All That Shimmers

And then bam, suddenly you're swapping notes in class, sitting at lunch, laughing, trying on dresses… working together to blast a pony turned high schooler turned demon with magic friendship energy.

…And that about sums up everything I know about friendship.

As you may have noticed, I don't have a lot of experience with friendship.

I do have experience with the whole pony turned high schooler turned demon thing.

You know… the one that got blasted with magic friendship energy? That was me.

Yeah, not pleasant. It hurts… hurts like you wouldn't believe.

Still, it beats actually being a demon. Sure it sounds fun and from all external appearances it's a blast.

Inside though?

It's sorta like if someone made a movie of your life and edited it down to a 'worst of' reel and then strapped you all Clockwork Orange style to a chair with your eyes held opened and stuff.

Man, I love that movie!

Anyhow, yeah… bad night.

Oh, you didn't get to dance with that cute guy you wanted at the Fall Formal?

Suck it up.

I had to crawl out of a crater. A crater that was made when I impacted the freakin' ground!

Couldn't get your makeup right?

Cry me a river.

I look like I just got hit by a bus and then the bus backed up to make sure the job was done. My hair's a mess and my leather jacket is all torn up. Probably never going to wear this shirt or skirt again…

You got hypnotized by a demon with the hopes that you would be marched through a magical mirror to another dimension where you'd be a zombie pony doing said demon's bidding?

…

Alright, yeah… my bad.

BUT STILL, you're probably home right now crying into your pillow or brooding over how things could have been better and that still makes your night better than mine.

For starters, you're indoors.

I'm not.

Guess where I am.

Come on, guess.

I'M REPAIRING A BRICK ENTRANCE TO A SCHOOL WITH A MASONS TROWEL AND A COUPLE OF DIM-WITS!

BEAT THAT!

HA! You CAN'T, can you?

I'm Sunset Shimmer and I ALWAYS win…

… you know… disregarding that whole thing about becoming a demon and being blasted with magic friendship energy. Kinda have to put that under the formerly empty box labeled 'losses'.

Uh, guess I should introduce myself.

Hello.

My name is Sunset Shimmer and welcome to my cruddy life.

That's me blubbering by the thrashed, brick entrance to a high school holding a masons trowel in the cold, dark autumn night.

Sorry, I'm usually not so disheveled. You know, perfectly kempt long, red and yellow hair, stylish leather jacket that's not shredded, magenta shirt with boss looking red and yellow sun on it, orange skirt with a magenta and yellow stripe down it and a pair of awesome black boots with a purple flame motif. I'm still wearing all that stuff, it just looks a bit more mangled at the moment.

Anyways… uh… I should probably stop referring to Snips and Snails as 'dim-wits'. I mean, they are, but they were also kinda the closest things I had to friends…

… oh man…

I just realized how incredibly sad that is…

I knew I should have just stayed in the crater…

"Uh, here you go, Sunset Shimmer…"

I look down at the goofy looking kid that is Snails. Gangly fellow with a cowlick, green hair, green coat over a red shirt, giant red bow tie and khakis. He's holding up another brick for me.

He's easy: give him a box of rat poison, tell the idiot its candy, watch the moron stuff his face with them and then be elsewhere while everyone figures the poor dolt committed suicide or was just stupid enough to eat rat poison.

Snips goes the same way.

Oh, sorry…

Have a plan to kill everyone you meet and all that…

Man, humans are grim…and cool…

You'd never find a pony coming up with solid advice like that.

"Sunset...?"

"Oh, sorry Snails, I was lost in thought…thanks!" I say as I take the brick and try to smile earnestly.

Man, I hope that looks earnest.

I glance over at Snips. He has spiky orange hair and is wearing one of those dorky t-shirts made to look like a tux and blue jeans.

"Uh…hey Snails…Snips…" I say, getting my, very likely now ex-, minion's attention.

The two look at me with inquisitive expressions.

I put on my best sad, apologetic expression, "Hey… I'm really sorry about turning you guys into demons and well… pretty much my entire treatment of you two since… well since we first met." I say. Bizarrely enough, I mean it, too…

The two gave me a look as if I just grew an extra six feet and sprouted bat wings from my back…

… uh…

… Again.

Yeah, it was a long shot, but a girls gotta try, you know?

… Wait... are they…

They're actually smiling…

"Awww, it's okay Sunset Shimmer," Snails says.

I… what?

"Yeah!" Snips agrees. "It was pretty cool being turned into demons."

WHAT?!

'PRETTY COOL'?!

WHY DIDN'T I GET THE 'PRETTY COOL' FEELINGS WHEN I TURNED INTO A DEMON?!

Uh, well…

…Guess I better seal the deal here, at least.

My eyes start to water up and my lips start quivering, "You… you guys!" I cry as I lean down and wrap my arms around my trusty minions.

I can't believe they are still my trusty minions!

Oh…

"…sniff…"

Oh geez!

"…eh…heh…eh…wuaa... "

I'm really crying here!

I think…

I think I'm actually touched!

I'm like…totally sobbing on these guys' shoulders.

OH GOD, THEY'RE HUGGING ME BACK!

"…Sniff…eh..he…whua…WHUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

I CAN'T TAKE THIS.

I'M SO RELIEVED!

I'M BLUBBERING ON THE SHOULDERS OF TWO OF THE WEIRDEST, STUPIDEST, LEAST POPULAR KIDS IN SCHOOL!

AND I'M HAPPY FOR IT!

I'M SOoOoOoO PATHETIC!

"Alright, I think that's enough work for tonight."

I flinch as I hear Principal Celestia's voice ring out. I break my embrace with Snips and Snails and turn.

Oh…it's not just her…

It's Twilight's friends, too…

Oh God… I know I don't ask much…

…Mostly because I come from a different world where we don't really have you as a concept and I can't be sure you exist…

…but if you do exist and you are listening…

Please, kill me right now.

The stupid crater will be a sufficient grave and the stupid magic mirror an adequate headstone…

I pensively stand and stare out at the principal and five girls.

In case you were wondering, Celestia's murder plan involves me luring her into her sister's dark office and bludgeoning the human equivalent of my insufferable old teacher to death with the flagpole Vice-Principal Luna keeps in there. I'd wear rubber gloves, of course.

It's great, really. Rumor has it Luna has always been a bit jealous of how goody, goody Celestia is so loved by the students here. So, motive's there.

Uh…I have plans for the other five, of course, but I can save sharing those for later… Speaking of Twilight's collection of eager Fall Formal filchers, they walk over to me.

I try to collect myself as best I can. My eyes are still watery and the whole trying to rebuild the entrance to the school thing had really helped add to the 'homeless girl who just went a few rounds with a bear' look I have going on.

Fluttershy looks scared to even be near me, no surprise.

Pinkie Pie has this giant, goofy grin plastered on her face. Also, no surprise.

Rainbow Dash and Applejack glare angrily at me. I guess that's to be expected.

Rarity looks me up and down like someone should call the fashion police and have me arrested…

Alright, I know I said I'd save this, but Rarity's plan involves wrapping a designer scarf around her neck, closing it in a car door as it takes off and seeing her neck snap. Ideally, she'd already be wearing a scarf.

Rainbow Dash approaches me. She's got this look in her eyes like she might just deck me. Not that I'm under an illusions that I wouldn't deserve it. She levels an index finger at me.

"Monday. Cafeteria. Be there, no arguments!" She barks out at me.

I nod, "Sa…sure…"

"Oh this is so exciting!" Pinkie exclaims. "We have a new enemy turned friend! A frienemy!"

"Now hold your horses there, Pinkie," Applejack said. "We still need to make sure that Sunset Shimmer is really serious about turnin' over a new leaf," Applejack continued.

Hey! I resent that remark. The horse part, that is…I wouldn't even give me a second chance if I was in their shoes.

I swallow my pride. Okay, my pride is currently in critical condition at the bottom of a crater, but you get the idea…

"I…really want to try being friends with you all…" I say. It's sad how much I actually mean that. Twilight Sparkle had shown me another way. A way where you make friends and then they help you shot demons with magic. The magic of friendship. The saddest part here was I don't even want the whole, 'being able to shoot things with magic friendship beams' thing. I mean… that'd be pretty chill, don't get me wrong… But, I just want their acceptance now.

Being turned into a demon? Turned back? Crawling out of a crater? The whole thing puts things into perspective.

I had achieved a state where not only would no one have cared if I had died that night, they would have celebrated.

Now that hurts…

… and that's loneliness…

And I know I don't want to feel that way ever again.

"…Please?" I add. "I'm really sorry for what I did to all of you… I just want a chance to… sniff… chance to… ma… make it up to all of you…"

Oh geez, here come the tears again.

Come on, Shimmer… hold it together.

"…Sniff…heh…whuaaa…"

WHAT DID I JUST SAY?!

