his sword hovering just above his throat. He raised a single finger to his lips, ordering her to stay silent.

"Blake? I can't really see, but you gasped. Is breaking a mask some kind of social faux pas? Did I say something insulting?"

Blake swallowed her fear, staring straight into Adam's visor, watching for any signs of his next move. "N-No, I just- I just remembered what you said about not having your aura unlocked. I can't hit you too hard, or you'll get really hurt. Doesn't that mean you could have died back at the docks?"

He shrugged, blissfully unaware. "I've gotten pretty good with my shields, Isis has been drilling me with them for weeks! I was pretty confident I could stop anything lethal."

Blake saw Adam raise an eyebrow, bringing the blade closer to his skin, and Blake shook her head, silently pleading for his life. She tightened her grip on Gambol Shroud, readying herself for a fight. Adam responded with a smile. They both knew HE was in control of the situation, and he was relishing in it. Even in this small moment, he was squeezing every ounce of pleasure he could from watching her squirm. The car was coming quickly, and it wouldn't be long before even a human's limited vision would be plenty to see the sword just beneath his chin. Their time was limited, which meant someone would have to act soon.

Her escape was over before it had begun, but there was still good that could come out of this. Blake was going to have one chance to save his life.

Blake didn't like her semblance, what it represented. It was just an extension of how she had faced her problems for a long time: running away. She could create a double of herself that would last for an instant, while her true self escaped with a burst of speed. But it wasn't JUST for escaping... not any more.

Blake activated her semblance, using the boost to slip inside Adam's defenses and bat away his sword with her own. Her body collided with Penn's, knocking roughly to the side. There was a flash of light and sparks as the two blades ground against one another.

"Hey! I wasn't rea-"

"RUN!" Blake shouted as the sparks from Adam's sword illuminated his scowling face. He leaned forward, staring into her even through the mask and striking fear into her soul.

"Traitors protecting traitors..."

"HOLY SH-"

"GET OUT OF HERE! I'll hold him- GAH!" Blake grunted as Adam used his other hand to grab his sheathe and bash her across the face, knocking her to the ground.

Adam advanced on her slowly, ignoring as Penn blindly deployed both of his shields and began to swing at the darkness. "All this time, and THIS is the cause you found to fight for? What happened to US, Blake? What happened to OUR cause?" He brought his sword down on top of her, forcing her to counter him from the ground as they once again locked blades. "We were going to light the fires of revolution together!"

"I wanted equality! You want humanity ground under your heel! It was never OUR cause, it was only YOURS!"

Adam broke the contact this time, stepping back to casually dodge a blind attack from Penn, who clumsily stumbled past. He had been good with his shields when he could see, but without being able to connect with his target he was simply flinging around heavy hunks of metal on his arms. When he spun around and fired his guns, Adam blocked it with the blade of his sword, which glowed along with his hair as his semblance absorbed the energy of the blows.

"Wanted? Past tense? And what is it you want now, Blake? To run away again?"

Another three shots came from Penn, each one blocked and absorbed again.

"Why don't you pick on someone your own size, you r-slash-niceguys creepazoid!"

She did. She did want to turn and run. To just disappear into the dark and get as far from him as she could. She could feel her knees shaking, her hands sweating. She was terrified. But there was more on the line. Penn was out here risking his life and everything he had been working for to save her. Even just a short glance showed that he was afraid. His head was snapping rapidly back and forth at even the slightest sound, both of his shields were pulled in tight to protect him, limiting his movement overall. She couldn't just leave him to die. Not like this.

Things are as scary as you make them...

Blake took a deep breath, steadied her hand, and widened her stance.

"All I want, Adam... Is for you to leave me alone."

Somehow, that actually managed to get a chuckle out of Penn, who shook his head with a smile. "Five seasons early..." he muttered.

Adam, meanwhile, slid his sword back into its sheath and became very still. Blake's heart skipped a beat as energy began to crackle around him and the glow of his hair grew bright. He was getting ready to release the energy he'd been building up.

"You've been living with humans so long, it's like you've forgotten who you even are. You're NOT one of them! And if I have to remind you of that fact, then I WILL!"

"NO!"

He drew his sword and slashed it towards Penn, sending out an arc of energy that ripped through the air, tearing apart anything in its path. It crashed straight into him in an explosive blast, kicking up a cloud of smoke in the tunnel that left all of them equally blinded.

The car was getting close, now illuminating the smoke from behind, and Blake was filled with dread as she couldn't make him out in the smoke... until a new shadow was cast.

It was a huge rectangle, as big as an entire person. As the smoke cleared, she realized it was a tower shield, taller than she was and wide enough to easily hide an entire person, dark blue with a pair of yellow lines down the center that made it look like an open road. The paint was marred by a deep gash into the metal where Adam's blow had struck, but the shiled had held fast. Two pairs of gun barrels poked out from either side, swiveling wildly for a moment before all turning to face backwards. There was the nearly-deafening sound of four guns firing at once, and the shield rocketed forward, slamming into Adam and sending him flying back out of the tunnel. From this side, Blake could see Penn, unharmed with both arms holding up his two-part shield.

"Y-you're okay!"

"Of course I'm okay, thanks to you getting him riled up enough to make a mistake!" He turned and gave her a sly wink. "He really counts too much on that one attack, doesn't he?" He gave a yank on his shield-bound gauntlets, only to be met with the sound of grinding gears and several pops of breaking motors. He paused, then groaned and pulled his hands out of the gauntlets, leaving the shield standing on its own. "Then again, I'm one to talk, aren't I? Looks like combining the shields was my last trick..."

"Hmmm... I suppose it WAS, wasn't it?" a sinister voice hummed from behind the car. Blake didn't recognize it, but if the sudden pallor on his face was anything to go by, it wasn't good. A slender figure stepped up into the light, standing on the car's roof. She gestured with one of her hands, summoning a jet of flame above her palm. He stepped back, hands trembling as he blindly reached for his shield without turning around. Once he had it in his hands, he spun it around in front of them both, blocking them off from view. The woman didn't even press an attack, leaving them alone as they prepared for the battle. He pressed a small rectangular object into her hands. He took a deep, shuddering breath, tears in his eyes.

"Who is-"

"It doesn't matter." He shook his head and reached up to cover her mouth. "My fight, not yours. Blake, Isis will take you home... NOW!"

There was a screech of tires as the car surged forward. In the same instant, the guns on Penn's shield fired, rocketing it forward and up towards the woman. Even in the midst of a backflip off of the top of the car, she easily batted aside the massive shield, landing on her feet with a smirk.

