The sun was low in the sky, covering the entire world in the dusk of near-nighttime. They'd stopped later than usual, but that was plenty forgivable considering the fact that they had been trying to outrun the consequences of their last foray into another world. Sunset took a deep breath and looked around their campsite. It was just like they made it almost every night for the past year: one tent for the girls, one fire pit to cook dinner over, a few logs to serve as chairs, and their faithful oldsmobile parked nearby on the side of the road, waiting to carry them away in the morning.

It was the same collection of odds and ends that she'd called "home" for the last year, but... it didn't feel right.

And not in the "I have a bad feeling about this" way she'd been getting from time to time since they'd set out. This was a different kind of off-putting, something that just didn't seem to compute.

How can we just... go back to normal like this? After everything that happened?

She glanced over at Penn, trying to spot any sign that she wasn't the only one who felt this way. At first glance, he seemed completely consumed with trying to build the fire in semi-darkness, carefully arranging different sized sticks into a cone shape. Every few seconds, however, she'd see his eyes turn to the sky or he'd glance over his shoulder. He was still on high alert, expecting to be attacked at any moment. She didn't blame him, considering their rapidly-growing list of enemies and the increasingly desperate measures they'd resorted to just to stay alive.

"Aaaaaaaahhhhhh..." Missy squeaked with relief as she floated by in the air. As usual, gravity was merely a suggestion for the Ghostrick Angel of Mischief. She stretched all four of her limbs and her wings at the same time, spreading her child's body as far as she could. "It feels good to get OUT of the car! Is it just me, or does it feel like we were in there forever today?"

In spite of herself, Sunset felt a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. She reached out and grabbed at the younger girl, pulling her into a tight hug from behind.

"What, did having Rainbow Dash riding in the back with you make you feel squished, Missy?"

Missy erupted into a fit of giggles at the sudden affection, her wings flailing fruitlessly to try and pull herself out of Sunset's grip. "Sunset! Cut it out, you're squishing me!"

Sunset started to feel laughter of her own bubbling up when something caught her eye: a scar near the base of Missy's wing where it poked out the back of her dress. There was a thin line where the feathers wouldn't grow back, exposing a seam where the flesh had been stitched back together. The memories of the past overshadowed the present, and Sunset could still see it in her mind's eye: Missy had collapsed, her strength spent just before they'd arrived. Her attacker still had the bloody knife in their hand. Sunset heard her own voice screaming, felt the icy touch of terror as her worst fears seemed to be playing out right in front of her. And what came after...

"Sunny? You okay?"

Sunset blinked, suddenly back in the present. Missy had floated up to address her face-to-face, a look of worry in her eyes.

"Y-yeah. Just kinda got lost in thought." Sunset forced a smile and tousled the little spirit's pink hair. "Guess we DID drive a long way today, huh?"

"Well, when you're trying to outrun a bunch of crusading dragons because you beat up their god, I guess that's par for the course, right?" Missy asked, flashing her a toothy smile.

Before Sunset could offer her response, their conversation was interrupted by the sound of snapping wood. Both of them glanced over at the fire pit, where Penn was still standing. His face looked calm, but he was gripping the stick in his hands with a white-knuckled grip, having easily snapped it in half. After a few seconds of silence, he returned to his task, placing the wood as though he had always intended to break it into pieces and moving on. Sunset and Missy both glanced at each other. They didn’t need to be connected on a spiritual level to know what the other was thinking: Too soon to bring that up...

More often than not, Penn's encyclopedic knowledge of other dimensions was enough to get them out of a tough spot, but... this last stop had taken more. Much more. He'd hardly spoken since the battle, something out of character for their combination driver and guide.

Missy was finally the one to break the silence again. "So... does anybody know where Rainbow Dash went? I know she's new to the group, but I figured she'd want to stick around for treats, not ding-dong-ditch us!"

"She’s scouting the area around camp, making sure there’s no portals nearby that could give us a nasty surprise while we’re sleeping." Penn pushed himself up into a standing position and dusted off his hands. He flashed them a smile, as if he was pretending the earlier moment hadn't occurred at all. "Well, I think that’s enough to get us started! Who wants to do the honors?" he punctuated the question by reaching into his pocket and retrieving a box of matches.

Sunset knew that she was going to have to confront him about bottling up his trauma again. It didn't spare her as much guilt or worry as he seemed to think it did.

"OOH! ME! ME!" Missy rushed forward, snatching the box from his hand. She needed no instructions, starting to strike them on the side of the box as Penn stepped back with a satisfied smile on his face.

"No matter what universe they’re from, kids always love starting fires..." he whispered. "Whether they’re human... or the spirit of a children’s trading card brought to life."

Sunset chuckled at that. The fact that they could say something as absurd as that so casually just went to show how accustomed she’d grown to the impossible being a part of their daily lives. "You should see how many get started a week back at Celestia’s school. The fire department has their own division just for cleaning up their messes!"

They both quietly chuckled to themselves as they watched Missy grow more and more frustrated with the matches. Finally, she seemed to give up, removing her hat and reaching inside. After a few seconds of rummaging, she produced a tiny jack-o-lantern, small enough to just barely extend beyond the edges of her palm. She delicately removed the lid and reached inside, retrieving the lit candle from the center. She took a moment to glance between her two hands before shrugging and tossing the now-unlit pumpkin over her shoulder. A few seconds later, the candle had been used to start their campfire for the night, and Missy was giving them a proud smile.