Rainbow Dash pauses and actually looks sorry for me. Looks like losing my cool and bawling like a crybaby is paying off.

"Uh, look…" Rainbow Dash says as she rubs the back of her head. "We'll catch you Monday, okay?"

I nod again. "… Sniff… Uh-huh…" I squeak out.

I glance over towards the rest of the group. They're giving me the same, sorry look. Well, even if this isn't a start to a beautiful friendship, it's a start. A sad, pathetic, rather moist start.

"Awww… someone needs a hug!" Pinkie declares. She bounds over to me and before I know it, she wraps her bare arms around me and presses her glittery-dress clad body against my torn-up clothing wrapped one.

It actually feels…

… nice.

"Come on, everybody!" Pinkie says excitedly. "Group hug!"

… What?

The other four glance at each other awkwardly and looked back at Pinkie with expressions that asked, 'Do we have to?'

Pinkie just beams excitedly.

The other four glance at each other, exchange shrugs and walk over to me and Pinkie. They wrap uneasy arms around us.

I never asked for this.

"It's okay, Sunset Shimmer…" Pinkie murmurs softly, "…we'll take care of you."

Alright, no one has said anything like that to me before… I tear up again and this quickly leads to more sobbing.

The five girls around me actually tighten their grip.

Well, this is a bit overwhelming. Nice, but overwhelming… I think… I think I'm going to throw up.

"Alright girls," Celestia calls out. "I think Sunset Shimmer could use a little space."

Thank you, Celestia!

… Wow, it's been a long, long time since I even thought that…

The girls loosen their grips on me, take a few steps back, and dried my eyes again.

I glance back up at the girls; all their expressions have softened substantially. I guess I look a far cry from the demon that damaged the school and tried to march an army of teenagers into another dimension.

"Don't worry, Sunset," Applejack says with an earnest smile, "if yer really serious about giving friendship a try, we'll be there for you."

I nod my head. "Uh-huh…" I say meekly. Sorry, intelligent responses to this whole friendship… thing is taking some work at the moment…

Fluttershy just gave me a small smile and a nod.

"Maybe when we meet we can do something about that outfit of yours…" Rarity says, motioning out to my clothes.

SCARF! CAR DOOR! NECK SNAP!

I plaster on a small smile and nodded at Rarity. It's not the time to get angry with these five. I mean, I did pretty much try to kill them a few hours ago and they still actually spoke to me. A little commentary on my, admittedly, thrashed and dirty outfit isn't quite enough to make me break from this great sobbing, pathetic wreck of a person thing I have going on.

The five wander off, smiling, laughing and going on and on about what a great, exciting night they all had.

Lucky saps…

Yeah, so I was jealous. You would be too if you were in my place.

'Honk, honk!'

Celestia, Snips, Snails and I glance over to a mini-van that pulls up. Snips's and Snails's ride home.

The two look at Celestia with fearful eyes.

"You won't tell our parents about this," Snails asks, "will you?"

"Yeah," Snips chimes in, "my mom would probably ground me for a year if she found out I turned into a demon and tried to help enslave the school…"

Celestia glances at the ruined school entrance then back towards the two trembling high schoolers. "I think this will be the school's little secret for now…"

Snips and Snails both breathe a sigh of relief.

"Yeah," I add, "I kinda doubt there's even a law on the books for turning into a demon and trying to force minors through a dimensional portal." It probably wasn't the best time to be snarky, but I have blubbered enough for one night. It's starting to get to me. I have some sort of reputation to maintain, at least.

Celestia just shoots me a bemused look and turns back to Snips and Snails, "We'll discuss your punishment later."

The two's expressions go from relived to mildly worried as they nod. They turn and start walking towards the mini-van.

"Bye Snips! Bye Snails!" I call out. Supposedly, I'm forgiven, but I'm not going to take any chances. These two are stupidly loyal to their own detriment, but I'm not eager to find out what their limits are.

They both turn and wave at me.

"Bye, Sunset Shimmer!"

"Yeah, catch you later!"

I wave and watch the two enter the mini-van.

Celestia turns to me, "You need a ride?"

"Well… I kinda thought I'd be knee deep in the corpses of my enemies in another dimension at this point, so… yeah…" I answer. Once again, probably not the best thing to say given the circumstances, but I need to keep my spirits up. Also, I don't feel like walking home or braving public transit; not looking and feeling like this anyways.

Celestia just chuckles and shakes her head, "Come on, I'll drive you home."

She and I walk over to her white, electric sedan. Uhlg… I can't stand how much of a goody, goody she is. Just like her alicorn counterpart, always looking out for everyone and everything and just has to be everyone's mom.

I get in the passenger's seat, buckl-up and proceed to rest my elbow on the car door and my fist on my chin. I stare out the window. Not that looking spaced out is gonna help me here. Celestia and I both know the price of this car ride is a lecture.

"Where to?" She asks.

I rattle off an address that Celestia inputs into a built in GPS system. The vehicle hums almost whisper quiet as she pulls out of the school parking lot and into the street.

I continue to stare blankly out at the city as street lights pass overhead. The light illuminating me, my clothes and the sorry state both are in before retreating into darkness and repeating the process over and over again.

Celestia gives me just enough time to dwell on the oncoming speech. Probably something ridiculous like, 'Now Sunset Shimmer, there are better ways to express yourself than turning into a demon and enslaving your schoolmates.'

"Sunset," Celestia says, "I wanted to talk to you about something."

Here we go…

"Yes?" I reply still looking out the window.

"Some of the other students came up to me during the dance. Seems there are quite a number of accusations of you bullying and manipulating others."

I turn and fix Celestia with a genuine look of shock, "THAT'S what you're going to lecture me about?! Being a cruddy, manipulative high school student?!"

"Well, I was thinking of bringing up the whole demon thing and destroying part of the school, but it all seemed a bit ridiculous to talk about in this manner," Celestia explains.

… Walked right into that one…

"Besides," Celestia continues, "I got the impression you had learned your lesson there, and I'm not really in charge of making sure demons don't destroy the school or enslave the student body." She gives me a stern look, "I am, however, in charge of making sure my students treat each other with respect, and you are still one of my students."

I pause and mull over the irony here for a second. Looks like I was still Celestia's student in one form or another, even if it wasn't Sun Butt's…"

I shake my head, "That's all over now. Twilight undid the biggest mess I caused, and I doubt any of the other students are going to put up with me after this…" I muse.

"Well, that's good," Celestia replies, "but it doesn't necessarily mean you've learned your lesson…"

"Look, I'm sorry, okay!" I say in a frustrated tone. I calm myself down a bit, "It…all just seems so… petty now… running around, ruining friendships, intimidating high schoolers… frickin' high schoolers! And for what?! A collection of cheap metal crowns?! Some plaques? A little moment of glory where everyone has to smile, clap and pretend they like me instead of wishing I'd just go to a different school or die or something… All just so I could pretend I'm better than everyone else. WELL I'M NOT!" I might be looking at Celestia as I say all this, but I'm really just screaming at myself in case you hadn't figured that out.

I turn from Celestia and stare down at my hands and clench my skirt tightly, "I'm… sniff… I'm not…"

Oh, here we go…

"I'm worse than all of them…sniff…eeh…worse than any one of them. I'm…emm…I'm just some impatient, angry little student who wasn't satisfied with what she had in her own world and came here so I could prove to everyone I met that I was somepony special…"

Whoops, slipped a bit there…

"…and when I was done with that, I was going to march back and show everpony just what a great, fantastic ruler I could be! All just 'cause I felt my teacher snubbed me, and I wanted to prove her wrong. Well, NEWS FLASH, I'm not any of those things, I never was going to be any of those things, 'CAUSE IT TURNS OUT I'M JUST A FREAKIN' MONSTER!" I lift my palms up to my face and unleashed the waterworks again, "WHUAAAAAAAAHAAAAHAAAHAAAAAAA!"

So, yeah… uh… bad night.

Celestia puts a comforting hand on my shoulder. As much as I dislike miss perfect ruler of the school, I need all the support I can get. Besides, it's nice she feels sorry for me instead of trying to figure out how exactly you get rid of a teenager who was literally a fire shooting demon just hours ago…

I try to put a lid on my sniveling as much as possible.

"It's alright, Sunset Shimmer," Celestia says in that soothing, maternal voice of hers. "You've got people who care about you, and you'll have a lot more if you just try."

I wipe the tears from my face. "Sniff… Thanks…" I say meekly. What else can I do? The possibility that I might be forgiven and accepted is all I have at the moment.

Celestia stops the car and peers outside at a modest looking apartment complex. "Is this it?" she asks.

"Yeah… thanks for the ride… See you Monday, I guess…" I reply as I unbuckl my seatbelt and open the car door.