Blake had many questions, but all of them had to wait until she had avoided being run over by the car currently barreling towards her. She barely managed to jump up into the air, landing on the windshield with a crunch of broken glass. She was out of energy, and her aura did little to stop the sheer force that shook her down to her bones as the car forcefully brought her up to the same speed. She was still trying to get the breath back in her lungs as the entire world swiveled around her, then pressed her deeper into the sagging windshield as the car pushed itself to full acceleration. By the time she had managed to sit up enough to see around her again, the battlefield was already fading into a distant cacophony of gunshots and explosions. Turning her head, she realized that the car was completely empty inside, with no driver.

"Blake Belladonna, please face the device forward. My mapping of the underground passages only goes so far, I will need to be able to see twists or or obstacles. This vehicle has no external cameras or other such sensors."

"ISIS?" Blake stared at the source of the voice: Penn's gift. It was just like Sunset's weird scroll: opaque and solid, but capable of the same tasks. "YOU'RE DRIVING?"

"Affirmative."

"TURN AROUND! Penn's still back there!"

"You are not in fighting condition. Tonight's events have taken a heavy toll on you physically. I predict a three percent chance of survival if you were to return to the battle."

"What about PENN?" Blake's question was met with an uncharacteristic pause of thought from the AI that lasted several seconds.

"...I am certain that he has some form of plan."

"That's IT?" Blake could scarcely believe her ears. "He's going to die! Turn around right now!" She slammed her fist on the hood to drive the point home.

"He instructed me to return you safely home. I will do so."

"UGH, forget it, I'll do it myself!" Blake kicked at the windshield, driving one of the corners inside and peeling it away from where it was mounted. A few more kicks and there was an opening wide enough for her to climb inside and seat herself behind the steering wheel. She grabbed hold and pulled it, only to find it pulling against her, refusing to budge so much as an inch. She took hold with both hands, groaning with effort as she tried again, but it remained locked in place.

"Based on data from your training sessions, I project that you will not be able to overcome the lock on the steering column."

"Why won't you turn back? I thought you were supposed to protect people!"

"Affirmative. However, I was forced to choose between your safety and Penn's. He made the choice for me, which is an exercise of his free will. I can only have faith that there was a reason for doing so."

"But... why would he do that?"

There was another long pause as Isis seemed to take extra time calculating her response.

"Perhaps it is because he believes Team RWBYS is fated to save this world. Now please, face the camera forward before we crash, we are passing the boundaries of my map."

Save... the world?

The car! The gorram car! Penn cursed himself as he stared at Cinder. She found the car and it led her right to me!

"Now then... nothing to run away in this time..." she hummed with a smile as she walked forward.

She shrugged off Immovable and Implacable like they were made of styrofoam! He instinctively raised his hands up in front of him, slipping into his best approximation of a boxing stance. He'd never taken a boxing lesson in his life. Still, watching ROCKY a dozen times has to count for something, right?

"Nowhere to hide, either." She chuckled her herself. "Right now, with Roman's help, Mercury and Emerald are going through your rooms both here and in Vale, turning over every little thing you've hidden in them. They'll find your little toy. Meanwhile, I have you all to myself."

Okay that's hot- NO! NOT THE TIME! This is SO NOT the time! I need information, I need to get her talking about something USEFUL!

"H-how did you find me?" he could barely force the words out of his mouth. He continued stepping back to match her walking forward, keeping the distance between them as constant as he could.

"Oh, we didn't have to! You outed yourself so eagerly..." she chuckled and gestured around them. "Mountain Glenn. I TOLD Torchwick our enemies would flock here, hoping to stop us before we could begin. When you asked to come here, it was all the confirmation he needed to call me and tell me he'd found you!"

"Mountain Glenn... was a trap?" Penn's entire thought process ground to a halt, even shocking him into stopping his retreat for a moment. "But- the train! The plan! The bombs! Even the White Fang! They were all-"

"Just the way they were supposed to be? All according to the plan?" Cinder smiled wider, a sight that was only made more disturbing by the fact that their only light source was the flame in her hand. "Just a little early, just enough to fill you with fear and urgency, make you sloppy?"

Even with the sweltering heat beginning to fill the tunnel, Penn felt his blood run cold.

It was a trap for me.

"Mountain Glenn was a honey pot, a fly trap to draw in anyone who somehow already knew our plans. Even with only the bare minimum needed to keep up appearances, I thought it was absurd to dedicate so many resources to a trap for what seemed impossible, but..." she waved her hands to the sides. "Clearly it paid off. Even now, every scrap of dust and weaponry is being evacuated with our troops before the police can make it here. By the time they arrive, it will all be gone, with hardly a trace we were ever here."

The police. Penn's fallback plan. He had been dropping "anonymous tips" for nearly a week, always just enough for Roman to barely stay a single step ahead of them. Last night, it had culminated in a detailed description of the Mountain Glenn operation, and he had instructed Isis to send the coordinates as soon as they had landed.

"H-How..." was the only word to breathlessly escape his lips. "You KNEW I knew! That's... impossible..."

"You poor boy... You have NO IDEA what's possible." Cinder's flame snuffed out, plunging them both into darkness. This time, Penn knew there WAS something waiting to snatch him in the dark. The inky blackness wrapped itself around him as it always had, but it was no protection from what was hiding inside.

And it terrified him.

"You can't stop destiny."

"Why did you have to park so FAR?"

"This was the closest entrance to the underground tunnels where the airship could be landed without causing a commotion or attracting Grimm."

Sunset and Yang both rolled their eyes as Weiss asked her question for the third time.

"Did you ever think about not running in heels all the time, princess?" Yang asked.

"What, you think I own a pair of tennis shoes?" Weiss sounded offended at the mere implication.

Ruby had run ahead, wasting no time in trying to scout out any signs of Blake or the place she had been taken.

She's got to be okay, right? Isis said Penn was going to get her out of there!

"AND HOOOPE SHIIIINES ETERNAAAAL!"

Sunset nearly jumped out of her skin when her phone began to ring, and she was already pressing it to her ear before the second line of the chorus could start. "Hello? Penn?"

"Negative. A situation has arisen, Sunset Shimmer."

"Is it him?" Yang leaned in, eyes wide. "Is Blake okay?"

"Ask him to put her on, I want to talk to her!" Weiss added, pressing even further on Sunset's personal space. She shook her head, switching the phone to speaker.

"It's Isis. What kind of 'situation,' Isis?"

"It would appear that, in recalling the Oldsmobile to deliver Blake to safety, we- I led Cinder Fall directly to Penn. He is currently fighting for his life against her, I strongly implore you all make haste."

"WHAT? He got caught?" Sunset gasped and shoved her phone back into her pocket before redoubling her pace. Yang and Weiss soon caught up to her, all three breaking into a sprint down the tunnel.

"What about Blake?" Weiss asked.

