Chapter Text
Night. An unknown place.
Somewhere in the distance — the sound of dripping water. Dripping... peaceful, almost soothing, and yet so irritating at the same time. Like a clock, only the drops didn't tick — they kind of... thudded?
A dim light fell across a desk. Almost nothing was visible. But a few things could still be made out: a notepad, pens, a few notebooks, and... a photo of Sunset with her friends. In it, they looked so joyful, so close... but would it always be like that?
The only strong source of light hit one thing — an old laptop. The screen cast a harsh glow over the young man's face, leaving the rest of his body to the shadows. On the city map, a crimson marker was pulsing right over Canterlot High School.
He sat motionless, eyes locked on the screen.
A quick mouse-click — the map refreshed. Tiny dots scattered across it. Many of them. So many. Far too many.
"It's only gotten worse," he said with a frown.
He slammed the laptop shut, breaking the dead silence.
"Of course," he hissed through his teeth. "It's always up to me to clean up their mess."
He opened an old, rusted box. Inside lay two small, carefully fitted devices nestled in worn foam.
"Two months of my life down the drain for these little guys," he muttered, strapping one onto each wrist with quick, practiced movements. "But if things go sideways, they're supposed to be a real lifesaver."
He flexed his fingers, testing the fit, then grabbed his keys and motorcycle helmet from the desk.
Something in the darkness of the room scraped and rumbled, as if trying to get out, to break free — but it couldn't.
"Your time will come soon, I promise. You're not as useless as you think," he said, glancing at the metal door where the noise was coming from.
The thing in the dark grew quiet. The scraping stopped. It just stood there, behind the door, waiting for something.
"As usual, I'm the one doing all the heavy lifting," he sighed wearily, still gathering his things.
A low hum echoed from behind the door — as if the thing behind it was trying to argue back.
"Yeah, you too. I know you help me too," after a second, he continued. "We should hurry. IT won't wait forever."
Glancing at his watch, he added:
"It's a long ride to the city. I'll only be there by morning. Hope it'll be worth it."
Something stirred in the darkness beyond the door — a faint, tentative rap against the metal, followed by a low, rasping whimper and the steady drip... drip... of something thick hitting concrete.
"What do you mean 'too dramatic'?!" the young man snapped, spinning around and slamming his boot against the metal door with a dull clang. "I'm trying to hold it together here! Now shut up and stay put, you big dummy!"
Silence fell on the other side. Then came a soft, almost wounded sound — a high-pitched, keening whine. There was no anger in it, only hurt. And maybe a little bit of loneliness.
He took a step closer, tilting his head.
"Oh, don't tell me you're sulking now." His voice softened, the edge dulling into something quieter. "Come on, I'm sorry. You're cool too. Honest."
Something behind the door perked up instantly — a series of quick, thumping thuds, like heavy feet bouncing with happiness, followed by a rapid clicking that sounded oddly like applause. The young man let out a breath, barely a laugh.
"Okay, okay, that's enough." He took a step back, his expression hardening once more. "Settle down."
The young man pulled out a map of the city, studying every inch of it as if searching for a specific spot.
"Alright... yeah..." He bit down on his pen a little too hard, and a sharp burst of ink flooded his mouth. "Ugh—gah! God, that's disgusting."
He grabbed a water bottle nearby, took a long gulp, and went back to scanning the map.
"From what I can tell, they'll be here." He circled the Sweet Shoppe café with the pen. "Though... if I'm wrong, this whole thing falls apart. And Rarity... I just hope her personality plays out the way I need it to."
He was getting twitchy. With a frustrated grunt, he hurled the pen against the wall.
"Ugh! My entire plan is built on a hunch! What the hell am I even doing?!" He grabbed a fistful of his hair, curling in on himself slightly. "Okay... alright. Get it together. Panicking isn't going to help."
He picked up his phone and dialed the number of a local boutique.
"Hello, yes, sorry to be calling so late." His voice was smooth, polite—almost disarmingly warm. "Yes, that's right. The red dress with the sequins. Put it in the window tomorrow, would you? I'll come by to take a look."
A sly smile curved his lips as he adjusted his tie, taking his time with the knot.
"What? Why do I need it?" He paused, clearly fighting back a chuckle. "It's for a... friend of mine. I want to surprise her. Yes, sorry again for the late call. Goodbye."
He swallowed, his smile fading into something quieter.
"I just hope... hope this actually works."
He glanced at the photo. His eye twitched at the sight of those happy faces. Was he jealous? Nah, not really. Did they have something more valuable to him than friendship? Definitely.
"Time to move," he said, heading for the exit.
---
Morning. The "Sweet Shoppe" café.
This morning was no different from the last one. Just as dull and just as bright, flooded with sunlight.
Another day without any problems. Probably for the best. No need to bother Princess Twilight again, Sunset thought, finishing her tea.
"Sunset, did something happen? You look sad," Fluttershy murmured, touching her shoulder. Her voice was as quiet as ever, but full of care.
"Yeah, Sunset, what's up?" Rainbow Dash chimed in. "Thinking about... that again?"
"CUPCAKES WITH SPRINKLES!" Pinkie Pie interrupted, waving her arms wildly.
"Ahem... magic," Rainbow Dash finished her thought with a glare. She didn't like being interrupted, but with friends like Pinkie, you let it slide, right?
"Thanks for worrying, guys, everything's fine, really. It's just... still so strange to see the world this calm — no magic, no new disasters. The last couple of days have been way too quiet," Sunset finished her tea and glanced around the café, looking for something to focus on.
"Too quiet?!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed with delight. "Then let's throw a mega-super-duper awesome party with tons of sweets and sprinkles!"
"Oh, what a fabulous idea!" Rarity chimed in. "I've just finished my new outfits, we could absolutely debut them at the party!"
For a moment, Sunset looked surprised — or maybe intrigued.
"Um... Sunset? What are you staring at?" Twilight adjusted her glasses, following her gaze.
Twilight spotted someone on a motorcycle watching them from across the street. The face was hidden — the biker had a helmet on. Yet the moment he realized he'd been noticed, he whipped his motorcycle around and disappeared from sight without a second's hesitation.
Sunset rushed outside. The motorcycle was already gone, but the heavy, bitter smell of exhaust still hung in the air. In the distance, she could just make out a dark silhouette weaving through traffic before it vanished around a corner.
She stared after it for a long moment, fingers curling into fists.
"Maybe just some random biker?" she muttered, her eyes still scanning the street. But there was no sign of him—only the fading stench of exhaust and the distant echo of an engine. After a long, searching look, she walked back into the café.
"You guys saw that too, right?" she said, sliding back into her seat. Her voice was calm, but her gaze was sharp, already turning the moment over in her mind. "Someone was watching us. I'd like to know why."
Applejack glanced up from her food.
"No, sugarcube, I ain't seen anyone," she said, washing down the last of her drink before turning back to her plate. "But if yer worried 'bout someone followin' us, I'll keep my eyes peeled."
She chewed for a second, then added, mouth half-full, "Jus' don't go gettin' all worked up over some biker, alright?"
Rarity didn't look up from her compact mirror.
"No, darling, I didn't see anyone," she said, admiring herself as always. The girls never understood how she could do that twenty times a day.
Pinkie Pie shrugged. "I didn't see anyone either!" After a short pause, she added, "Yep, exactly, didn't see a soul!"
"Ugh... maybe 'cause your face is covered in cupcake crumbs?" Rainbow Dash smirked.
"Ooh, that makes sense!" Pinkie Pie grinned, taking another huge bite of her cupcake.