Celestia nods, "Is it just you alone here?"

I pause as I stare out at the apartment building. "I am alone…" I reply. Cliché, but it sums my feelings up rather nicely.

I close the door behind me and walk on. I guess Celestia watches me the entire time since I don't hear that quiet little car of hers pull out into the road.

I make my way to my apartment through the dimly lit complex. It isn't much, but I don't need much. Just a place to rest and scheme my grandiose plans of winning elections that end in gaudy crowns and fake smiles.

I unlock and open the door to my apartment and step inside.

Home again, home again, jiggity-jig.

I don't bother to turn on the light. I just use whatever meager light that that comes from the complex outside.

It's not much to look at, anyhow. It's just a living and kitchen area that's pretty much the same room with a desk, couch, and an assortment of electronics. In the back there's a bedroom and a bathroom.

Oh yeah, the walls are covered in various awards, 1st place ribbons and shelves full of trophies all with my glorious name engraved somewhere or another.

I close the door behind me and drop the keys on the kitchen counter.

Time for a nice relaxing night of…

"AaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

…flipping the buck out.

I stomp over to the wall of plaques and slam my arm against it, then slide it across. This sends the wood framed items to the ground. I reach out for ribbons and tear them one by one from the wall, throwing them on the floor and grinding my heels into them. My trophies also end up in heaps as I reach over and clear entire shelves in one, swift movement of my arm.

I hate them, hate myself. I had built a shrine to me and now it's all just a reminder of what a failure I am.

I turn to my desk where my collection of crowns sit neatly displayed.

"GRRRRRAAAAAH!" I shriek, making my way over to them then hurling them to the ground one by one.

I catch my reflection in the large mirror on my desk and send my fist glass-ward.

…And then I stop before I make a bloody mess out of my hand.

The tantrum isn't helping me, it's just giving me more things to deal with .Plus, if I don't stop screaming and throwing things around, someone is bound to investigate, and I've had enough contact for one evening.

Tears streaming down my face, I break eye contact with my reflection and step over crowns and plaques on the way to the bathroom.

I'm sure a nice, warm shower will make me feel better.

-ooooooo-

"WHUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAAAAAAAAHAAAAAAAHAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Spoiler alert: It didn't.

Yeah, I'm pretty much just huddling in a ball in the corner; hugging my knees to my chest and bawling the entire time the water pours over me.

At least no one's here to see me this time around.

Well…I think I'm just about cried out at this point, time for bed…

-ooooooo-

I dry off and change into my pajamas. A long sleeved, magenta top with the same boss looking sun on it and long, orange pajama bottoms with a yellow and magenta stripe down the right leg. I mean, why mess with perfection, right?

I lift the orange covers and slide in between the sheets.

One nice thing about all this is I'm completely exhausted and should have no trouble falling asleep. It's also nice that the night is finally over.

I close my eyes and quickly fall asleep, a nice calm relaxing…

…sniff…

…Hell.

I smell brimstone and my eyes shoot open as I realize I'm no longer in bed. I'm resting on what seems to be a barren wasteland of desolate, hot rocks and fiery pits as far as the eye can see. I'm also back in my normal clothes. Small comfort, they're no longer shredded.

Well, I guess I shouldn't be surprised to be here, except for the part where I don't remember dying.

I fearfully look out into the vast expanse of unforgiving looking landscape.

"Well, that was pathetic," A voice echoes out.

Wait, I know that voice, it's me… but…

I turn and there I am. All 12 feet me… Leathery bat wings, green eyes set in a dark void, pointy ears, hair that shoots straight up like a column of flame with a tail to match.

"Ya…you…" I stammer out.

My demon self looks down and grins maliciously at me, bends down and picks me up with her claws. The claws cut through my jacket, my clothes and into my flesh as I just stare wide eyed into the face of evil. My face.

"Hello, Sunset Shimmer," the demon coos. "Welcome home."

This bad night competition you and I are having?

Well, I'm winning.

I'm winning so hard it hurts.

2. Chapter 2

All That Shimmers

Chapter 2: Busy Saturday

-ooooooo-

Well this is less than ideal. Though, admittedly, the criteria for ideal has changed a few times tonight.

First it was marching into my old dimension and establishing just what a great and fantastic ruler I could be. Then it was more making myself that ruler, regardless of how great or fantastic I was at it (Spoiler Alert: I wasn't going to be either of those things), next it was simply getting through the night while establishing at least one person cared about me…kinda hit a low point there.

At no point, however, was being held aloft in the sharp claws of my demon self ever a plus in any of those situations.

Hello.

My name is Sunset Shimmer and welcome to my cruddy life.

...Probably going to be a pretty short story by the looks of thing. I don't think my demon self wants to shoot the breeze or play a relaxing game of chess with me. The fact that I'm now bleeding were her claws have cut into me is a pretty good indication there.

Also, there's a chance I'm already dead. There's not a ton of places that match the description of 'barren, fiery wasteland' that the living visit.

"Why, me!" the demon says, "I'm hurt…not as much as you are, mind you…I thought you'd be happy to see me."

Turns out demon me is every bit as snarky as me. I'm beginning to see why I don't have many friends.

"Wa…where am I?" I stammer out. Okay, yeah…I may be a bit more terrified here than I'm letting on…

"Silly Sunset Shimmer," the demon coos, "I already told you! You're home!"

I take another quick glance at my surroundings, "But…this isn't Equestria!"

"You don't say?" the demon replies as it smirks and raises it's eyebrows.

Okay, that was a pretty dumb thing to say, admittedly.

"Sunset, Sunset," the demon tut-tuts, "when has Equestria ever felt like your home?"

She has a point, well… eight digging into my flesh… but disregarding those, I never quite felt at ease back in pony land. Though, I just thought that was because it was pretty dang hard to find anyone I considered my equal. Still, this place isn't exactly filling me with the 'warm and fuzzies'.

The demon knits her brow at me, "Look, I can see this is a little hard for you to take in, so I'll make it simple." She flashes me a wicked smile full of dagger sized teeth, "Embrace me, and we can take over this pathetic planet, and, in another 30 moons, we can march on Equestria and make it our own!"

"I've had enough hugs for one night, thanks." I force out through clenched teeth. YES! Still got it.

The demon frowns at me, "I'm not talking about that ridiculous friendship garbage you think is going to make you happy. I'm talking power, here. Unlimited power!" She says, smiling wide once more.

Maybe it's the pain, or the likely unintentional reference, but I wince, "Yeah, thanks Emperor Palps, but I tried the whole demon thing and it didn't work out so well. I'm going to have to pass." This is probably going to end in a painful death, but I don't really like myself very much at the moment so…

The demon pulls her the side of her lip up into a grimace, "A pity. And I thought I could do us a favor and avoid having to break you down…"

"GLCK!" I utter a painful, guttural sound as the demon tightens her grip. Her razor sharp claws cut to the bone and the point of her claws start to stab through my abdomen.

Well…

At least I died doing what I love: snarking people I don't like. And as much as I hate myself, boy, do I hate demon me.

The claws continue to tighten as blood soaks my clothes and then one manages to find a gap in my ribs. I'm guessing it also finds my heart, 'cause I black out in a hurry.

"GHAH!" My eyes shoot open wide and I raise a palm to my head. I'm in my bed, wearing the same PJs I went to bed in, with the extra bonus that they're now soaked in my sweat. Sunlight is pouring in through the windows illuminating my bed, the light tan walls of the apartment, and me.

"Huff…puff…" I try to calm my breathing. That hurt… a lot! However, it would seem I'm very much unperforated and alive. Kinda surprised at how much of a relief that is to me.

I quickly roll up my sleeves and follow this up by lifting my top up a bit to examine my stomach.

I don't seem to have any deep lacerations or puncture wounds that would indicate I just had a few major arteries and vital organs sliced up.

Was it really just a nightmare? But why did it feel so vivid? Why do I remember it so clearly? I really can't just dismiss this… I'll have to go back over my notes, probably dig deeper…

I throw the covers off me and frown.

It seems I'll need to do laundry if I don't want to spend tonight in my sweat soaked sheets. Lovely.

Ulch…and I had been avoiding laundry day for so long on account of me thinking I wouldn't need clothes for much longer.

First things, first. I hop out of bed, and walk barefoot out of the bedroom…

"OUCH! SON OF A…"

…and put my foot directly onto last year's Fall Formal crown.

I glower at it and the mess I caused. I knew that tantrum would just mean more work for me. I move my foot over and push the mass of crowns away from my desk into the heaping pile of crushed first place ribbons, chipped plaques, and bent trophies. I then pull out the office chair in front of my wooden desk and start opening drawers. I also lean over and grab a couple books from a nearby bookshelf

Soon, my desk is full of scribbled notes I pour over as I scan the books, seeing if there was anything I missed.

