Chapter 20-Identify Crisis

Late into the night, Sunset was being questioned by Gabby hoping to get answers after Dark Eclipse gave out her identity as Solar.

"Sunset Shimmer, are you Solar Eclipse?"

"Gabby, for the eighth time, I'm not her."

"The guy in black said different."

"You mean the guy calling himself Dark Eclipse? Does that inspired trust?"

"Then how is it you're the only photographer getting pictures

of the Sun in action?

"Look, I get calls from her whenever she about to fight a baddie and sometimes I just happen to be in the area."

"I knew the sun head was using me for free publicity," Platinum Writer shouted. "But a bucks a buck, so, Lee, interview everyone that sun head ever met, Heck interview everyone Shimmer's ever met."

"On it boss," Gabby said as left out first then Sunset left in disgust.

"Well..."

"She's only a kid, not Solar," Prism Mask said.

"Yeah, but in case..."

"We're ready to run with this," Prism show him the headline.

The next morning, Gabby headed to Mercer Penthouse and had interview with Darrell.

"You were the first individual Solar saved, and Sunset Shimmer is best friends with your son. Is there any chance they're the same person?"

Darrell gave a long thought and then gave his answer.

"No."

At Canterlot High, Sunset arrives her locker and put her bag in it just as Travis walk to her.

"Hey Sunset, a reporter from the Canterlot Weekly ask my dad that you're Solar, what's that about?"

"Nothing!" Sunset exclaimed as her face turn red.

Much later in Artic Colt's seminar...

"That pretty much for today on identity theft and how to prevent it," he said as the bell rung. "Any question?"

With Gabby she interviewed both Dr. Midnight and Stardust at Everton.

"So, Sunset Shimer? Solar Eclipse?" She asked only for the doctors to laugh a bit.

"You gotta be kidding."

"Although, it would explain a few things."

"Like when- You don't mean it."

"And what about- That's pretty far-fetched."

"And yet..."

"No comment?"

Hours later, both Twilight and Sunset were working on some vials until the front door open.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the prodigal son returns," Brisk said as Twilight ran to him and all Sunset did was glare at him just as Midnight and Stardust came out and were surprised by his visit.

"Ah, great to see you again."

"Where have you been, mister?"

"Taking some down after the downsizing."

"Brisk what happened? You were with Rarity for while before that monster grabbed her. I was afraid..."

"Why don't we catch up over coffee, just us?"

"Uh, Twilight and I were meet with the others at Sugarcube, like now," Sunset reminded her.

"Rain check, then."

"Don't suppose you'd like your job back?" Stardust asked him.

"You kidding? Just give us a minute, heh. It's been long Sunny," Brisk gave Sunset a noogie on the head as they were on the other side of room. "We're quite unimpressed with the Bugle. They haven't run our big scoop yet. So..."

Then Sunset pushes him off.

"I really don't care what impresses you, these days, Brisky," Sunset said to him.

"Oh, but you will." Brisk said as he see Sunset and Twilight head out the lab.

"So, bus or subway?" Sunset asked before they got bombard by reporters.

"There he is."

"Smile."

"Is it true? Are you Solar?"

"They think you're Solar?"

"Listen, I'm not her, please leave us alone."

They both made a run for it as the reports chase them down, but they manage behind the Everton Statue.

"Is the coast clear?"

"Yeah, but Twilight given the given the circumstances, I think I'll pass on meeting the girls. Let them know, I not coming."

Twilight walked on, leaving Sunset by herself.

Late night, Brisk was walking then he got carried by glow of red magic to the top of a building where Solar was standing.

"Brisky, I get why you're doing this to me, but don't you get how other people you'll hurt, by doing this!" Solar told him.

"Oh, we know exactly how many people your secrets will hurt. Tons," Dark Eclipse snarled then he lunged at her but Solar dodges.

Solar did three magic blasts at him which Eclipse counter then he grabbed Solar by the waist and slammed her to the ground.

"And we cant wait to watch them all turn against you."

Eclipse created a dark magic blade prepare to slash her but Solar blind with a magic shot to the eye which Solar kicked him at the face then tried to gain some distance but Eclipse caught to her and took her to ground where a bunch reports fled so they would get crush. Then Eclipse tied Solar down to ground.