Isis said something, but her voice was muffled by Sunset's pocket. Thankfully, their answer came moments later in the form of Sylvia appearing in the distance. In just a few seconds, they had closed the distance to one another, revealing Blake sitting in the driver's seat and Ruby perched on the roof with her scythe pointed backwards to cover their escape. The car skidded to a stop just in time to avoid hitting them, and everyone rushed forward to check on their lost teammate. Ruby, of course, was the first to rush in for a relieved hug, but Blake quickly peeled her team leader off of her.

"Guys, we have to go back! Sunset's friend, he got caught by the White Fang, they know he's a traitor!" she cried breathlessly, already tugging on the steering wheel to turn the car back around. She had a large bruise forming on one side of her face and was covered in cuts (presumably from the glass) and bruises. Her clothes were dirty and torn in places, and she seemed completely out of breath. "They're gonna kill him, I know it! We have to save him!"

The car itself looked to be in sorry shape. The inside was filled with pieces of glass and the windshield had been caved in by a suspiciously person-sized crater. There were scratches and burn marks all along the sides, as if someone had gotten bored with a blowtorch and a set of knives and decided to use it as a sketchbook. Sylvia's been through Tartarus and back...

"Blake, are YOU okay?" Weiss asked, her voice filled with a disconcerting amount of concern.

"It doesn't matter! I'll be fine once Isis turns this jalopy around!" She gave a vain tug on the steering wheel.

"The repair drone has joined the battle. I can display a live feed while you all enter the vehicle."

"Okay, let's go!" Sunset sprinted around to the passenger-side door and jumped inside at her normal place. After a few seconds of staring at her teammates, she gestured to the back seats. "COME ON!"

"Sunset... we can't take on the White Fang by ourselves..." Weiss whispered.

"WHAT?" Sunset and Blake shouted in unison.

"Look, I don't want to say it, but... we kinda got our butts handed to us once tonight..." Yang rubbed at the back of her head.

"We HAVE to!"

Silence fell as the two opposing sides stared at one another. Blake looked up at the roof, her cat ears pressed back against her head. "Ruby? Please..."

There was a beat, then the sound of her scythe folding back down as she hopped off the roof. Her silver eyes were locked into a gaze of steely determination. "Blake's right. He's risking his life to save our teammate. We need to go, but we need a plan. Isis? You said you had a live feed?"

"Affirmative."

For the first time, Sunset noticed that Blake was gripping Penn's phone in one hand. She held it up for everyone to see the image displayed on the small screen.

It was Penn, in a tunnel identical to the one they were currently in. There were small spots of fire burning all over the ground, and a woman in a red dress advancing on him as he tried to hide behind a half-melted shield. She was moving leisurely, taking her time and seeming to hardly exert herself with the effort. The last remaining gun barrel on his shield vainly fired at her, the bullets being deflected with her bare hand. He turned to run, only for a wall of flames to spring up behind him, cutting off his chances of escape.

It was at this point that the camera swooped in on the woman, and just as it was about to reach her Sunset could hear the crackling of a taser being charged. She reached out with one hand, not even needing to look to snatch up Isis's drone. There was a whine, the crackling of flames, and the feed was reduced to static.

"Signal lost..."

"PENN!"

Ruby, Yang, and Weiss all glanced at one another. Blake looked shattered, her eyes wide and tear-filled.

"It would appear that this was a trap formulated specifically with his forewarning ability in mind. His opponents knew that he knew their plans, and adjusted accordingly to facilitate his capture."

Sunset couldn't believe it. She couldn't.

Penn was too smart to get trapped. He was the guy who knew. He had trap cards, backup plans, he knew what was going to happen before it happened! There was no way he'd been outmaneuvered... right?

"This is my fault..." Blake whispered.

Sunset shook her head. "He didn't even want to stop here, so I enrolled at Beacon so we'd stay. It's not your fault... it's mine."

It hit Missy like a punch to the gut: despair. Her entire world spun for a second, disrupting her balance and sending her plummeting from her spot in the hallway rafters. Just as she was about to collide face-first with the ground, a pair of familiar arms wrapped around her, stopping her fall short. A wave of nausea came next, and she only barely managed to direct the spray away from her ghostly savior as her body shuddered and shook. Finally, she felt a series of cold shivers began to rack her body.

"T-thanks, Alucard..." she muttered.

Something had happened. Something soul-crushing. Missy wasn't sure what, but something had shaken Sunset's soul to her core. She knew from prior experiences that the feeling would pass as she acclimated, but the raw emotion had come so suddenly, it had been massive a shock to her system.

"Something... something's wrong... REALLY wrong..."

Author's Notes:

I just realized this chapter is being published in the Ides of March....

Huh.

Funny how things work out.

Divide

"Show me."

"Negative."

"Override it, or something! Show me, Isis!"

"Insufficient user authority to override. Negative."

"LET ME WATCH THE SHOW!" Sunset slammed her fist on the table as her rage boiled over.

"You are emotionally compromised, Sunset Shimmer. You are not thinking clearly."

Isis's collected demeanor felt condescending in the face of her overflowing emotions. "I need to know everything Penn did, HOW is that not thinking clearly?"

"Allowing that data to influence his decisions was what rendered Penn's actions predictable to our enemies. It is not an advantage, it is a liability. Watching the online show you are currently living inside of would be less effective than taking threats as they come and responding to them in real time. I will not allow you to purposefully impair yourself."

"But-"

"I will suffer no more arguments. The matter is settled."

"GAH!"

"That's... really awful." Jaune whispered. "Is he... dead?"

"We don't know." Ruby shook her head. "Sunset refuses to think so, and she'll fight anyone who even suggests it! And Blake... well, she won't let anyone say it, but she keeps getting this really hurt look in her eyes whenever someone brings him up. I think she might think he is. Whether he's alive or not, both of them are blaming themselves for what happened..."

The rest of the members of Team JNPR were taking their time processing the story. Nora was the first one up on her feet, her hammer already in her hands. "And you've come to recruit us on a daring, life-saving rescue mission deep in enemy territory!" She pointed an accusatory finger at Ruby. "You absolute madwoman! I'M IN!"

"Nora... I don't think that's why she's here." Pyrrha reached up and slowly pushed her back down into a sitting position.

Ruby nodded. "I'm worried about Sunset and Blake. "

"Quite frankly, we ALL are!" Weiss added. "I WOULD say Blake's been working 'tirelessly' to find leads on the White Fang ever since, but she IS getting tired, and she's ignoring it to the detriment of her health!"

"And Sunset's been training day in and day out! Her grades are slipping and-" Yang started, only to be cut off as a rectangular object came flying across the room and out the nearby window. "Well, if you think I have a temper..."