Both books and notes have been in this world a very short period of time. The books I… uh… checked out of the Canterlot library. I didn't really have long to sort out the whole 'Element of Harmony' thing when I came back to Equestria. I thought the crown would transform me into an alicorn…or whatever the human equivalent was. I didn't think I'd go all Satan's rule 63 counterpart on everyone. All I could really confirm is that the Element of Magic would unlock some hidden power within me. I was hoping for something a bit less… murdery.

Anyhow, my research here isn't giving me anything else to work with, and I can't just pop back into Equestria to grab more books.

Guess it's the internet next, something I can do while I get my clothes and sheets in order. But, before all that, breakfast, and I might as well get a work out in. Kinda curious to see what the news has to say about the wrecked entrance to the school and the giant crater anyhow.

I manage to scrape enough milk and cereal together for a small breakfast. There's not a lot to eat in the apartment, once again, kinda didn't think that'd be an issue for much longer.

Dishes are also piling up. Sensing a pattern?

I put on a sports bra, a magenta tank top, an orange pair of shorts, and some tennis shoes and hit the workout room. Keeping pretty is a tad more involved in this world than Equestria. One doesn't tend to spend as much time walking, for one. I've made it a habit to hit the treadmill while watching a little news.

The workout room consists of a few treadmills, a few more cardio workout machines, a couple of weight machines, some free-weights and a few flat screen TVs on the walls. It's not much to look at other than that; the décor being little more than white walls and a full length mirror.

I step onto a treadmill, turn it on, and start jogging in place. I grab a TV remote that's sitting on the machine and turn on the TV in front of me.

"…Investigators are still piecing together what happened at Canterlot High School…"

Pay dirt.

"…but experts are tentatively saying…"

Natural gas explosion, come on natural gas explosion…

"…that a meteorite…"

DANGIT! Wonder if that'll stick or if they'll come up with something different. I doubt any experts will suggest 'rampaging demon', unless one of them happens to be a priest… Anyhow, most of the rest is a few scattered interviews. Vice-Principal Luna makes up some boring story about hearing an explosion, wisely stating that it happened after the dance. She's usually at the school pretty late, she's a good choice for a cover-up.

Her murder plan is basically the same as her sisters. Not very inventive of me, but I always figured I could just start a nasty rumor regarding any number of students that routinely get to visit the 'dungeon' to be interrogated by the VP before the deed.

Anyhow, after a bit of a run and a bit of TV watching, I head back to my apartment.

Hmmm… Dishes or laundry? Ahhh…The wonderful choices one gets to make when they're not a super-powerful demi-god princess. Even being a demon is starting to seem like a better option at this point.

I opt to get the dishes out of the way then move on to making a few trips to the laundry room...

… And then it hits me…

… I have absolutely nothing clean to go outside in…

… Yeah, 'evil and malicious demon queen of Equestria' is starting to have a much nicer ring to it.

Let's see, my choices are my sweaty gym clothes, my sweaty PJs, my torn up clothes from last night, or the clothes I was wearing the day before that; excluding all the other sets that have been marinating in dirty clothes darkness for several days, of course.

I wonder if traveling through dimensions has magic clothing cleaning powers?

I open my hamper and fish out the top set of clothes and give them a quick sniff…

…No, traveling through dimensions does not magically clean whatever I'm wearing at the time.

Well, going to the laundry room gross and sweaty is probably a great way to stop guys from trying to chat with me…

…Ugh, but my appearance is one of the few things I still have going for me… guess it's a shower and clothes from two days ago for me… At least the smell of already dirty clothes that have been sitting on top of my hamper might keep the men at bay…

I spend the next few hours surfing the internet on my laptop in between doing loads of laundry. The internet proves not to be a ton of help, sadly. There's no shortages of female demons to learn about, and quite a few that have to do with sleeping and even harming people in their sleep, however they're methods line up with the symptoms of sleep apnea or sleep paralysis. Not so much slicing people up in their nightmares.

Also, I'm fairly certain Freddy Krueger isn't actually real…

I sigh. If only I could get back into Equestria to check a few books there, there's no telling if the world has anything like what I turned into last night, but hopefully I can at least come up with something to combat it if I get the books to go over.

I make a note of a few books that might provide a bit more detail. Looks like it's a trip to the mall for me. I need a new jacket anyhow.

I'm not opposed to getting them digitally if it means I can get started immediately, but I'm still used to long nights studying spells surrounded by open books for cross referencing, and good tablets are expensive, I only have the one and my laptop.

You may be wondering how I can afford all this. I came here initially with little more than the saddlebags on my back and a pile of bits with a few gems here and there. Turns out those bits and gems where worth a hefty sum in this world. Not enough to live it up, but enough to get some necessities, some nice to haves, with plenty left over to get by on rent and food for a many, many moons.

In turn, this world has a few items that are rare and rather expensive in Equestria while being pretty easy to come by here. My last trip was at least fairly lucrative, if nothing else. I should be able to cruise by unemployed for another 30 moons until the portal is open again.

…Assuming this demon inside me isn't real or I'm able to control it and it doesn't kill me before then.

Yeah, let's go look for those books, shall we?

I change into a fresh set of clothes and grab my tablet, throwing it into my handbag. It's going to be a long, cold trip to the mall on public transit. Looks like a new jacket is step number one.

I continue to do a great job of avoiding social contact with anyone until I hit the boutique in the mall.

I walk in and immediately dive out back into the mall walkway.

Rarity. She just HAD to be working today… Okay, well… it's Saturday so that makes a lot of sense, but I don't think I'm mentally prepared to deal with a reunion.

I glance inside again, keeping myself out of sight from the purple haired woman behind the counter. There's a perfect jacket replacement on display, too!

Man… it is so frickin' cold outside! But I really want to avoid having to talk to anyone… I guess it's the bookstore then…

I once again make my way down the mall walkway until…

"I just love malls! Don't you love malls?!"

"Sure, Pinkie…"

Pinkie Pie and Applejack. Today is the day that just keeps on giving…

Pinkie Pie's little death plan involves a firework mishap, Applejack's an accident with some farm equipment. Occupational hazards are always a safe bet.

Anyhow, I should make myself scarce…

"Oh there's just so many stores to visit! And things to look at! Oooo! Oooo! We should hit the food court later!" Pinkie says.

"Sure, Pinkie…" Applejack replies in a somewhat bored tone.

They're coming out of a store directly in front of me. I put on a panicked expression and dive into the nearest store.

Uhhh… Which just so happens to be a toy store… I hope no one from school sees me… Well, at least those two aren't likely to come in…

"Oooo! Toy store!" Pinkie says excitedly. "Let's go in there next!"

OH, COME ON!

"Sure, Pinkie…"

Pinkie continues her endless prattling, "Did you know, contrary to popular belief, that a food court isn't were food goes to stand trial for food crimes?!"

"Uh, Ah'm pretty sure only you thought that, Pinkie," Apple Jack replies.

I make a break for the action figure aisle. Pinkie's just about perfected the art of being super girly, there's no way…

"OOOOO!" Pinkie exclaims excitedly, "I wonder if they have the new Mega Rangers figures in!"

I stare at the collection of box figures in front of me that all read 'Meaga Rangers' and smack a palm against my face.

Seriously… is it too late to return all the gifts today is giving me for a refund?

"Ah'm still not sure what you like about them tight wearin' weirdoes."

I dive out of the aisle and attempt to sneak around the back of another, making my way for the exit.

"D'uuuuh~," Pinkie replies, "giant robots are awesome!"

I can practically hear Applejack roll her eyes as she says, "If ya say so…"

Point of order, Hayseed; giant robots are, in fact, awesome.

Anyhow, I pull a Solid Snake and make my way out of the store, then put some much needed distance in between me and the toy store.

Come on…book store, book store, book store…

I make it into the book store without running into anyone else.

Yes!

I make my way to the Religion/New Age section. Sadly, mall bookstores aren't exactly known for their big sections on demonology. Shame really, if my internet research is anything to go by, they're missing out.

"Uh…Hi, Sunset Shimmer…" a mousy voice says.

Why?!

I turn to look at Fluttershy, she's noticeably less terrified than last night, though still visible pensive to be in my presence. I wish I had a bear or tiger or, more sensibly, a large angry dog to sick on her and make a clean break here, which, coincidently, is also her murder plan.

I gave her a quick glare and whisper, "I was never here…" I do not want to be caught by anyone looking up books on magic, someone might get the wrong idea after last night.

"Erm…uh…okay…" Fluttershy says sheepishly.

I turn and…

"Heeeeeeey~ best frienemy!"

SON OF A…

"Oh, hi Pinkie Pie, hi Applejack," Fluttershy says.

Trapped.

"Uh…Hey girls…" I say.