"Who are you?"

"How many Solars are there?"

"What are you doing to him?"

"Call us, Dark Eclipse. And all we want is take off Solar's mask."

Meanwhile Gabby interviewed her closet friends in the CMC at their club treehouse.

"Girls, be honest with me, is your classmate Sunset, Solar Eclipse?" She asked.

"Are we being punk'd right now?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Where's the camera?" Scootaloo asked.

"And now for the moment of truth," Dark Eclipse prepares to remove the mask.

"Sure, let's gets a close up!" Solar said as she levitates a camera at the back of his head then punches him as she got off him then left.

"That proves me point. If she wasn't Shimmer would she resist this much?"

"Creep's got a point."

"Yeah, show us your face."

"Prove you're not Shimmer."

"Just because, I'm not Shimmer doesn't mean I'll revel who I am," Solar said before doing a flame kick at Dark Eclipse's chest. "There's a reason it's called a secret identify."

"Besides, crimson dude here's a half alien symbiote. You can't trust those things,"

"The sun doth we protest too much, we think," Dark Eclipse gets backs up then magic blast her. "Whoops, too hard. But stay tuned. We'll be right back for the unmasking."

He turned to around but to his and the reports surprise Solar's was long gone.

The next morning at Canterlot High, the news reports were at the gate.

"All right, all right," Principal Celestia said to them as her sister shield Sunset from the press. "Please leave the young girl."

Much later, Gabby interviewed Duke.

"I have known Sunset for a long time. Trust me most of her students gave her the stank eye, from the Fall Formal at freshmen year," Duke said.

"Yet, what I heard from several students, they saw her in a Solar costume..."

"At the Halloween Steet Bash! And she look like a geek in footie pjs. Anyone can put on a costume and pretend to be her."

At his locker, he put on his Solar costume.

"And I can prove it." He grinned.

With Sunset...

"Ugh, every time I swear I'm not Solar, I'm lying to people I care about. Maybe I should just tell that I am," Sunset sigh before placing her mask on then flew off into the city.

At Cantelot prison, Gabby spoke with most of Solar's enemies, most recently with the unmasked Cavalier.

"You've fought Solar. Any insight of her identity?" She asked him.

"No, but I hope the Shimmer is her. Believe me, lass, every guy in the joint would know what to do with info," Cavalier answered.

With Duke he posed as Solar, while fending off two crooks.

"Back off," Duke but the crooks easily pushed him to the ground.

"Should have stood in bed, sun-stinker," One of them cracked his knuckles then a magic blast caught him off guard.

"Seriously, Sun-Stinker?" Solar laughed at them as she dropped down. "Really? That's your A material?"

"Crab apples, this chump a fake out."

"I'll show you who's the chump," Solar exclaimed as magic blasted both crooks to the ground as they were now unconscious.

"See?" Then Duke took off his mask. "Anyone can pretend Solar and you guys will eat it up, but there's only one."

"You mean Sunset Shimmer?"

"Yeah... no. This guy.

"Major fanboy. Which is sad."

"We'll show you sad!" Dark Eclipse shouted before ramming her into a bus. "A sad little masked superhero soon to have no mask and no powers. Remember this?"

He showed Solar the gene cleanser.

"The gene cleanser. After your identity's revealed, we'll pour it down

your throat then we'll sit back and laugh while all your enemies attack Sunset Shimmer. Leaving you powerless to defend yourself or the ones you love."

With Gabby, she interviewed with Fluttershy.

"So, Fluttershy. You were another victim that Solar saved, care to make any assumption that Sunset is Solar?"

"Well," Fluttershy stammers herself as she was extremely shy.

"Okay..." Gabby said.

Dark Eclispe punched at the face, then struggled to pull the mask off of her when he did, Solar was gone then he got blinded in the eye and Solar grabbed her mask and put it on. Then Dark Eclipse used magic and lifted a car and tried to throw at her, but Solar did a fireball at him which made he drop it but not before Dark Eclipse did a black magic orb blast that send Solar right into school courtyard. Solar quickly got back up and did a barrage of fireball at the approached villain but they did nothing.