"Did it!"

Sunset smiled, trying to convince herself that things were going to be okay. They had their camp, they had each other... We even found one of the other Rainbooms! My friends really ARE out there!

If they were trying to get back to a sense of things being "normal," though, there was one more tradition that was missing.

"So... tonight's movie night, right?" she asked. "Did you have anything in mi—"

She was cut off, however, by a sudden intrusion into the camp. Rainbow Dash entered in a multichromatic blur, kicking up a shower of dirt as she skidded to a stop just a few feet from them.

"YO! I checked everything out. The coast looks clear!"

Sunset was slightly surprised, jumping a little in place and instinctively reaching for her lightsaber. It was a reflex she’d developed in a very short time after they’d taken to the road, but this time an unnecessary one. It had only been a day since they’d managed to track Rainbow down on the world she’d been stranded in, and her presence was still going to take some getting used to. A short glance around the camp showed that she wasn't the only one who had been caught off-guard by Rainbow's entrance.

Missy had immediately taken to the air, already holding several other Yu-Gi-Oh cards in her hand at the ready. She may have been a child, but Sunset had seen first hand how devastating her magic could be, especially with the small army of other "Ghostrick" spirits at her command.

Penn's arms were raised in a blocking position, hands curled into tight fists. He'd immediately stepped out in front of her, placing himself between Sunset and the potential danger. His breathing was coming in short gasps, and as Sunset watched his head swivel from side to side she could see that his eyes were wide, but unfocused. She felt a pang in her heart as she wondered where his mind was. Back in Waterfall, maybe? In the underbelly of Joey Drew Studios? She shuddered to think he might have gone all the way back to his cell in Salem's castle.

And a second later, he was back.

He grabbed at his chest, trying to slow down his breathing. He forced a smile before looking at Rainbow Dash, as though the moment had just been one of Missy's harmless pranks. "G-geez... If this is what you’re like with just a geode, I’d hate to see what you could do with a chaos emerald..." he whispered.

"Chaos emerald? What’s that?" Rainbow tilted her head in confusion, clearly oblivious to how she'd nearly set off multiple attacks aimed in her general direction. "Sounds cool!"

Penn opened his mouth for a moment as if he was going to explain, then shook his head. Before anyone could pursue an explanation, their eyes were all drawn to the sound of metal clattering against metal. Isis's drone had come to a landing on the roof of the car, looking out over the camp with its typical expressionless face.

"My apologies, but it appears that Rainbow Dash failed to notice a dimensional breach near the campsite."

"What? Where? I looked everywhere!" Rainbow argued, placing her hands on her hips.

"Everywhere, apparently, except the campsite, itself."

The small metal dragon clambered down the back windshield, inserting the tip of its tail into the keyhole for the trunk where they kept their supplies. The trunk popped open with more force than usual, flinging the tiny robot back up and over the car. A moment's examination revealed that it had been pushed open by the presence of something that most certainly didn’t belong:

It was a door. A door carved from warmly-colored oak wood and framed by a stone archway. It was clearly the work of a skilled craftsman, heavy and well-aged in a way that made it clear that they were not the first to lay eyes on it by a LONG shot, nor would they be the last. Laid into the wood was a stained glass rendition of Sunset’s cutie mark. It caught the light of a gas lamp that had sprouted from the lid of the trunk, refracting and diffusing it until it looked as if it was glowing from within. Accompanying the lamp was a neon sign, one that displayed a filled martini glass with a familiar yin-yang sun hanging off the rim where a lemon wedge ought to be. A chalkboard sign flopped out of the trunk to punctuate the moment, landing perfectly right-side-up and proudly displaying the night's specials.

No one seemed quite able to respond to the situation for several seconds, all of them were simply gobsmacked at the sudden appearance.

"Well, how was I supposed to know I needed to look for interdimensional portals in the trunk?" Rainbow asked, throwing her hands up in the air.

"Sunset..." Penn growled. "WHAT... did you do to my car? Did you and Missy set this up? Some kind of variation on Ghostrick Go-Round?"

"Wha- I didn't do this!" Sunset countered.

"It's literally got your name on it!" Penn grabbed at the neon sign, pointing at the words displayed under the glass: Sunset's Isekai.

Sunset sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Isis... do you have ANY idea what's going on? Other than—" she gestured to the door's location, "—THIS, is there anything else strange about this portal?"

The repair drone poked its head up over the top of the trunk, having climbed back onto the car after its impromptu flight. Multiple panels on its body slid open, along with its mouth. Delicate instruments poked and prodded at the air as an array of lasers passed over the entire doorway. After a few seconds, the scanners all moved back inside the drone's body.

"Unlike many of the passages between worlds we have encountered, this one seems remarkably stable. Ninety-nine percent of electromagnetic radiation and time-space fluctuations match the surrounding reality. Were it not for the... odd positioning, I would conclude that it is not a dimensional gateway at all, but simply part of this world."

"That doesn’t tell us much about what’s on the other side, and I REALLY want to go at least three days without something trying to kill us after the LAST dimension we went to..." Sunset muttered. This was NOT something they needed to deal with right now.