Weiss sighed. "We can deal with one unruly teammate, but every time we try to address the issue, they close ranks together and double down!"

"I think I see what you're getting at... but what do you need US to do?" Jaune asked.

"Well, I think Weiss and I could handle Blake together, but Sunset..." Yang waggled her hand.

"So... you want us to handle the possibly-grieving-possibly-in-denial girl with anger issues and a laser sword?" Ren raised an eyebrow as Ruby shrunk back and cringed slightly.

"Okay when you put it that way it sounds like we're asking you to do the hard one, but have you ever tried to keep a ninja cat in one place when she doesn't want to be there?" she whispered.

Like a guardian angel, Pyrrha rose to her feet and smiled before patting on her shoulder. "I might have an idea..."

Ruby jumped up and instantly hugged Pyrrha as tight as she could. "Thank you! I KNEW I could count on you guys!"

Sunset tapped her foot impatiently as she waited in the training room. A quick glance at the classroom clock told her that it was 8:05. Weiss was NEVER late to their training sessions. She reflexively reached for her phone to call her teammate, only to find her pocket as empty as it had been all day.

I'm starting to REALLY regret throwing Isis out the window...

"CLICK!"

All of the lights in the room switched off at once, plunging Sunset into total darkness. She was instantly on high alert, flicking on her lightsaber and falling into a ready stance. The light of her blade wasn't enough to light up much more than a small area around her, so she closed her eyes, training her other senses for any sign of what was happening. It was impossible for her to miss the sound of footsteps on the far side of the arena, and she immediately turned to face the threat.

"I'm sorry, I hope I didn't scare you!" Pyrrha's voice called. "I'm afraid Weiss is busy today, she asked me to fill in! Will that be alright?"

Sunset nodded. "To be honest, I was thinking about asking you if you could train me to fight like you do. Everybody says you're unbeatable."

"Well, I wouldn't say 'unbeatable,' but I've worked very hard to develop my skills. It would be my pleasure."

"So... why are the lights off?"

Sunset's answer came in the form of a flash of bronze and stinging pain across her cheek.

"Because you won't be fighting holograms today, Sunset!" Pyrrha's voice echoed through the room as she raised her voice to a shout, making it exponentially harder to pinpoint her location. "I'll be your opponent!"

"WHAT? Pyrrha, what about my saber? You could get hurt!"

Sunset's worry was met with the sound of a gunshot and a heavy impact in the center of her chest, knocking the wind out of her lungs and making her stumble back as her aura distributed the impact.

"That would imply you'll be able to strike me, Sunset..."

Sunset her frustration beginning to boil over. "I'm not going to just sit here and let you jerk me around in the dark, Pyrrha! I've got more important things to do!" She began to walk in the direction of the exit.

And there was Pyrrha, crouched and ready to strike in the red light of Sunset's saber. Her blade was fast, too fast for Sunset to parry as it slashed diagonally down across her chest, then swept her feet out from under her, sending her to the ground. Pyrrha seemed to add insult to injury, placing her boot on Sunset's abdomen and pressing down even harder as she leaped away into the cover of darkness again.

"I'm afraid I can't let you leave until you've learned today's lesson, Sunset! I'm sorry!"

She's covering the exit, she's a better fighter than me, and I can't see her in the dark! How am I supposed to beat her?

"I'll be coming at you from your left, this time!"

Sunset started to turn to her left, but she could hear the sound of metal scraping the ground to her right. She smirked and swung her saber in the direction of the noise. "Nice TRY, Py-" Her saber struck only empty air, the light revealing Pyrrha's shield rolling on the floor by itself. Before she could realize she'd been tricked, she felt the butt of Pyrrha's sword strike at her spine, sending her falling forward. The shield jumped up to meet her, bashing against her face as it passed and returned to its owner. Sunset scrambled to her feet, ignoring the metallic taste coming from her lip.

"On your right!"

Sunset turned to her right , holding up her blade in a guarding position. A firm palm struck at the back of her head as Pyrrha came at her from behind once again. SHE LIED? was the only thought to cross through Sunset's mind as the impact sent her tumbling through the air, until she was struck by the unpleasant feeling of colliding with the colosseum wall.

"What am I supposed to learn from you beating me up in the dark?" she growled as she staggered back to her feet. "What kind of lesson can come out of this? I can't even SEE you, my ears clearly led me wrong, how am I supposed to guard against your attacks? I can't even trust what YOU'RE telling me!"

"Can you win?" Pyrrha's voice whispered into her ear. Sunset jumped in place and slashed, but once again Pyrrha was gone before she could land a blow.

Sunset kept her back to the wall, her head swiveling from side to side for any sign of her opponent. "I could keep swinging... get lucky..."

Her suggestion was met by the sound of a gunshot, and a second later, Pyrrha's sword, now extended into it's spear-like configuration, buried itself in the wall beside her head. Sunset was trembling as she turned to stare at the deadly weapon that had almost taken her head off.

"Sunset... Can. You. Win?" Pyrrha's voice was still gentle, but firm.

Sunset fell to her knees, staring into the light of her saber, eyes full of tears. I can't see her, I can't see anything! The only thing I can see is what's around my... saber. THE SABER!

Sunset took a deep breath, and switched off the blade of light, plunging herself into total darkness.

"No... When you can see me and I can't see you, I can't win. But if neither of us can see each other... I might stand a chance!"

There was a long pause, then the sound of two claps. On her signal, the lights in the room finally turned back on, illuminating the entire arena. Pyrrha was standing just in front of her, offering her a hand up. Sunset eyed the hand suspiciously before choosing to stand up on her own.

"Sunset, your teammates have been worried about you, and from what they tell me, so am I."

Sunset rolled her eyes. "So you decided to beat me up?"

"I wanted to show you that in trying to make certain you were as prepared as possible, you were actually making yourself vulnerable..." Pyrrha pointed to the empty handle in her hand. "Your form was flawless, your reflexes as fast as they could be when you were so thoroughly overthinking the situation... Sometimes, there are things you simply cannot guard against. Especially when your opponents have more information than you do."

"Or, in the words of Captain Jean-Luc Picard, 'It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not a weakness, that is LIFE.'"

Sunset jumped slightly as Isis's voice came over the speakers, but the surprise was quickly drowned out as the meaning behind the words sunk in. "This... is about Penn, isn't it?"

Pyrrha stepped forward, placing her hand on Sunset's shoulder. "Sunset, Ruby told me that you've been blaming yourself for what happened. That is not the case. It's as much your fault as that split lip is." She pointed to the place Sunset was bleeding from. "You said your friend could see what was going to happen. Isis said your enemies used that against him, just like I used the light from your saber against YOU."