Don't make note of the section I'm in, don't make note of the section I'm in…

Applejack makes note of the section I'm in and looks at me with a raised eyebrow, "Doing some magic research?"

DANGIT!

"Uh…no I… just came for…" I grab a random book from the New Age section, "…THIS!"

Oh, please don't be incriminating, please don't be incriminating…

I hold up the book in front of me and sneer at the title, "The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment," I practically spit out.

Applejack gives me a quizzical look.

"I didn't know you where into Spiritualism, Sunset Shimmer…" Fluttershy says.

"Suuuure," I reply trying to smile convincingly, "just uh… trying to get in touch with the inner me… uh… the good inner me, that is…"

Smooth Sunset, real smooth…

Pinkie gasps loudly and her already wide smile grows wider. "I LOVE Spiritualism!" she cries.

"Oh?" I ask.

"Oh, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!" The bubbly pink teenager replies. She smiles wide at me, "I'm even getting into fortune telling!"

"Uh… fascinating…" I offer.

I take a quick glance at the bookshelf, none of the books I'm after appear to be here anyways. Sadly, I might be stuck with the book in my hands.

Applejack shakes her head, "Ah don't see why you're into this stuff, buncha mumbo-jumbo if ya ask me…"

Pinkie puts a pout on her face.

It's my turn to cock an eye at Applejack, "Seriously? You had horse ears and a tail less than 24 hours ago and blasted a demon with the power of friendship, and you have trouble imagining magic is real?"

Applejack just glares at me.

Pinkie and Fluttershy start giggling.

"Well, that don't mean this spiritual enlightenment or whatever is a thang, now does it?" Applejack shoots back at me.

I smile. "You're right Applejack," I say, as I put the book back, "it was probably a pretty silly book anyway…"

Applejack actually looks a little suprised that I put the book back so readily.

"A.J.," Pinkie says in a chastising tone, "you shouldn't just put down people's beliefs like that!"

Wait… am I… am I not the bad guy here? This might be my chance to get in good with everyone…

"Uh, sorry Sunset Shimmer… I didn't mean nothin', I'm sure it's a really interesting book…"

I'm not.

"No! It's fine, not exactly what I was looking for anyways…" I say holding my palms out. "I'll just pick something else out…" I scan the bookshelf again.

Uh wow… there's pretty much nothing here that's not feel good, self-actualization or something that wouldn't label me as an entry level dark magician. Not really interested in the former, and I don't want the others to think I'm the later. Not after last night, anyways.

I turn back to the trio of girls with a smile, "You know what? I'm not really seeing anything else, uh… maybe I'll just leave it for now."

Fluttershy just looks at me blankly.

Applejack looks a little nervous oddly enough.

Pinkie looks crestfallen. "See what you did, A.J.?" she asks, motioning out to me, "Now she's all nervous because you think she's weird!"

"Ah didn't sayI thought she was weird!" Applejack insists.

I smile, "Well, I'm a unicorn from another dimension," I remind them, "and that's pretty weird."

The three pause and look at me as if I just grew a horn out of my head that casts spells.

Uhhh… maybe that wasn't the best thing to…

"Pfft… HehehehehhehheHAHAHAHAHA…!"

All three burst into laughter. Jack-pot!

"Hehhehhehheh…Ya got me there, partner…" Applejack says.

"Hehehehehehe… See," Pinkie exclaims, "she's not so bad!"

Fluttershy just smiles and nods.

Pinkie Pie suddenly excitedly reaches out for my hands, "I think someone could use a Tarot reading~!" she sings out.

Applejack opens her mouth to say something, but then seems to think better of it.

"Tarot reading?" I ask.

Pinkie gasps, "You mean you've never heard of it?!"

I shake my head.

Pinkie beams at me, "Well, let Madame Pinkie Pie be the very first to take you on your maiden voyage of card based fortune telling!"

Fortune telling, again? I could probably do with some insight into my future, but I'm not sure if ADHD incarnate here is going to actually give me anything accurate…

"Sorry, but I have to…"

Pinkie once again looks crestfallen and opens her sky-blue eyes wide, giving me a puppy-dog look that even makes me a little jealous. Anyway, 'I have to' what, exactly? Look through this useless bookstore? Not buy a jacket because I don't need any more awkward conversations? Go shopping for microwave dinners because I suck at cooking? I guess I can go home and begin my research, but I think I'd be passing up an opportunity to get in good on this friendship deal.

I smile and change my tone, "…You know what? I think I'd love a Tarot reading."

Pinkie's lips pull open wide, and I think I hear them make an actual 'squee' sound.

"Hurray!" she cries as she quickly heads towards the exit, holding one of my hands tightly. Applejack and Fluttershy just shrug and follow us.

Looks like I'm being kidnapped by the Friendship Express.

Oh well, hopefully something good will come out of today…

3. Chapter 3

All That Shimmers

Chapter 3: Misfortune

-ooooooo-

Pinkie drags me through the mall towards the food court as Applejack and Fluttershy walk briskly behind us to keep up. Spending time at the mall with these three was not on the agenda, but I could use something to take my mind of transforming into a demon and potentially being possessed by said demon.

She drags me past the clothing shop Rarity was in and I glance in and whimper quietly.

Pinkie stops to look at me then towards where I'm staring, "What's wrong?"

I shake my head, "Nothing…" Of course that was a lie. Looks like someone beat me to that nice jacket. I really could have used a win today. Also, it's really frickin' cold out.

"Something the matter?" Applejack asks as she catches up with us.

I shoot her a glare. "It's fine!" I snap out. Geez, can't anyone just mind their own business, here?

"I was only askin'," Applejack replies.

I break eye contact and stare at the floor, "Sorry…" I say sheepishly. Uh… excuse, excuse… "…I'm don't do a lot of hanging out…" Well, it's not much of an excuse, but at least it's true.

To my surprise, Applejack puts her hand on my shoulder and smiles at me, "It's alright Sunset Shimmer, that's what we're here to fix."

Fluttershy gives me a small smile and a tiny nod.

Everyone must have made one heck of a promise to Twilight, the amount of slack I'm getting cut here is almost embarrassing.

"I think it's time for a group hug~!" Pinkie sings out.

I was afraid she'd say that.

Pinkie steps up and wraps her arms around me. Applejack and Fluttershy do the same, with substantially less hesitation than last night.

"Alright, I'm hugged… thanks…" I utter. "You can all stop now… no seriously! STOP!" As nice as these girls are to me, I really wish they'd pace themselves better…

-ooooooo-

Cards fly between Pinkie's hands as she shuffles with incredible dexterity. These aren't just regular playing cards either, they're about an inch longer and a bit wider, yet she's practically juggling the whole, massive set in and out of sleeves, her collar, and even her hair like she does this for a living.

As interesting as that is, I can't help but stare at the purple wrap around Pinkie's head that's pinned with a red broach and a giant purple feather.

I nod to her headwear, "So, you just carry that around with you wherever you go?"

Pinkie giggles as she curls the fingers on her left hand and rapidly fires off cards into her right, "Of course not, silly!" She glances at the ceiling and flicks her free hand upwards, "Only on days where I'm going to be telling someone's fortune."

I cock a suspicious eye across the large, round, food court table, "You knew you'd be telling someone's fortune today?"

Pinkie grins as cards begin to disappear down her right sleeve, "Well, I wouldn't be much of a fortune teller if I didn't at least know that!"

Walked…no…sprinted headlong into that one.

Applejack and Fluttershy giggle as they sit with us at the table. Applejack is sitting next to me, no doubt as a bit a buffer for the meek little Flutters. I fight the urge to tell them to shut their yaps and force a probably not all that sincere sounding chuckle.

Pinkie reaches under her headdress and pulls out the full deck of cards.

Fluttershy begins softly clapping. Obviously, she's impressed with Pinkie's show. Honestly, the sheer dexterity and sleight of hand expertise here is really something else. I guess it's no surprise she can play an obscene amount of instruments all at once. Pinkie is the reason I've avoiding competing in the schools talent shows like the plague, she always runs away with the whole thing. Trixie has something of a grudge because of this, though I never had need to sort out how to use that…

Pinkie sets the deck neatly in front of me. "Alright, now split the deck into three piles," she says.

I comply, picking up about a third of the deck and setting it to the left of the pile; then I repeat the process, setting the new set to the right.

"Now, pick up the top card from the first pile and lay it face up in front of you," Pinkie directs.

I do. A card labeled 'THE TOWER.' Is my reward. A large, white tower sits in the middle of the card. It's on fire as a bolt of lightning knocks a crown off of it and a man and a woman appear to be falling from the burning tower structure.

"Guessing this isn't a very cheery card…" I utter.

Still smiling, Pinkie nods. "Yeah, it pretty much stands for misery, destruction, and all around unhappiness." she informs. "That and also possibly a collapse of an important view or belief."