"Only one way to find out, right?" Rainbow grinned and rubbed her hands together before reaching for the knob. She was robbed of the chance to be the first one through, however, by a rough tug from Penn that yanked her back.

"I should go first—"

Sunset didn’t even give him a chance to finish THAT familiar statement before she snuck around him. "I’m the one with a weapon, plus my name’s on the sign. I’ll let you know if it’s safe!"

"Wait! What about ME?" Missy added, latching onto Sunset from behind. "We’re partners, remember? Where you go, I go!"

"This repair drone is disposable, the most logical solution would be—"

Just as the five of them started to overlap with one another, the door opened of its own accord. Sunset’s eyes widened and she felt her jaw drop as a familiar-but-different face emerged.

Rarity looked to be in her early twenties, and she was dressed oddly enough, like a motorcyclist from the 1940s, including the leather helmet and goggles. She paused, blinking, to study them, before smiling. "Oh dear, I guess we have new visitors! I'm sorry Sunset, but I'm on my way to this universe's version of Pern. You ran out of klah."

"I told you I can just order it!" another familiar voice shouted from behind Rarity.

"But where's the adventure?" Rarity called back, smiling politely as she made her way past the group, pausing to pat Penn on the head. "Besides, you have guests! And they do really look like they need a drink!" She winked at them and proceeded to walk out of the camp area without looking back. She was gone before they had time to stop her.

"Visitors? Rarity? Are you gone already?" the voice called out. "Dammit."

There was a long pause as everyone tried to process what had just happened. The Rarity that Sunset knew could be a bit... overbearing at times, but this one had some kind of aura about her that left them all unable to reply before she had vanished as quickly as she’d come. Penn looked as though the pat on his head had left him in a daze, Rainbow’s jaw was hanging slack, and Isis had executed her normal head tilt that she reserved for moments where she was having trouble processing a lack of logic in a situation. Finally, Penn snapped back to reality.

"Fine. Missy, Sunset... you’re with me. Dash, you guard the camp with Isis."

"WHAT?" Rainbow cried, clearly outraged at being forced to stay behind.

"Affirmative."

Sunset sighed, knowing she was going to have to put out the fire Penn had started as he walked through the now-open door. "Rainbow, if it’s safe, I’m sure you can come in as soon as we get back. For now, though..."

"Experienced multiverse-traveling superheroes only!" Missy cheered as she spread her wings and flew through the door.

"We’ve got... a synergy. We've been doing this for a long time together. We’ll be RIGHT back, I promise!" Sunset sighed and stepped up into the trunk before walking inside (a very disconcerting sensation). Whatever had made itself at home in the car that was THEIR home, they were about to meet it face-to-face.

Earlier…

"How many times do I have to tell you to be careful with the clothes I make for you?" Rarity tutted as she shook her head. She walked around Sunset, studying the damage. "This was supposed to last you for a couple of centuries. More! Why, I made it with the best materials from Universe 1!"

Sunset, for her part, felt her anger rising and took a deep breath, letting the feeling go. She glanced behind and watched as her monkey tail slowly faded away. There. Back to 'Normal Sunny'. "This is why I have issues going back to visit Goku and the others. Plus, that stuff might be enough for them, but Broly had no issues busting through that shoulder pad."

Rarity huffed. "Broly. That muscular, tall, handsome hunk of a Saiyan."

"Yes…" Sunset narrowed her eyes. "That one."

"Of course that delectable brute would have the strength and stamina to do this to my clothes."

"I think we're looking at things from a different perspective here."

"Right." Rarity sighed, and then patted Sunset's shoulder. "I'll fix it soon. For now, have some rest while I go procure some ingredients."

"You know I can order them, right?" Sunset asked as she watched Rarity head towards the door. "Did you hear me?"

She heard the silver chime as the door opened.

"So… you're back to normal?" Dani asked cautiously, head emerging from the bar. "Remind me to never, ever go back there with you. You're really scary there, Sunset."

Sunset gave her a sheepish grin. "Sorry. There's something about transforming into a Saiyan… I'm not sure exactly why, but it really affects me."

"Tell me about it, you basically—"

They heard Rarity's voice come from down the hall. "I'm sorry Sunset, but I'm on my way to this universe's version of Pern. You ran out of klah."

She let out an exasperated groan. "I told you I can just order it!"

"But where's the adventure?" Rarity called back, with the usual almost-dreamy-tone that she attached to the word adventure. The only other being she knew did something like that was Scrooge McDuck whenever he talked about gold. "Besides, you have guests! And they do really look like they need a drink!"

Dani and Sunset shared a look, before she shouted out, "Visitors?" No response. "Rarity? Are you gone already?" She grimaced, looking down at her half-destroyed Saiyan armor. She wasn't even dressed for the job. "Dammit."

"Um, do you want me to hold them back while you get changed?" Dani asked.

She shook her head, glancing warily towards the entrance. "The door already opened, I'll ask them if they mind when they come in, it would be rude otherwise. Are you going to be solid for a bit?" Sunset asked as she walked around the back of the bar.

"Sure, I can do that."

Sunset nodded thankfully, barely able to hear a short discussion taking place outside the bar, before the sound of footsteps preceded the arrival of her new guests.