"But I said we needed to stay! I insisted on trying to help people here when it wasn't any of our business, and he's paying for it!"

"Couldn't he have just left? Driven away back wherever the two of you came from? Did you TELL him he had to infiltrate the criminal underworld?" Pyrrha sighed. "Sunset, if you keep blaming yourself, nothing will get done here. If you truly want to help your friend, or, should the worst come to pass, honor his memory-"

"HE'S NOT-" she was cut off by Pyrrha, who held a finger to her lips just to the side of her injury.

"-then you need to move forward. A single woman's rage-fueled obsession won't stop these villains. Evil triumphs when good is divided." She gave Sunset a warm smile, which seemed to disperse her rage. "We'll only win if we work together. Are you ready to work as a team again?"

Sunset's heart couldn't take it. Staring into Pyrrha's eyes, she finally felt the secret she'd been keeping ripping her apart from the inside. She leaned forward, wrapping her arms around Pyrrha in the tightest hug she could muster.

"He... he said you were going to die..." she whispered. "He knew everything about what's going to happen, and he couldn't save himself... and even with his help, I couldn't save him, either. How am I going to save YOU when I don't know ANYTHING about the future and he's gone?"

Sunset couldn't see the expression on Pyrrha's face, but several seconds of silence passed between them before she felt her friend's arms wrap around her in return, drawing her in tight. It was a poor substitute for Penn's bear hugs, but it was still enough comfort for her to finally let the tears begin to flow.

"The same way we'll fight everything... with our friends."

Salem was patient. It was something that had served her well over the millennia. Still, it was uncharacteristic for Cinder to take so long with such a simple task. However, this was not an indicator of any incompetence on Cinder's part. It was a testament that she had been right to insist on bringing the stranger in. He had been wily, slipping through places where anyone else would have been found out in moments. He had two of mankind's greatest strengths at his disposal: resourcefulness and ingenuity. However, Salem had inevitably proven herself the better tactician of the two, and Cinder's determination had outfoxed him.

Now Salem sat at the end of the crystal table in Evernight Castle, elbows resting on its surface as her fingers intertwined. Cinder and her children had arrived at the castle, and would be entering the conference hall momentarily with their prisoner in tow. They said that the rumors of the White Fang claimed he was a technical genius. Others tended to say that he had some form of prescience, able to see the future before it happened. A ridiculous concept, but Salem had been introduced to several ridiculous concepts over the last months. Still, the fact that he had fallen into the trap at Mountain Glenn meant that he was not psychic... but he WAS in possession of information that could prove critical to her plans.

There was a knock at the doors to their hall, and she motioned with one finger. The doors swung open.

Cinder entered, head held high. Behind her, Mercury carried a strange-looking white device, and Emerald held the barrel of her gun to their prisoner's back.

He didn't look like much, wearing only a pair of dark cargo pants and a t-shirt covered in text across the front, but appearances could be deceiving. He was clearly terrified, eyes snapping constantly from one person in the room to the next, but Salem noticed that every few moments he would come back to her, as if checking for any slight change in her posture. He knew whom he ought to be the most afraid of, but that was no great feat in the present company. She turned her gaze to Emerald and lowered one finger. She followed the wordless instruction and lowered her weapon. With barely a thought, the doors to the room swung shut, locking their prisoner inside.

"So... we meet at last. I've waited quite some time for this moment, child." She leaned forward to peer more closely at him. "Tell me, what is your name?"

The boy made several attempts to speak, opening and closing his mouth soundlessly. His eyes then rolled back into his head as his body slumped forward, collapsing to the floor.

"Did... did he just faint?"

"It would appear so..." Cinder smirked. "While he put up quite the appearance with the White Fang and Torchwick, in reality he seems to be of a rather... frightful disposition." This roused a manic chuckle from Tyrian, but he held his tongue for the moment.

Salem raised an eyebrow at Cinder's amusement. "And it wouldn't have anything to do with your treatment of the prisoner I specifically asked to be taken 'alive and unharmed,' would it?"

"As much as we would have liked to at times, the boy hasn't even unlocked his aura. We couldn't have done much to him without breaking your commands... which we would never do."

Salem hummed to herself with amusement at that. Cinder was a loyal servant, but absolutely one prone to failings in the face of her own desires. "Very well. Take him to one of the cells until he awakens. When he does, I want to question him personally."

"A private audience with our queen! The boy does not know how fortunate he is!" Tyrian declared.

"I want to know the source of his knowledge, and how he knows this 'Sunset Shimmer' who has inserted herself into-"

Salem counted approximately a second and a half between her speaking the name and her catching the boy mid-attack. The telekinetic spell she was using was a simple one, but quite potent. She had caught him as he leaped at her, halfway through throwing a desperate haymaker punch. She waved away Tyrian and Hazel, who had both risen from their seats to stop the surprise attack. He swiftly became fearful again, eyes wide as he struggled fruitlessly against her magic, now just trying to get free, but Salem had caught something else before that, an emotion well familiar to her: wrath. Not just any wrath, however...

She leaned forward, staring straight into his eyes. "If you fear me so badly, you know that right now I could snap every bone in your body like a twig, correct?"

He seemed to make an attempt to nod, only to remember that he was locked in place before whispering his response. "Y-yes..."

"And yet, the moment I spoke the name 'Sunset Shimmer,' you forgot that fear entirely. You rose up against your betters and attempted to strike me."

"The GALL!" Tyrian cried, his scorpion's tail ready to strike. Salem raised her hand, motioning for him to stand down.

"I- I'm s-" he stuttered.

"No." Salem cut him off. "Do NOT apologize. I am not ungracious. I will be willing to... overlook this, if you answer me this question..." she leaned in until the only thing either of them could see were the other's eyes. An old expression declared that the eyes were the gateway to the soul, and she had always found it to hold more than a grain of truth. His eyes were wide, panicked, afraid, but... she could see something else. Thought, rushing a thousand miles per hour, behind the panic. His mind was racing, calculating, strategizing. That was good.

"If I were to order the death of Sunset Shimmer... would you attempt to stop me? No matter the cost? Would you burn this world down to its very foundations to protect her?"

That was when the thinking stopped. Or, rather, it focused. She saw many emotions cross his face in that transition. Wrath, worry, fear, resolve, and finally... shame. He looked away, breaking their eye contact. Salem smiled. Even without a word, his emotions had given away exactly the answer she had wanted.

"Interesting. And what could make her so special to you that you would become what you consider a monster just to keep her safe? Surely this goes beyond simple kinship. Are you lovers? Siblings? Do you owe her some great debt?" She slowly lowered him to the ground before releasing the spell holding him in place. As she expected, he made the prudent decision not to continue his attack. "Because for all your meekness now, boy, you are driven by something."