"Lucky me…"

Applejack chuckles.

Pinkie gives me a closed eye smile, "You are lucky, the first card is your immediate past."

I rest my elbow on the table and bring my hand up to my chin, this whole exercise suddenly becoming more interesting. That might have been coincidental, but with the meaning and a crown right on the card, it's a pretty interesting coincidence.

"Next card, please!" Pinkie says as she grins a wide toothy smile. "This one's your present, or possibly even you!"

I repeat the process, cringing as I lay the next card in front of me. The card is labeled 'THE DEVIL.' A red half-man, half beast with batwings and big goat horns takes up the majority of the card, with a naked couple of horned humans or demons of some sort chained to a pillar the beast is standing atop of.

Applejack's chuckling increases.

I, on the other hand, am probably starting to lose a little bit of color in my face. My pensiveness doesn't seem to go unnoticed.

Fluttershy whispers a quiet, "Applejack…" and gently nudges the blond haired girl with her elbow. She also throws in a nod towards me. All of which stops Applejack's sniggering.

Pinkie, likewise, looks across the table at me with concern. "You know… maybe this was a bad idea…" she reaches for her cards.

I reach a hand out and gently grasp her wrist. "Tell me what the card means…" I say monotone.

"Oh, uh…erm… violence, rage…the er…evil side of people that eats them from within…"

I cringe, and retract my hand. That was a little too on the money.

Pinkie forces a smile on her face, but the look in her eyes is telling me it's not totally genuine. "It could also mean great financial success!" she offers.

Well, that's also rather on the money… no pun intended.

I reach for the third and final pile. "I guess this is my future, right?" I ask as I glance up at Pinkie.

"Umm-hmm!" Pinkie replies cheerfully.

I grab the top card and place it in front of me.

… The card reads 'DEATH.' At the bottom.

Hello.

My name is Sunset Shimmer and welcome to my cruddy life.

You can actually see it get worse by the minute at this point.

Anyhow, the 'DEATH.' card doesn't disappoint, a skeleton in black armor rides a white horse past what I'm guessing is a dead man as others plead and fall in front of it.

I just stare at the spread in front of me, either this is the most depressing deck of cards in recorded history, I'm just that lucky today, or this demon inside me is real and I'm not going to like what it has in store for me.

"Oh, goody! The Death card!" Pinkie exclaims as she claps her hands together.

I look up at her like she's lost her marbles… you know… not that I figured she had many to begin with.

The bizarreness of Pinkie's reaction is enough to break my fixation on the cards and I glance at Fluttershy and Applejack. Flutters there looks about as shaken up by this whole thing as I feel, and Applejack is giving Pinkie the same look I am.

"Now, I may not be much for this fortune tellin' stuff," Applejack begins, "but how the heck is that a good thing?" she demands motioning to the card.

Thanks Hayseed, saved me the trouble.

"Well, death means change!" Pinkie explains. "You know… something is going to end…" Pinkie examines the spread in front of me, "Something big by the looks of things…"

"How can you tell?" I ask.

"Oh, well you see, you drew only Major Arcana, so that means your fortune is extra, super, special important!" Pinkie suddenly gasps, "Maybe it's the evil inside you that dies!"

"Yeah, or just me…" I mutter out.

No one laughs… actually, that might be for the best. It wasn't very funny to me, either…

Pinkie whimpers from across the table then suddenly snaps her fingers as a smile returns to her face, "Hunger!"

"Come again?" I reply.

"How hungry are you?" Pinkie asks.

My stomach answers for me. Treacherous organ, stomach growls are not something cool, aloof girls are supposed to do… Though, I guess I'm supposed to be dropping that whole side of me since it didn't really bring me anything but a damaged outfit, even more disdain from my classmates, and self-loathing.

Pinkie beams at me, and in what appears to be one smooth motion, both cards and head wrap disappear from view. And before you could utter 'hammer space' she has me by the hand and is dragging me off towards the food stalls.

Pinkie treats me to whatever I feel like eating, which in this case happens to be probably several hour old Chinese food that's been kept warm by heat lamps. As snarky as that sounds, it's better than the microwave and instant noodle stuff I usually eat, and leagues better than anything I could cook myself. It's nice to have someone buy my lunch again, hasn't happened since I broke up with Flash.

…

Alright, since he broke up with me.

We all return to the table with lunches; Pinkie having zoned in on the unhealthiest food the mall has to offer, in this case a couple corn dogs and French fries, Hayseed opted for a hamburger, and Flutters got herself a salad.

We sit and shoot the breeze, or rather, they shoot the breeze. I mostly just listen in. I have almost no experience actually making small talk at a meal. In Equestria, I spent most lunches surrounded by books and scrolls, mostly ignoring my food as I memorized spells and continued my research. Here, most my lunches resembled something more like a mission briefing where I'd give the latest set of orders to Snips and Snails or whomever I'd conned into doing my will. If there was nothing to plan? I'd pretend to be morose and get the two to go on and on about how great I was.

Man… it's a damn good thing my magic doesn't work and I can't go back in time a week. I'd go back with a knife or maybe even a gun and end my past self's life in an instant. Universe ending paradoxes be damned.

Ugh… I bet little miss Perfect Princess Twilight Sparkle never had to deal with any of this, she probably spent loads of time hanging out with her friends when she was Sun Butt's student and never had to think about going back in time to see what a complete nimrod she was.

"Uh…Earth to Sunset Shimmer?"

"Hmmm?" Pinkie breaks me out of my depressing trip down memory lane and I realize everyone's staring at me.

"I asked you what your favorite lemur was!" Pinkie informs.

… How long did I spend in memory lane?

Applejack seems to notice my confusion, "Sorry Sunset Shimmer, when Pinkie's steering the conversation you kinda have to hold on tight with both hands."

"I tried to pick a species," Fluttershy explains, "but they're all so adorable! I just couldn't!"

"I know, right?!" Pinkie agreed.

"Oh well…" I wrack my brain, attempting to pull some information out on Lemurs.

…

…I know nothing about Lemurs.

"Er… I like the… red ones?" I offer. Oh, please say there are red furred Lemurs! Please say there are red furred Lemurs!

"You mean the red ruffed lemur?" Fluttershy asks.

YES! Jackpot! I smile and nod my head up and down vigorously, "Yeah! They have such… distinctive fur!"

"Oh! I know, right?!" Pinkie exclaims. "Their little black faced and tails on either end of that red fur!" Pinkie smiles and hugs herself as she rocks from side to side. "I could just cuddle one forever!"

"Oh, yes," Fluttershy agrees, "and the white on the top of their heads with the fluffy tail? I can see how that would be someone's favorite."

"Well, it's nice Sunset Shimmer knows somethin' about lemur's, 'cause I know about as much about 'em as I know about space shuttles," Applejack says.

"How much is that?" Pinkie asks.

Wait, you actually had to ask? Anyhow, I quickly turn, break my smartphone out, and frantically do a search for 'red ruffed lemurs' so I can contribute to the conversation without sounding like a moron. Meanwhile, Hayseed has to explain the whole lemur and space shuttle comparison to Pinkie.

About a minute later and suddenly we're just talking and talking about how awesome red ruffed lemurs are and I'm rattling off scientific names like I have a book on lemurs that I read every night before going to bed. I may not have known almost anything about lemurs until today, but I'm an expert at memorization.

Eventually, the conversation drifts and I keep my head in it this time. Despite Pinkie's tendency to randomly jump topics I mostly manage to keep us talking about things I actually know something about, movies, wrestling, current events that don't have anything to do with demons or mysteriously damaged school buildings. I think I'm actually getting the hang of this friendship stuff! It all goes really well until…

Pinkie's face lights up, "Hiya, Rarity! Hiya, Rainbow!" she says as she waves.

I feel a deep pit in my stomach form and my relaxed expression turns pensive as I turn to face the approaching girls. I think someone just walked over my grave. Pinkie Pie was easy to win over, heck the girl wanted to be my friend. Fluttershy was never going to be difficult so long as I could convince enough of the other girls to like me. I thought Applejack would be difficult, but between her earlier blunder at the bookstore, Pinkie's insistence, and a few well-placed jokes from me, I think I got her. Rarity and Rainbow Dash are another story entirely.

Rainbow Dash was always going to be difficult… to win over as a friend I mean. If I were to kill her I'd just arrange for some sort of track and field javelin related incident. An athlete cut down before she was even an adult, tragic…

Rarity's even worse, she has even more reason to hate me than the rest of the group, and that's saying a lot.

Maybe I should break into uncontrollable sobbing again. That really worked out for me last night.

The rest of the group exchanges greetings as Rainbow Dash and Rarity approach with bags and bags full of clothes. Rarity is giving me a perplexed look as if asking, 'Why are you here?' Rainbow Dash's expression looks more like a demand for an explanation.