The first one through the door was an unfamiliar young man. He was dressed in a casual pair of khaki cargo pants and a floral-patterned shirt, topped off with a recreation of Ash Ketchum’s hat. He looked dressed for a trip to a bar, but the look on his face was decidedly less relaxed. He was eyeing every inch of the bar with suspicion, and his posture looked ready for a fight. She could see multiple poorly-hidden scars on his arms, making it clear that he had been in fights before and expected one now.

The second one was much more friendly-looking, though definitely not human. She was a young girl dressed in a lacey black dress. She was pretty sure the style was called 'gothic lolita' from what little she’d heard of Rarity’s work. She wore a tiny top hat and her pink hair seemed to swoop upwards, transitioning from a cowlick into an improvised halo. The thing that caught her attention the most was that she was being carried along by a pair of wings, the feathers mimicking the coloration of piano keys. The wings weren’t flapping, she just seemed to float along effortlessly through the air. Is she some kind of ghost? Unlike the first guy, she looked ecstatic, staring around the bar with wide eyes and clapping her hands with glee.

The last person to enter was another Sunset, which was a helpful dose of familiarity. But a quick look made her wince. She looked over to Dani, who nodded in understanding.

After staying with her in the Isekai for so long, both the ghost girl and Lena had learned how to tell when a Sunset was tired, and this one definitely was. Her eyes had the beginnings of dark circles under them, and her shoulders seemed to sag with an invisible weight. Her clothes were a pretty typical Sunset Shimmer outfit, blue jeans under a small yellow skirt and a robin’s-egg blouse under her typical leather jacket, but they looked worn thin in places. As for the visiting Sunset, herself, she was definitely wary, but not to the same degree as her other companion. She had one hand on something buckled to her waist, but she seemed to relax to simple confusion when she understood the nature of the bar.

"Dimensionally transcendental..." the first one muttered under his breath.

"What, like the TARDIS?" the second one asked, tapping her chin in thought as she reclined on nothing.

"You tell me, I was possessed ninety percent of the time we were there, remember?" he fired back.

Sunset cleared her throat. "And I guess that's my cue to introduce this place. I'm Sunset Shimmer, as you probably guessed, and this is 'Sunset's Isekai', my interdimensional bar. Not… exactly like a TARDIS, but it's the easiest way to compare it." She grinned uncertainly. "Please make yourselves comfortable. And um, if you don't mind, I could whip you up something quick and get changed into my usual bar uniform… or if you're fine with your bartender looking like she got into a brawl with a bunch of aliens, that works too." She motioned with her hand at Dani. "This is Dani Phantom, by the way, and for convenience, you can call me Isekai, that's what people usually go with when there's more than one Sunset."

"Well, we were mostly here looking for an explanation of why your bar is parked in the trunk of my car..." the first visitor muttered, relaxing a little upon seeing her. "But if we’re intruding, there’s no rush. We were just setting up camp for the night."

"Nah, don't worry about it," Isekai said, "my bar appears to people that need rest, someone to talk to, a drink… basically, this is a safe space for you. All I provide is an ear, and drinks. I can also order food for you if you want." She chuckled. "And, no offense but you guys do look like you need a rest. First round's on me." She slid three menus on the bar. "So, if you feel like it, you can sit and relax, or look around the bar area."

The three looked at each other. In just a few looks and expressions they managed to deliberate and settle on a decision, approaching the bar together. The way they each watched each other for cues made it clear that they had done this kind of thing many times before. Their Sunset gave her a grateful smile. "Thank you... I hate to say it, but you’re right. We could REALLY use a break." She leaned forward comfortably before pointing to each member of their party. "Before you go get changed, let us just introduce ourselves. I’m Sunset- though you probably know that. This is the Ghostrick Angel of Mischief, but—"

"Just call me Missy!" the little one cheered, removing her tiny top hat and giving a sweeping bow.

"—and THAT is Penn."

The young man jumped slightly in place before he gave her a small wave. "Sorry. Bit on edge right now... Looks like you got roughed up by some Saiyans, you alright?"

Isekai shrugged and watched silently as a bit of armor fell to the ground. "Given that I was one of them, yeah, I'm okay. But this thing is falling apart, so it's probably best to get changed. You guys look like you've been through the ringer yourselves. I uh, don't usually do this, but if you need a shower or something… you can use the one in the guest rooms."

Their Sunset gave her a grateful smile. "Thanks, I might take you up on that..."

Penn nodded absently, his attention having moved to the many photos hanging on her wall. "Mass Effect, Ducktales, Final Fantasy, The Owl House..." he whispered under his breath, sounding more and more shocked the longer he continued listing off their universes. When he finally caught himself, he looked at her again, but now with awe instead of suspicion.

"Uh oh... He's got a LOT of questions..." Missy muttered as she floated up into the air. She held one hand up beside her mouth, loudly pretending to whisper. "I’ll distract them, hurry and get out of here!" She floated over, grabbing at Penn's arm and trying to pull him off the stool. "Penn! I need your help! Ghostrick Nekomusume's tail got stuck to the ceiling!"

Penn didn't even bother turning to look at her. "And WHO put it there?"