"What are those suppose to do?"

"They were suppose to hurt."

"Right idea. Wrong caliber."

Eclipse made boulders and hurled them at Solar which she doged most of them then Eclipse blindside her with a kick to the chest and right into a classroom where she fell on the floor groaning in pain then Dark Eclispe dragged across the room and right into the wall then formed his blade preaping to stab her then got hit by confetti.

"Hey meanie!"

Dark Eclipse turns around to see Pinkie and Rainbow in fighting stance.

"Leave her alone, freak!"

"Well, well... all of our favorite playthings are here!" Dark Eclipse chuckled then blasted by Solar.

"Girls, love the help, but get out here! Now!" Solar said to them which they leave.

Then Solar saw some of them chemical vial all over the floor which she threw a small flame at him which cause a explosion which Dark Eclipse shrieked due to be vurnbale to fire then Solar punch him out of the building then hurled a picnic table with her magic at him which put him near the lockers.

As Dark Eclipse got back up, he sees Solar with a steel baseball bat in her hands.

"You think you can hurt us with that?"

"That's the idea," Solar said as she bang it on the lockers which caused a loud vibrations which Eclipse shirked at then he yank right the bat out of her hands.

"That was very unpleasant," He said as he cracked it.

"Oh apple fudge," Solar gulped as Dark Eclipse landed some punches then threw her towards the gym.

Eclipse once again grab her and tossed her into the hoop.

"You never could score a basket to save your life."

"Never got used to being the ball," Solar said as vaulted herself at him.

With Duke, he was at his locker.

"Dumb reporters still think the bacon head is Solar," Duke said as he fixed his hair with Solar being flunged into boys locker room. "What the... probably nothing?"

Or so he though when Dark Eclipse tacked her to ground pull part of her mask up then held the gene cleanser.

"Don't be a baby. Time to take your medicine."

"Yo, lame brain, you got the wrong sun," Duke grabbed his attention.

"Please, you're not fooling..."

Solar yanked the vial out is hand then kick him off.

"Thanks. You did good. Now book!"

"Right booking!" Duke made a run for it just Dark Eclipse pushed her into the lockers.

"We'll take that cleanser now!"

"Sure, what you say, Brisky," Solar said as she force him to drink it which cause the symbiote to remove from Brisk.

"No! You can't reject now! Don't leave me!" Brisk cried as it slither into the sewers then he saw Solar's boot.

"Drats, it scram."

"Please, Solar! Help me get it back! Please!"

"Brisk, Brisk, it's over," Solar placed a hand on his shoulder. "You're free. You can stop this, stop hating."

"Can't *Whimpers* It only loves me for the hate," Brisk started curl with tears his eyes.

Much later as Brisk was carried off the hostapal, at Canterlot Weekly, Gabby broke the news to her Platinum Writer and Prism Mask.

"What do you it's not her?"

"After someone gave me footage of the bash where the whole rumor started and it got me thinking, there's no way she shown her face in public? And Sunset gets calls whenever Solar is about the fight the bad guys. I'm sorry it's not her," Gabby explained.

"Prism..."

"Let me guess, print a retraction," Prism asked as Platinum Writer grumbles.

Late at night...

"Heh , innocent, but still at large. Guess you can't win them all," Solar smiled as she look at the paper. "I bet that two times that he have to make a retraction."

"Couldn't said it better myself."

"What the," She turns around to see Shadowmane right there in the flesh, smirking.

"I stayed in the shadows for two months only hear some chick posing as you."

"Did you have something to do with this?"

"Maybe, I did, maybe I didn't!" He said before he gave a wink then leaving her.

The next morning, both Luna and Celestia were teachers lounge reflecting on the recent events.

"You know Tia, something just came," Luna said as she made her coffee.

"And what is that, Lulu?" Celestia asked.

"I once thought her masked vigilante thing was problematic, but I've come to realize that if Solar's true identity was revealed, everyone she cared about would be in constant danger. Maybe a man in a mask doesn't have something to hide, but something to protect. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Of course, I agree with you sister. We all something to protect, those who close to use," Celestia added she looks out the window.