"Maybe I should go…" I offer. I could potentially befriend the whole group here and now, but I was hoping to divide and conquer a bit as far as winning them over. It's a strategy that seems to work well enough for turning friends against each other, I figured it would work for making friends, too…

"Awww, it's okay! They won't bite!" Pinkie says.

"Actually, I dare say this is perfect," Rarity says as she approaches the table and sits next to me.

Uh-oh… if I where Rarity, how would I plan to kill me? Uh… Probably wait until I was elected Princess of something or another and drop a stage light on me… Guessing I won't be murdered in the middle of a busy mall food court. Still, I'm woefully outnumbered here.

Applejack grins, "You got enough clothes there, R.D.?" she asks as the rainbow haired girl sits in between Rarity and Pinkie.

Rainbow's face flushes a bit and she glares at Applejack, "Shut up! These are all Rarity's! She bumped into me and dragged me from clothing store to clothing store."

"Just keeping up on the latest fashion," Rarity says, "and I do so appreciate your help."

"Ya knew we were gonna meet at the food court, ya coulda just headed up here," Applejack says.

"Well, I couldn't just leave her to carry everything herself… even if I sorta wanted to…" Rainbow Dash says. She looks past Rarity and shoots me a glare, "What's she doing here anyways, I thought we weren't going to deal with her until Monday?"

I wince, this could get ugly.

"Rainbow Dash…" Pinkie says, "Now be nice, Sunset Shimmer was just at the book store to find something to improve herself!" Pinkie turns to me. "Weren't you, Sunset?"

I turn to Pinkie and nod my head up and down. Pinkie, I think you just shot right to the top of my friends list.

"Wait, seriously?" Rainbow Dash asks in disbelief.

"I nod, yeah… though I couldn't really find what I wanted," I say. Still technically not a lie.

Fluttershy smiles, "She really is turning over a new leaf."

Wait, I have Flutters on my side already? Maybe this will be a heck of a lot easier than I thought.

"Yeah, she's been downright pleasant for the most part," Applejack says.

Hayseed, too? Maybe I'm not so bad at this friendship stuff.

Rainbow Dash just glowers at me. She doesn't buy it, but I'm guessing she's starting to realize she's outnumbered.

"Well, this is all fine and good…" Rarity begins.

I tense up and wait for the other shoe to drop.

"… But there's still something we need to address here," Rarity says.

I turn and look at her. Why did she have to sit right next to me?! I shift in my chair pensively. As well as everything is going, Rarity could potentially just remind everyone how horrible I've been to them, I'm sure that'd be enough to kill the pleasantries in a hurry.

"Ya…yes?" I stammer out.

Rarity knits her brow, "Oh, I think you know, dearie…"

And there's the other shoe… I swallow. Might as well go for broke here. As nice as the other three are being, I'm sure there's still plenty of bad blood between us all. "Look…I'm really sorry about last Spring Fling, everyone… I shouldn't have turned you all against each other just so I could win," I mean it, too. As I said to Celestia, it all seems so petty now. "And… I'm really, really sorry about the video Rarity…" Snips and Snails snuck into Rarity's boutique while she thought she was alone. Turns out Rarity is rather er… theatrical when she thinks no one is looking. It made for a pretty funny video that killed her chances at the Princess title.

"I had to wear a wig for weeks afterwards, you know," Rarity says as she continues to attempt to bore a whole through my skull with her eyes.

"I remember… I'm really sorry…" I say.

"And a lot of us didn't even talk to each other for almost half a year," Rainbow Dash adds.

I pout slightly, "I said I was sorry…" I glance over everyone's faces. Despite the progress I've made today, this has clearly opened up old wounds and while Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Applejack aren't giving me the same death glares Rarity and Rainbow Dash are, it looks like the reminder that I sabotage their friendships might have put them back on the fence. I'm in trouble here…

…But maybe…

"Hey look… I'll help you run for Winter Formal," I offer.

Pinkie Pie beams at me, Fluttershy is smiling again, Applejack grins and nods, and Rarity and Rainbow Dash just look like they heard me say I was going to donate a kidney to someone.

Bull's eye.

"What!? No way!" Rainbow Dash exclaims. "You're not going to run this year?! But you run every year!"

"And for every dance, I might add," Rarity says.

I shrug, "Why would I? Everyone at school hates me."

"Oh, Sunset Shimmer, Not everyone hates you," Fluttershy insists.

"Uh, they kinda do," Rainbow Dash retorts.

"Can't argue you with ya there…" Applejack adds.

"Rainbow Dash! Applejack!" Pinkie says in a chastising tone.

"It's alright, Pinkie," I say. "I know it's true… I mean… How could anyone blame them?" I lay my arms on the table and rest my chin on them as my expression goes morose, "Even if we disregard last night, and let's be honest, no one at school will… I spent the last couple years manipulating everyone so I could win those dances. Rarity wasn't even the only one I stepped over to get to the top." I sigh, "I turned myself into the most feared student at school. Now that everyone's unified against me, I'm just the most loathed…" I bury my head in my arms. As thick as I'm laying on here, I mean every word.

There's a brief pause of silence and then I feel a hand cover one of my own. I look up, Rarity is now smiling at me as she rests a hand on mine. "I forgive you," she says.

I give a small whimper and a nod as my lip starts to quiver, I might actually start crying here. This is all going way better than expected, but I didn't realize just how much emotional investment I had in making friends with these five. Although, the cynic in me wonders if it's just because I got blasted by their friendship beams and somehow subconsciously crave their attention, now.

"GROUP HUG!" Pinkie cries as she raises to her feet.

Okay, I don't want it that much!

"Sit down, Pinkie," Rarity commands gently, "there will be time for that later."

Pinkie pouts and sits on her chair.

I breathe a quiet sigh of relief. I can't believe Rarity saved me here.

Rarity looks at Rainbow Dash. "Satisfied?" she asks with a smile.

Rainbow Dash shrugs, "Eh, as long as she keeps out of trouble and makes good on her promise, she's alright with me."

It'll do for now, I'm sure she's not the only one here who will be on their guard. I mean, I would if I were in their shoes… Oh, who am I kidding? I wouldn't even suffer my own presence in their shoes.

"Well, since we're all here, anyways" Rarity says, "I propose we bump a few agenda items we planned for Monday to right now."

Pinkie excitedly pumps her fist into the air. "Here, here!" she says enthusiastically.

The other three nod in agreement.

I really hope I'm not in store for some sort of unpleasant friendship initiation ritual.

Pinkie grins wide at me and stands up, making her way to my side of the table. "Now close your eyes~," she says.

This is only confirming my fear. "Uh what are you… HEY WAIT!" I cry as the pink haired woman covers my eyes with her hands.

"Fluttershy, can I have your item?" Rarity asks.

"Of course," Fluttershy replies.

I hear rustling, "Uh, Rainbow Dash, be a dear and check the other bags. I'm not finding it."

Finding what?

"Didja have to buy so many clothes?!" Rainbow Dash whines as the rustling increases.

"Keeping up with fashion is hard work, darling," Rarity says.

"Pffft… you should try keeping up with sports, sometime!" Rainbow Dash retorts.

"Hmph," Rarity replies, "well I'm afraid there's some hobbies I just don't find that interesting."

"Hobbies?!" Rainbow Dash says defensively.

"Uh, Rarity?" Applejack says, "I think sports is a bit more than a hobby to Rainbow Dash."

"Thanks A.J.," Rainbow Dash says, "but I can handle this myself."

Applejack sighed, "Jus' trying to help."

"I got this!" Rainbow Dash insists. "Sports is more than a hobby to me, Rarity! That be like saying that Fluttershy taking care of animals is just a 'hobby'."

Uh… what's going on?

"Well, I dare say that Fluttershy's love of animals is a tad more significant than your interest in sports…" Rarity says.

"Interest?!" Rainbow Dash cries.

Rarity continues, "…wouldn't you say, Fluttershy?"

"Uh… erm… I don't think…" Fluttershy says meekly.

"Now, why you gotta go and drag her into this for?" Applejack asks.

"Oh! Are we arguing?!" Pinkie asks excitedly. "Can I join in?! Argue, argue, argue! Bicker, bicker, bicker…"

Oh God, make it stop!

"Pinkie, that's not helping right now," Applejack says.

"I'm pretty sure that's impossible," Pinkie replies, "I am a helper."

"Pinkie," Rainbow Dash says, "sometimes your help isn't always that helpful."

"WHAT?!" Pinkie shrieks.

OW, my poor eardrums!

"Erm… You can be a tad overzealous, sometimes…" Fluttershy admits.

"A 'tad'?!" Rainbow Dash asks. "More like a 'ton'!"