Missy paused before sheepishly at her feet. "...me."

"Missy... You KNOW we could hear you. We don't need a distraction." Sunset gave Isekai a knowing look. "Go get changed, we’ll be fine for a bit."

Missy didn’t seem flummoxed by the failure of her distraction, simply removing her hat and reaching inside. A few seconds later, she was back in her seat and happily chewing on a handful of candy corn.

Isekai nodded. "Well, check out the menu and choose a drink, Dani here will keep you company. And thanks for understanding, be right back!" She hurried into the Employee's Only area. It wouldn't take long to be ready.

Dani looked the visitors up and down. She had seen her fair share of interdimensional travellers (being one herself), so she knew it could be hard sometimes, but they seldom seemed so… exhausted. "So, having a tough time out there?" she asked, casually phasing through the bar to start serving them glasses with water.

Sunset and Missy both seemed surprised, but Penn's tired expression didn't budge, almost as though he had been expecting it. Missy tapped her hand against the bar several times before leaning down and practically pressing her eyeball against it, trying to figure out how she had done it.

"W-well... a little tougher than usual, lately," Sunset stammered. "If it’s not ink demons, a vengeful Grimm witch, or a Dalek invasion, we usually have a pretty good time. But lately it feels like we’ve been scrambling from one emergency to another." She looked around at the array of photos, her eyes widening. "It looks like you tend to have your own share of adventures, too."

"It's a dog-eat-dog multiverse, Dani, and we're wearing Milkbone underwear..." Penn muttered into his glass. "At least we FINALLY found another one of the Rainbooms, which means they really are out there somewhere." He seemed to have completely shifted gears now that he was sure there were no threats present, leaning against the bar as though he could barely keep himself awake. "So our mission IS possible."

"Hm." Dani glanced at the water. "Maybe I should've made you some coffee instead. Suns—Isekai is better at guessing." She sighed. "So you're in an 'across-the-multiverse' adventure? Heh. I've been on a few of those." She crossed her arms, smirking cockily. "Of course most places were not prepared for me, so I got away with it."

She leaned on the bar. "It seems like you—" she pointed at Sunset "—come from a very similar universe from Isekai, that with the Rainbooms and, y'know, you not being some sort of demonic, blood-bending abomination. How come your pop band is spread all over the place?" She raised an eyebrow. "Did you turn them into crystal and blast them across space and time?"

"Blood-bending abomination" seemed to set the two girls on edge, but Penn just chuckled darkly to himself.

"Well, not quite- at least, not as far as I know?" Sunset sighed. "To make a long story short, we tried to close the portal to Equestria so we could go on tour without CHS being at risk and it kinda... blew up. And it didn’t just blow up THAT portal, it blew up everything. Next thing I know, I’m waking up alone halfway across the country, and everything that used to be fiction in HIS world—" she pointed towards Penn, "is suddenly coming to life."

"Lucky for us that Penn’s a HUGE nerd!" Missy interjected. "He knows, like, EVERYTHING about movies and tv shows and stuff! He probably even knows who you are!"

Dani blinked. "Well. Of course he would. I'm Dani Phantom. Who wouldn't know?" She narrowed her eyes. "Wait. you're telling me you've been out there for over a day and you haven't heard of me? What is this multiverse coming to?"

The door from the back of the bar opened and Isekai stepped back in, looking a lot cleaner and wearing her bartender clothes. "Dani, it's a multiverse, and by what I heard as I was about to step back in, theirs is a bit… messed up. They might still get to meet you, but you can't expect all of existence to know about you."

Dani's grin twisted into a frown. "Well, okay. But now they know who I am." She floated into the air. "Danielle Phantom!"

"Also, in the way," Isekai said, moving Dani with a bit of magic so that she could get to the bar without having to walk through her. "You'll have to forgive her, she's still working on that ego of hers."

"You call it 'ego', I call it, 'healthy self-awareness'."

Isekai smiled at her guests. "See?"

"Wait..." Missy tapped at her chin. "So... for the uninitiated, how did you—"

"She’s half-ghost." Penn interrupted her. Missy’s eyes widened as her grin grew, and it was possible to see stars in her eyes as she nearly threw herself across the bar with excitement, wrapping Dani in a vice-like hug.

"I’m a duel spirit! WE CAN BE GHOST BUDDIES!"

"I accidentally summoned Missy when I got roped into a shadow game a couple months into our trip." Sunset smiled and reached over to give Missy’s hair an affectionate tousle. "She somehow managed to stick around in our world after it was all said and done, so she’s been traveling with us ever since!"

Missy gave her an indignant look, still not releasing her grip on Dani. "You summoned me? I summoned myself, you didn’t know the first thing about dueling!"

"Anyway- that’s a VERY long story, just like the rest of our three-hour tour..." Penn rolled his eyes. "Before we order anything, can you take a card? We don’t have a lot of cash on us."

"Three hours?" Sunset asked. "I thought you packed for a week when we first left?" Penn looked as though he was going to explain, then gave up and took another long drink from his glass, polishing off the last of the water.

"I take cards, don't worry," Isekai said. "Besides, I did say the first drink was on me, and I didn't mean the water." She rolled her shoulders. "So, what will you have? Do you have a preference, or should I guess?"