"I... I... owe her my life." he whispered.

No, this was different, deeper, and once again... familiar. He was wrong, or rather, omitting certain truths, but she had gleaned the full answer from his reaction.

Interesting...

"How... mundane. Allow me to move on to a more interesting topic..." she leaned forward. "How did you know our plans for Mountain Glenn? We were moving quickly, but carefully. There was no leak of information until after you joined the operations in Vale. They say you can see the future, but I doubt that. I think you know a future, but not necessarily the future that is occurring." She could tell from the growing fear on his face that she was correct. "So... from where did you learn it?"

The boy made an effort to look anywhere except at her, his eyes traveling to the ceiling, then to the others present in the room, and finally came to rest on the floor. His mouth clamped shut into a thin line, making it clear that he had no intention of answering.

"Boy, I asked you a question. I have been VERY accommodating to you until now, but my patience has limits."

"B-Bakersfield... Elijah Bakersfield." He was shaking, now, his entire body trembling with fear. "You- you asked me my name, right? That's it. But my friends just call me 'Penn' because I like to write. It's a pun." He shook his head violently from side to side. "I- I- I... can't tell you how I know what I know, it would be dangerous to even SAY it! I could cause a paradox! Collapse the fabric of space-time, irrevocably change the future for the worse! The multiverse is already broken enough, I'm not going to be responsible for making it even worse!"

Salem raised an eyebrow. "Multiverse?"

Instantly, both of his hands jumped up, clamping over his mouth in horror.

"Poppycock! Everyone knows that the existence of other universes is only theoretical!" Watts scoffed.

"And yet standing before us is a boy who knows about the future, along with many other things he shouldn't." Salem motioned to the child as she glanced at Arthur with a raised eyebrow. "And bearing technology completely alien to a self-proclaimed 'genius' who once sat among the minds at the cutting edge of development and discovery." She motioned to Mercury, who delivered the device to its intended recipient. "I got you your new toy, Arthur. Do NOT disappoint me with your results. You are dismissed."

"Thank you, my liege..." He gave a deep bow before swiftly departing from the room, already examining the device with carnivorous curiosity.

"As for you..." She turned back to their guest as she reached down to retrieve an item from her dress pocket. "I don't suppose this world-ending knowledge would have something to do with THIS, would it?" She placed it on the table. His eyes grew wide as dinner plates before they rolled up into his head again and he collapsed once more. Judging from the painful-sounding collision of his head with the crystal floor, she guessed that this time he wouldn't be waking up any time soon.

She looked down at the object that had spurred the second fainting spell. It was a plastic case, about the size of a book. Across the front were stylized depictions of the four girls whom she'd been spying on since she had happened upon it. It had manifested in her room, seated on her bed like some kind of gift from an unknown benefactor. Inside were multiple silvery discs, each containing information that had enlightened her to an entirely new aspect of her existence.

She reached out and took the item back, placing it back in its hidden place in her dress. If this boy had come from the same place as this gift, then he was possibly one of the most valuable assets in the world. She nodded to Hazel.

"Take the boy, place him in the dungeon. I do not want him harmed."

"It will be done..." Hazel growled. Hazel was an absolute mountain of a human, able to sling the boy over his shoulder with ease and carry him away.

As Hazel left the room, Salem could see a question about to burst from one of her subordinates. She motioned to Emerald. "Speak, child."

"Well, I was just wondering... why are you keeping him like this?" Emerald asked. "He's clearly a liability. We could at least do something to physically restrict him..."

Salem smiled at that. "Consider it... an experiment. He reminds me of someone. Long ago, there was a girl who cared more about someone than anyone else in the world. When he was taken from her, she was willing to do anything to get him back. She challenged gods and built a kingdom that nearly conquered the world. She and he are not so different. I see the potential in him to follow a similar path and become a valuable ally."

"But... What happened to the girl?"

Salem smiled at that. She spread her arms wide and sat straighter on her throne.

"She became the most powerful being on the planet." She turned to the remaining members of her inner circle. "Tyrian?"

"Yes, my Queen?"

"You will go and retrieve either the eyes of Ruby Rose or the entirety of Sunset Shimmer. The latter must be unharmed, the former... need not matter."

Tyrian gave a maniacal cackle as he gave a deep bow. "It would be my greatest pleasure, your worship!"

Salem turned to the trio at the far side of the room. "Cinder, you and Mercury will return to Vale and complete your mission there. As for Emerald..." she smiled slightly, choosing to ignore the fearful look on the girl's face at being singled out. "I will require your talents here, to aid me in both information extraction from our prisoner and my 'experiment.' Once it's finished, I'll send her back to rejoin you."

Cinder gave a bow and a smile. "With pleasure."

Author's Notes:

Wow. Okay. I did NOT expect to have this chapter done so soon. Guess self-imposed quarantine is good for something, huh? Don't expect this pace to continue, but I'll keep working as much as I can while I'm keeping safe and inside to avoid Covid-19. Remember: wash your hands regularly, avoid crowded areas as much as possible and public ones as well as you can, and keep in touch with people close to you so they know you're okay!

Stay safe out there, fellow adventurers!
-Pennington Inkwell

That Beautiful Sound

"What would Penn do... What would Penn do? I know what Penn would do!" Missy began to stomp her way towards the exit. "If it was Sunset, he would go after her and not let a living man, woman, or child stop him!" Her stomping petered out after a few seconds, however, as another thought occurred to her. "Until Big Sis reeled him back in and forced him to stand down and stick to the plan..." She trudged her way back to the back of the room, where Alucard was watching her with interest. "Then again... If it was ME, then they'd BOTH go on a roaring rampage of revenge!" She tapped her chin thoughtfully, only to stop as a giggle forced its way up. "I mean, can you imagine the sheer CHAOS if both of them lost it at the same time? PEW, PSSSH! FWOOM!" She mimed her imagined explosions, topping it off with miming the act of flinging fireballs at her opponents. Alucard simply responded with a raised eyebrow, keeping his thoughts to himself. "Hehe! Heh heh... heh..." The giddiness of pretending swiftly gave way to the hollowness of her words and actions. Her wings drooped and she felt the burning of tears running down her cheeks

"I guess... I'm just trying to distract myself, huh?" Her feet dragged as she floated her way over to the boxes they had been sitting on as they talked. "I have no idea where they would have taken him, and even if I did, I don't have the kind of overwhelming power we'd need to save him from Salem..." She glanced over, noticing Alucard's skeptical look. "Well I DON'T! Even if we all worked together as an archetype, we'd have our work cut out for us trying to storm Evernight Castle!" Her face involuntarily shifted to a pout. "We MIGHT be able to do something if I could use my Instant Win Condition, but we'd need the time to put together 10 Xyz materials then and there!"

She wiped the trails of her tears from her cheeks. "It's just a stupid gimmick... No wonder he thinks we're just a casual deck for beginners..."

Her focus was broken by a firm hand tapping the top of her head. Looking up, she saw Alucard scowling at her, snapping her out of her self-pity. "R-right! Right, there's no use getting down like this! Since we can't go rescue him, we're going to have to stick to the plan here! We'll make sure nobody rigs the festival!" She jumped up to her feet and planted her hands on her hips. "So, any news from-"

She was interrupted by a soft knocking on the door. She glanced at Alucard, who strolled to the door and flung it open, revealing the tiny form of Jiangshi standing in the doorway, arms held out straight and eyes wide.

"Well, speak of the ghoul, that's just the seeker I wanted to see!" Missy flew forward, beaming her brightest smile as she scooped him up beneath his arms and flew him in a circle before dropping back to the ground. "Any news from the lower levels?"

She leaned down, letting him whisper in her ear. Her eyes grew wide with surprise as he related what he'd seen to her. "No way..." she grabbed him by the shoulder and looked him straight in his eyes. "You're SURE?" After another nod of conversation, she grinned wider than ever, eyes glistening with anticipation that outshone her tears. She turned to Alucard, who was watching her with his head tilted curiously to the side as he waited for her signal.

"It's SHOWTIME!"

"Hey, boss! Where do you want all this ice dust?"

"Where do you THINK, Jerry? Downstairs with all the rest!"

Jerry was glad that his mask hid his eyes, because he needed to roll them at least ten times an hour working with Torchwick. The fact that the White Fang was being forced to work with him seemed to make no one involved happy. But what the higher-ups say, goes... he thought as he hefted the case of dust crystals up off the ground. Keep them happy and nobody gets hurt, or worse, fired...

"Hey, I'll take care of that!" a voice piped up.

He turned around, seeing no one at first until he looked down. The girl barely came up to his hip in height, with a pair of black-and-white wings and a very... "fancy" take on the standard White Fang uniform.

"Aren't you a little young to be in the White Fang, kid?"

She fluttered her wings, floating up to eye level with him and putting her hands on her hips. "Humans don't care how old I am when they tell me 'We don't serve faunus here!' Can you BE too young to fight for your rights?"

Jerry rolled his eyes again. "Okay, okay! Geez, kid, it was an honest question. Anyway, I think this thing is a little too heavy for you."

"Oh yeah? Watch THIS!" She reached out and seized the handles of the case, snatching it out of his hands and desperately flapping her wings in an attempt to stay airborne. In a few seconds, her face had turned bright red and her arms were trembling. "HhnnnnrrrRRRRG!" she groaned with exertion as she began to turn in the direction he had been headed.

"Okay, kid, you proved you can carry it, put it down before you bust a blood vessel!"

"I- RRRGH!- got it!" She began to sag slightly in the air as her wings began to falter and her breath came in ragged gasps. "I'm sick of- UGH!- grown-ups thinking I can't do things! Just because I'm-"

RIIIIP!

The case clattered to the ground... with the girl's arms still attached.

She turned around, eyes wide in shock as she took a second to stare independently at each of her empty shoulder sockets.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!"

"YOUR ARMS!" Jerry pointed to her to illustrate.

"MY ARMS!" she echoed, staring down at the separated limbs in horror.

Jerry shook his head, his mind entering emergency mode. "I- I'll go get help! I'll-"

"Forget help, catch them!" She vainly gestured downwards with her head.

"Catch... them?" Jerry's eyes widened as he looked down to the ground, only to see that the arms had vanished. When he looked up again, the girl had disappeared, as well. "WHAT THE-" When he stepped back, he felt something grabbing at the back of his leg. He frantically kicked his legs out of reflex, but the sensation traveled up his back, culminating in the feeling of a pair of tiny hands grasping at his throat. He frantically seized both arms with his hands, flinging them down the hallway with panicked straight and sprinting in the opposite direction.

"HEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLP!"

The two arms floated up to the rafters, where Missy snickered as they fixed themselves back into place. She turned and offered a hand to Alucard, who gave her a satisfied fist bump.

"I don't get it... why would he say something like that?"

"Because he's a whack job, Barb!" Lydia replied, finishing up the last of her makeup in the mirror. "Either he's nuts, or he made it up to get out of work!"

"Well, from what I heard, he's in the hospital for extreme shock!"

"And I heard birds are secretly just drones Atlas sends to spy on all of us!" Lydia placed a hand on her hip. "Don't believe everything you hear! Seriously, just worry about us, we're supposed to pick up the slack now that he's gone!"

"Then why do you still bother putting makeup on under your mask? Can we really afford to waste time like that?"

"Barbara, I understand that for someone as... homely as you..." Lydia placed a finger under her chin, "makeup is more of an afterthought, but some of us need to be able to look fabulous at the drop of a hat!" She reached over to the counter, picking up her visor. "Or, in this case, the drop of a mask!"

The lights in the women's bathroom flickered out, plunging them both into darkness.

"EEP!"

"YIPE!"

There was a brief moment where the two of them refused to acknowledge the other's outburst before Barbara calmed down enough to sigh. "Wow, Lyds, that pun was so bad, even the LIGHTS refused to stick around!"

"Oh, shut up and help me find the light switch!"

"Don't you mean 'put a lyd on it?'"

"BARB! Come on!"

"Okay, okay! Lighten up a little, would you?"

Before Lydia could respond, the darkness was punctured by a pair of half-melted candles that appeared at the corners of the oversized mirror, just barely providing enough light for them to make out each other and their reflections. The two of them looked at the candles, which were both sitting in substantial puddles of wax, then at each other.

"Were those there before?"

"Not that I remember... spooky."

"Maybe we should just get out of here," Barbara muttered, walking towards the door. She gripped the handle and tugged, only to find it stuck firmly in place. She tugged again, but it refused to budge. "H-HEY! We're locked in!"

"WHAT?" Lydia ran up, shoving her aside as she pulled at the door with all of her strength. After a few seconds of fruitless pulling, she gave up. "Figures! Some screw-up disabling the security must have put the arena on lockdown, or something!" She folded her arms over her chest and pouted. "Of course something like this would happen after they got rid of the tech guy!"

Out of the corner of her eye, Barbara noticed a faint bit of motion. Her attention snapped back to the mirror, which instantly entranced her. "Hey, Lyds? What's... that?"

An oily, iridescent substance was slowly creeping in from the mirror's edges. In a matter of seconds, the entire surface had been completely covered, turning cloudy and shimmering like oil on water. Behind her, Lydia let out a sigh of relief, patting her on the shoulder.