Dani struggled half-heartedly within Missy's hug. "Well. I guess. We don't get that many ghostly visitors to the bar for some reason."

"It's just a matter of time, Dani," Isekai said, ruffling her hair. "Besides, you've made friends with similar people, right? Lena is half-shadow, and Sunshine is a full energy-sucking shadow entity, if I recall."

"Shadows, Isekai, not ghosts." Dani rolled her eyes. "And Lena's more like a sister."

"Yes, well, there's other ghosts out there. Nothing's stopping you from meeting them and bringing them over." Sunset cleared her throat, turning to face the others. "So? Drinks?"

"Well, the rose lemonade sounds good to me." Sunset set down her menu.

"Something with LOTS of sugar for me!" Missy added, finally releasing her grip on Dani to return to her seat.

"You’ve got ginger beer, right? I know it’s usually a mixer, but I like it by itself." Penn shrugged. "The stronger the ginger, the better, and..." he glanced down at the menu again. "It says here you can add... lightning? Is that some kind of special drink?"

"Unless you specifically can digest electricity, it's more for show," Isekai clarified, "but it's basically using a spell Cozy Glow showed me, compressing lightning into a small ball that slowly seeps into the drink, or just makes it glow."

Penn chuckled again, raising his eyebrows. "You know, as much as that’s something I’d like to see, I’m pretty sure I can’t digest lightning..." He pondered again for a moment before leaning back slightly "But... Speaking of things most people can't digest, could you possibly get me a shot of black printer ink on the side?"

"Um, sure," Sunset gave him a considering look as she walked over to gather the ingredients for the orders. "You sure about that? Taste might be a bit iffy mixed with the ginger beer."

"Ginger beer’s for me, the ink is for—" he paused for a second, blinking several times. "That’s weird..."

Sunset and Missy both exchanged a nervous glance. "Penn... you feeling okay?"

"Yeah, it's just... for the first time in a while, the ink demon’s gone quiet." He blinked several times and knocked lightly at his skull. After a moment, he waved Isekai closer and pulled down on the bottom of his eye. "Hey, what color is the inside of my eyelid?"

She leaned closer. "Inky black. That's unusual. It has writing in white… it's in Quenya. It says: Gone fishing."

He looked somewhat crestfallen at her answer. "Okay, so it’s still there..." He shook his head, only to notice the curious look she was giving him. "A while back, we visited Joey Drew studios, and we kinda... broke the timeline. As everything was collapsing in on itself, the ink demon managed to attach itself to me, specifically my blood. I just... can’t hear it right now. I don’t have to repress it. It’s like he’s asleep." He glanced around curiously. "Does... this bar repress demons, or something?"

"Not really, if they're friendly like, say Charlie Magne, they can come in. If not, they stay out, usually along with the host," Isekai said. "Maybe it receded enough not to be an issue?"

Penn shrugged again. "I think I’ll still have the ink, if you don’t mind. Just because it tastes good to me. Chewing up a ballpoint usually perks me right up, and I DEFINITELY need it."

"One ballpoint coming right up," Isekai said, opening up a drawer.

A moment of silence fell as everyone watched Isekai do her work, but it was soon broken by Sunset Shimmer. Isekai had noticed her counterpart moving back and forth between looking at the photos and examining her closely, and her thoughts seemed to finally be coming to a head.

"So... you’ve been traveling the multiverse for a long time?"

Dani snorted, and Isekai absently slapped the back of her head. "Yeah," she said, glancing at her counterpart over her shoulder. "Been at it for—"

"Yes, Sunset," Dani interrupted sweetly, "do tell us how long you've been at it."

Narrowing her eyes at the ghost, Isekai turned around to place the ginger beer and ballpoint pen in front of Penn. "Centuries," she said neutrally. "Not only inside the bar, mind you. I sometimes go to a different universe than my original home one to live there for a while, so… the years pile up."

She then placed the rose lemonade across from her counterpart. "It has its moments, and it certainly keeps me busy."

The other Sunset looked down into her drink, and Isekai could see the telltale twitch in her eye that she was trying not to cry.

"Does... it ever stop trying to kill you?"

Deciding that it was best not to mention that time she had technically died in the Dragonball universe, Isekai shrugged. "Yes. Absolutely. There are some amazing places out there that just… make you happy. Of course there's a lot of strife, but that's to be expected… most universes have free will, after all."

She started mixing up a chocolate-ladden, super-sweet milkshake for Missy. "But, even though there've been times where everyone is out to get each other, you find the most amazing people that inspire you to be your best." She nodded towards the pictures. "Like Charlie, who is the nicest princess of hell you can meet, or G'kar who grew through wars and political BS into an amazing leader."

The thing she placed in front of Missy had three different types of chocolate, sweetened whipped cream, a cherry on top and was sprinkled with pieces of gooey caramel. "Here you go, Missy." Missy eyed the drink with hungry eyes before popping the cherry into her mouth and giving the straw a long sip. For a moment, she almost seemed to melt into her seat, humming with pleasure as her wings gave a joyful flutter.

She leaned on the bar and smiled at her counterpart. "It's going to be okay. Maybe difficult, but we Sunsets are not known for giving up."