"I get it. The candles? The lights going out? Now THIS? We're being punked!" She reached out and knocked on the mirror. "VERY funny, guys, but we've all got work to do! Enough's enough, let us-"

The surface of the mirror bulged outwards, the outlines of grasping hands and a face pressing into it as if trying to escape. It grasped desperately at Lydia, who only barely managed to avoid being wrapped up in it by leaping back until she slammed back-first into the stall doors.

"AAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" the two girls screamed as they grabbed one another tight. The sound of their screams seemed to act like a physical force, driving the cloudy substance back towards the edges of the mirror and opening up a clear portion in the center. The two of them couldn't see themselves reflected in the glass, however, as a third being blocked their view as she framed herself perfectly in the center. She looked like a little girl, dressed in a tattered blue ballgown and wearing a trio of blue roses in her hair. Her long hair was a ghostly white, draped half over her face and flowing all the way down past the bottom of the mirror. A single red eye was left uncovered, wide and angry as it stared directly at the two of them.

The mystery girl reached up, placing her palm against the mirror's surface, as if she were simply standing on the other side of the glass. She looked down at her hand, as if surprised at the barrier, and tightened her hand into a fist, which she banged lightly against the polished surface.

"S-she's trying to get out..." Barbara whispered. Lydia could only nod, her breath coming in short bursts.

The little girl's eye brimmed with tears, and her gaze locked back onto the two of them, as if she had heard them. She took a deep breath before unleashing the most blood-curdling scream either of them had ever had heard. The noise tore through the two of them like a cold wind, chilling their very souls. She began throwing herself wildly at the glass, her red eye glowing like a burning coal as both of her fists beat against the mirror. The two girls gripped each other tighter, each afraid for their lives as the monster in the mirror tried over and over to knock down the thin pane of glass separating them. Her hair grew unkempt and began to float outwards from her body, and the sleeves of her dress began to show signs of wear as she beat her arms against the surface over and over. The cloudy substance began to close in again, making it clear her time was limited. Looking up and around her, she seemed to see and fear the encroachment, which gave them both hope. The girl stepped back, then rammed herself headfirst into the glass, splitting open a wide gash on her forehead.

CRACK!

Both of their hearts clenched as they saw a long crack cross the entire length of the mirror. The specter seemed to notice, as well, smiling as she doubled the length of her run-up and bashed herself against the barrier again. The gash widened, spilling blood across her face and adding dark streaks into her hair and down the front of her dress.

KA-KA-CRACK!

More cracks spiderwebbed outwards from the point of impact, the barrier between the two words just barely holding. The blood-covered little girl deliberately counted three steps back, looks straight at the two of them... and smiled.

And then the candles went out.

CRASH!

SLAM!

Light spilled into the room, and before either of them were aware of the source, they had both sprinted out of the women's bathroom, screaming and babbling as they tore their way down the hallway. Just as suddenly as it had opened, the door to the bathroom slammed itself shut again. The fluorescent lights switched themselves back on, revealing the girl still standing in the mirror, arms folded smugly over her chest as she smiled at the other closed stall.

"And so the student becomes the master..." There was the sound of a toilet flushing, and Missy floated out, shaking her head and smiling as she began to wash her hands. "Wow. Okay, when I told you it was 'No holds barred,' you really went all out! How's your head?"

Ghostrick Mary smiled and reached up, peeling off the "skin" from her forehead, along with the "bloody" squib that had been hidden there. Underneath was a quickly-developing bruise, but one that would soon heal.

Missy giggled to herself as she dried her hands and sat herself on the counter. "Okay, you proved it to me! I'm putting you in charge of this year's Haunted House, okay?"

Mary pumped her fist multiple times, silently cheering to herself from the other side of the mirror. Missy reached into her hat, retrieving a juice box and passing it through the mirror. "You remember the address I gave you for the dry cleaner Alucard and I use? Go have Warwolf lick all that raspberry jam off of you, then take your dress straight over! We don't want that pretty little number getting stained!"

Mary nodded, gratefully downing the entire box's contents in a matter of seconds before she gave a quick salute and vanished from sight. Outside, Missy heard the sound of multiple frantic sets of footsteps closing in on the bathroom. With a shrug, she leaned back, diving through to follow her comrade. "Hey, wait for me!"

"I'm telling you, it wasn't a faunus, it was an honest-to-God WEREWOLF!"

"Oh yeah? I saw a VAMPIRE hanging from the ceiling fan in my room, but it was gone before I could bring anyone else back!"

"I SAW A HEADLESS HORSEMAN GALLOPING DOWN THE HALL IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT!"

"ZOMBIES! UNDER! MY! BED!"

"And that's not even the worst of it... The WORST part is that nobody can sleep! Every time we try, this eerie moaning starts to come through the vents! We try and try, but it's chanting in some ancient language, and thumping against the walls!"

"No, no, no! It's right hip bounce, left hip bounce, and then one more right, THEN we go into the hand wave!" Missy sighed and shook her head. She had been practically filled to the brim with pride for her precious archetype, but they couldn't dance in a coordinated manner to anything that wasn't from The Rocky Horror Picture Show, not even if their lives depended on it.

"I'm not mad, guys, you all know I couldn't be happier with the amazing work you've been doing keeping the White Fang chasing their own tails! This is just something to blow off steam, right? Nobody's here because they don't want to be? Good! Let's just give it another try, okay? Watch me, then join in when you feel comfortable!" She pointed to Isis, who began the song again...

"AND HOOOOOPE SHINE ETERNAAAAAAL!

"AND FRIEEEEEEENDS ARE ALL I NEEEEEEED!"

Sunset grabbed her phone as the rest of her teammates gathered around. She tapped the screen and tilted it sideways before placing it on their desk. The screen blinked on, revealing Missy waving with a happy smile.

"Hey, Sunset!"

"Hey, Missy! What's going on?" Sunset smiled back. Ever since she had revealed Missy's existence to the rest of her teammates, she'd been able to stop taking calls secretly and just answering her phone in the open.

"Well, I figured you'd want an update on how things are going at Amity!" She flashed them a wide grin. "We've been scaring the pants off of the White Fang members around here! They hardly sleep or eat without jumping at little sounds, so their productivity is WAY down!" She sighed and scratched at the back of her head. "The ringleaders are a little trickier for us to track down and spook, so we've mostly been scaring the grunt workers, but Jiangshi confirmed for me last night that Torchwick is DEFINITELY here!"

"Which means that whatever the White Fang was planning, they've moved it to the arena," Blake muttered to herself.

"Amity Colosseum is a beacon of hope and friendship for all four of the kingdoms, the security is top-notch! It's constantly moving, how would they even have tracked it down?" Weiss added.

"Incorrect."