"I-it’s just... we finally found one of my friends, but—" Sunset paused to take a sip of her lemonade. It seemed to calm her down, slowing her breathing and stopping the stuttering. "The cost wasn’t something I was okay with. Over and over, we get hurt, we’re attacked, and we just get back up and move on, trying to act like nothing happened. Haven’t we done enough, yet?"

Penn pulled the end of the plastic out of his mouth, having chewed through half the ink-bearing portion. "Sunset, I told you, it’s fi—"

"IT’S NOT FINE!" All at once she lost control, slamming her fist against the bar as the tears began to flow. "You won’t even TELL me how long you were in that time loop, Missy lost a wing that we were LUCKY Doctor Alphys could reattach, and I STILL have nightmares about losing my soul in a children’s card game! I just..." she folded her arms across the polished counter and buried her face in them. "I just need a break. I need to know that the universe isn’t just punishing me for breaking it... I don't want my friends to keep getting hurt."

There was a short pause, everyone present looking to the others for some sign of whether or not to take action. Penn was the one to finally move, sliding out of his seat and walking to Sunset. In one motion, he wrapped both arms around her into a tight hug. "Well... isn’t that what this place is for? A place to catch a break? That's what Isekai said."

Missy glanced at Isekai, then carefully set her milkshake down on the counter with a serious look on her face. "First of all: THIS—" she pointed to the drink, "is the work of the divine. You have been blessed by the gods of sugar. Second—" Without warning, she practically threw herself into Sunset’s arms, joining the group hug with enough force to nearly knock the three of them over backwards. "SUNSEEEEET, WE LOVE YOU, TOO!"

Isekai smirked. "Seems like you're in good hands. Not all interdimensional travelers are lucky enough to have a family."

"Yep!" Dani said, "we made our own little family here too!" she floated over to wrap an arm around Isekai's shoulder. "She's even dating a giant rodent, and basically adopted a duck!"

"What Danielle means," Isekai growled, "is that having people around you that care and love you is something that will always bring you happiness in the end… remember our friendship lessons? Your friends, old and new, bring out the best in you."

She leaned across to place a hand on Sunset's arm. "The multiverse is not out there to get you. It's brought some really good people with you, right?"

Sunset finally smiled again, sniffling and gripping Missy a little tighter as she nodded. "Mhmm... Th-thanks, guys..."

"Speaking of people we’ve met along the way, do you think we should go tell Dash this is a SAFE dimensional portal?" Penn whispered.

Sunset’s eyes widened as she nearly jumped out of her seat. "RIGHT! Oh gosh, I completely forgot! I’ll go get her!"

It was almost comical to watch her rush back out the door with Missy still clinging to her from the front, as if the younger girl weighed nothing at all. In the brief moment while she was gone, however, Penn turned to Isekai, his voice low as if he were afraid of being overheard.

"Do you mind if I ask a question of my own?"

Sensing that this was a bit more serious, Sunset nodded, keeping her voice low. "Sure, go ahead."

"What do you do to deal with... things that make you jumpy? Or upset? Y’know... nightmares, paranoia... stuff like that?" He shifted uncomfortably, clearly forcing the words out. "I just came out of what’s more or less a time loop that always ended when I di—when I failed to win an important fight... I can’t get myself calm again. Combine that with having added a speedster to our team recently and, well... it’s not healthy for me. Do you have any advice? I don’t think my Sunset could take any more on her shoulders, so I figured maybe I should ask you..."

Isekai grimaced. "She's doing the thing where we Sunsets take the blame for things, isn't she?"

Penn chuckled slightly and nodded. "Yeah. If I had a nickel for every time I said ‘It’s not your fault,’ I could drink this place dry and still pay in cash."

Isekai took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "Unfortunately, that's a bad habit we—well, most of us share. We tend to make it about ourselves, rather than recognizing it's not that." She paused. "Even though I sort of died once or twice, it wasn't as shocking or traumatizing as it has been for others, due to the rules of that universe… but I've had emotional stabs straight into my heart that have left me… well, more wary of trusting even other versions of me."

Penn nodded sagely. "I've died... more times than I'd like to say. Enough for the reaper to start making personal calls. She's..." he cast a sad look back at the door, as if checking to make sure Sunset hadn't come back, "never taken it well..."

Dani leaned back, clearing her throat. "I'll uh, go check on the others while you guys talk."

"Thanks Dani," Isekai said, watching her friend go out the hallway and out the door, closing it behind her. "While the door is closed behind her we can take more time, so don't worry about them coming right back in," she told Penn. "I'm not sure what advice I can give you that would make things much better… but they do get better. Take the time to enjoy the trips and get to know the Rainbooms. They're… well, special, but they each bring something essential with them, you know?" She patted his hand gently. "I don't blame you for not sharing everything with Sunset… it's clear you care for her, but maybe it's worth discussing things not alone with her, but with the whole group?"

Penn looked down for a moment, pondering her words. He squeezed her hand for a moment, his breath hissing through his teeth. When he stopped and looked up again, he was smiling. "Right. Well, at least I know I’m going to get to meet them all, I made a promise I’d get them home!" He sighed, this time sounding less upset and more out of relief. "I... Thanks, Isekai. Even just admitting I’ve been struggling makes me feel better. It sounds weird, but the Rainbooms have been this abstract goal for so long, I guess I never thought that they’re probably going to be my friends, too. I’ll take your advice."

There was a loud bang as the door was flung open. A Rainbow Dash burst into the room in a blue blur, instantly looking amazed at the space inside. A small metal dragon sat on her shoulder, clearly holding on for dear life.

"Woah... Dude, your car’s trunk must be HUGE!"

"Dimensional gateways need not adhere to euclidean geometry, Rainbow Dash."

"You-kid-ian-what-now?"

Penn smiled and reached into his pocket, placing a credit card down on the surface of the bar that read First Integrated Bank. "If it’s alright with you, Isekai, I think we might be here for a little while to get our strength back..."

"Hey, I have all the time in the multiverse," she said, "plus you guys might get a kick out of the stories I have." She levitated a picture up to Rainbow Dash for her to grab. "As you can probably imagine, it gets somewhat interesting in here sometimes."

Rainbow Dash’s eyes nearly bugged out of her head as she stared at the photograph. "Are these all... me?"

Penn gave Sunset a quick side-hug as she came to sit beside him again, Missy riding on her shoulders. "Well, we haven’t been at this for centuries, but why don’t we take turns sharing stories? I can tell you all about the time Sunny, here, got accepted to Beacon Academy and saved all of Remnant from total war!"

"Oh come on, we both know I couldn't have done it without everybody else!" Sunset flushed slightly.

Isekai laughed. "Well, if we're doing this, do you want to move to a table?" she offered. "I'll start whipping up more drinks."

Missy laughed and settled leaning on top of Sunset’s head, her milkshake clasped with both hands. "ONWARD, faithful steed!"

Dani gave her a look. "Did you just quote King?"

"King who?"

"Oh, then I know what story to share," Dani said. "Come on, Sun—Isekai, let's get seated."

"You are helping me serve the drinks," Isekai stated, pulling the ghost by the ear. "And only then we can sit." She glanced at the others and nodded. "Pick a table guys, and make your orders, we'll be with you in a second."

Penn took a deep breath, for once feeling as though he didn’t need to worry. It was the first time in a long time he’d felt like he genuinely belonged back behind the wheel. After a long night of sharing stories both harrowing and hilarious, they had finally bid farewell to Isekai and Dani and settled down for the night. It had been the first time in recent memory that he had slept completely through the night, no nightmares or intrusive memories. Today, Sunset’s geode had given them a fresh heading, sending them driving into the west. He smiled as he felt the hum of the Oldsmobile’s tires against the asphalt.

Sunset had dozed off in the passenger seat, a smile on her face as she rested peacefully. In the back seat, Missy and Rainbow had both leaned on each other as the hypnotic hum of the open road lulled them into an unwilling nap, as well.

Everyone was safe, everyone was happy... and there was a hope in the air that hadn’t been present the previous day.

The multiverse could be a brutal and unfeeling place, and it most certainly demanded everything from them that they could give, but... That was what family did for each other. When one needed help, the rest stopped at nothing to make it work out. Isekai had shown up just when they needed her most. She was living proof that this was possible, that one could travel the Multiverse without letting it break them.

He reached up to the dashboard, giving Isis’s drone a tap on the head.

"Hey, Isis... fade in some music. Slowly."

"Affirmative. What would you like to hear?"

"How about... Carry On Wayward Son?" He smiled to himself, fingering at the wallet in his pocket where a new, silvery-colored business card had settled into a permanent place. "We’ve got a long drive ahead of us, after all..."

Dani brought the last of the plates over to the sink while Sunset hung the newest picture on the wall. This time, rather than all posing together, it was a shot of the group, facing the camera, as they sat around the table, drinks, food and discarded napkins on the surface. A typical, 'having a good time' sort of picture, which was exactly what the occasion called for. "Hey Sunset?"

"Yeah?"

"How come, if the other Sunset broke the multiverse, we don't see it happening in others?" she asked, genuinely curious. She closed the water tap and turned to face her friend/landlord.

"Hm." Sunset tapped her chin as she considered the photo. "I imagine that it's simply that the multiverse is so vast, that whenever we encounter something like that, we're… in a multiverse within a multiverse?" she offered, looking back at her friend with a sheepish expression. "I'm really not sure. But… we've encountered places that have been completely erased then returned… and it's as if that multiverse was gone, but the rest wasn't."

"So… ask Rarity?"

"Ask Rarity."

"Right." Dani chuckled. "You think they'll be okay?"

Sunset reached out to straighten the picture. "They're probably going to keep having it tough… it's how these things go. But I think that as long as they remember that they're there for each other, and that they're building themselves a family? Yeah. I think they'll be alright in the end."

Dani grinned. "Good to know. I did tell Missy that she could come back and visit often, though, I think Lena and the others will get along well with her."

"Just remember to talk to Penn and Sunset before you drag her into the Digital World or something crazy."

Dani rolled her eyes. "Yes, mom," she drawled.

"Danielle Phantom! I know I told you not to call me that, little miss."

"You never said that."

"You never called me mom either. Well, keep it in mind anyway. People might start believing it if we're not careful, and you're going to get Lena doing it too."

"Yes, mom."

Author's Notes:

Crossover with The Multiverse in a Nutshell by Pennington Inkwell