"But… but I just want everyone to be happy!" Pinkie protests.

"We know, dearie," Rarity says, "but you don't always go about it in the right way."

"But… but…" Sounds like Pinkie's a bit shaken up here. Feels like it, too. Her hands are starting to shake slightly as she continues to cover my eyes. It's…unpleasant to say the least.

"Now, ya'll don't need to pick on her like that!" Applejack says.

Rarity sighs, "Oh there you go, rushing to everyone's defense but mine…" Rarity accuses.

"Well, you started it!" Applejack shot out.

"I most certainly did not!" Rarity replies. "The first stone was clearly cast by Rainbow Dash."

"Was not!" Rainbow Dash declares.

"Was too!" Rarity retorts.

Wow… no wonder all it took was a few e-mails and some misinformation to break up this group. Past me would have reveled in this. Present me is now stuck in the eye of the storm, and has someone's sweaty palms rubbing against her eyelids.

"Wait, I didn't see Rainbow Dash throw any rocks…" Pinkie says.

"Uh, Pinkie?" Fluttershy says, "It's an expression."

"I KNEW THAT!" Pinkie asserts loudly (Ow again, by the way). "I'm not stupid, you know!"

"Erm…I never said you were stupid," Fluttershy says.

"Well, you did just now!" Pinkie protests.

"But… that's not what I…"

"Pinkie, are ya picking on Fluttershy?!" Applejack asks.

"Erm… I can speak for myself, you know…" Fluttershy says.

"ME?!" Pinkie cries shrilly (seriously, I think my ears are ringing…) "Why does everyone always assume Fluttershy is the innocent one?!"

"Uh, 'cause she's kinda a doormat?" Rainbow Dash says.

"…Seriously, cut it out…" Fluttershy says as irritation creeps into her voice.

"Don't tell me I there's actually a nerve to hit in quiet, mousy Fluttershy?" Rainbow Dash asks.

"Rainbow Dash, I'm warning you…" Fluttershy says.

"Rainbow Dash, darling," Rarity begins, "maybe you shouldn't…"

"Wait, I wanna see if pushover poster child here actually has a spine or not," Rainbow Dash replies.

Ouch, even I thought that was harsh.

To my surprise, Fluttershy actually growls, "Grrrrrrrrr, Rainbow Dashwhy, you're just a… just a big… ol'… meanie!" Fluttershy screams out.

"Yeah, you tell her Fluttershy!" Pinkie says. "Oh wait, I'm still mad at you!"

"Ooooh, Pinkie Pie forgot something, what a surprise!" Fluttershy says.

The quivering in Pinkie's hands increase.

"Uh, Fluttershy… Don't you think you're being a tad venomous here?" Applejack interjects.

"Well, apparently everyone just expects me to be a spineless doormat and pushover! Well, I have plenty of nasty opinions on all of you, too!" Fluttershy exclaims.

"Oh, this oughta be good," Rainbow Dash says as if she's going to enjoy Fluttershy's list. "Let's hear it."

"Well, for starters…"

Oh, I do NOT want this to escalate. "SHUUUUUUUUUUUUUT UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUP!"

Thankfully everyone shuts up and stares at me… I mean… I think they're staring at me. I still can't see anything.

I take a few deep, calming breaths as my chest puffs in and out, "Sorry, but you guys are giving me a migraine and on top of that Pinkie's palms are really sweaty."

There's another beat of silence and then a chorus of laughter and giggling.

"Hahahaha! I can't believe Sunset Shimmer is the level headed one here," Rainbow Dash says.

"Hehehehe, I know, right?!" Pinkie says, "Boy is my face pink."

"Hehehehe, I think you mean, 'red', darling," Rarity says.

"I know what I said," Pinkie says cheerfully.

"Hehhehheh, Pinkie, maybe there's another way to keep her eyes covered," Applejack suggests.

"Oh! I've got just the thing!" Pinkie says. "Why didn't I think of this sooner? Here Fluttershy, swap with me."

"Oh, ah… okay…" Fluttershy says.

Finally! There's a quick exchange of hands and… Holy geez! Fluttershy's hands are actually worse than Pinkie's! Guessing the girl was clenching her fists for a while there. Thankfully, Pinkie wastes no time in getting something wrapped around my eyes. My guess is she remembered her head wrap.

"Thanks," I offer.

"You're welcome!" Pinkie says.

The rustling resumes.

"Oh!" Rarity exclaims, "I'm terribly sorry, Rainbow Dash… seems the item was in my bags."

"Eh, no biggie," Rainbow Dash says.

"Erm, I'm sorry I said sports was just a hobby, too," Rarity adds.

"It's all good… I'm sorry I picked a fight with you," Rainbow Dash replies. "Uh… sorry I called you a doormat, Fluttershy."

"That's okay, Rainbow Dash, I'm sorry I lost my head there and called you a meanie," Fluttershy says. "Pinkie, I'm sorry I made fun of you."

"Ah, that's alright," Pinkie says. "I can be a real scatter brain, sometimes" she admits.

"You don't say…" I utter. Please say that wasn't out of line, PLEASE SAY THAT WASN'T OUT OF LINE!

Thankfully everyone giggles and laughs again.

"Shoot everyone," Applejack says, "I'm sorry I got into it with all ya'll."

"And I'm sorry that… well… sorry I don't have anything to apologize for, for a change," I say with a smirk.

More laughter. Maybe I should use my power of snark for good more often, it's oddly fulfilling.

The group quickly exchanges a few more apologies as the rustling continues. Finally, the blindfold is taken off and, ow… I scrunch my face up and squint as my eyes adjust to the fluorescent glow of the mall food court. My vision adjust and I spy a pair of brightly colored, perfectly wrapped boxes in front of me, complete with expertly wrapped bows.

I stare up at the five friends in confusion, "Should I check for ticking, first?"

They all laugh again. Though, I was half serious there. It's pretty hard to believe they'd get me anything that doesn't explode or spray noxious fumes at me.

"Come on! Open them! Open them!" Pinkie Pie says as she bounces up and down excitedly. I'm not sure if I should take that as a sign that they're more or less likely to explode.

I grab the smaller and shred the paper off the box. It's almost a shame given how well Pinkie wrapped this. I'm actually starting to get a little jealous of the girl, she seems to be a woman of many talents and she's an expert at all of them.

"Fluttershy got you that one!" Pinkie informs.

I glance at Flutters who seems a tad nervous. Likely scared that I'll judge whatever's in the box and take it out on her if I don't like it. The former is unavoidable, but I resolve myself to not do the ladder, no matter what stupid, animal themed… oh… Hello? What do we have here?

I pull out a black sunglasses case. Didn't see that one coming, let's hope the shades aren't dorky or gaudy… I open the case and…

Wow… these are actually pretty chill! I mean, I don't think they're a named brand or anything, but it doesn't look like she skimped on them either. I don't know if she overcompensated to please me or what, but I ain't complaining.

"She likes them! She likes them!" Pinkie declares.

I guess my grin was pretty hard to miss. I turn to Fluttershy and give her an earnest smile and an equally earnest, "Thank you."

Fluttershy smiles back at me, "You're welcome, Sunset Shimmer."

"Oooo! Oooo! Next one! Next one!" Pinkie cries.

"Alright, alright…" I say as I reach for the larger box, "Eesh, I've known cocker-spaniels with less energy than you."

Pinkie gasps.

Uh-oh, maybe the dog comparison was a bit much.

"HOW DID YOU KNOW MY FAVORITE BREAD OF DOG?!" Pinkie asks in her shrill voice.

Wow, today sure got better in a hurry, wait… did she just say…

"Pinkie, I think you mean 'breed' of dog," Fluttershy corrects.

"Unless she knows a lot more about how tasty dogs are than we do," I suggest.

Fluttershy covers her mouth and gasps, everyone else bursts into laughter. Even Flutters drops her hand enough to show that she's blushing slightly and giggling.

Rainbow Dash shakes her head, "I wish you'd have come around sooner, Sunset. You're a riot."

And I do believe that's five. Sunset Shimmer 5, Friendship 0… or maybe it also gets a 5… Guess we're all winners, here (but mostly me).

Anyhow, I grab the box.

"And that's from the rest of us!" Pinkie informs cheerily.

Huh, I wonder what it could be, Flutters spent a lot on her own. Actually, I wonder why Fluttershy elected to not get in on the joint gift. Everything becomes crystal clear as I open the box and my heart gets stuck in my throat and my eyes open wide and even feel water form in my eyes. I can hardly believe what's in front of me.

Inside the box is the same, perfect, stunning, badass leather coat I saw in the shop. Rarity must have been the one to snag it. I take it out of the box and just marvel at it. It's even better looking up close.

"Hehehehe… She's speechless!" Pinkie says.

Rarity smiles at me, "We originally got these as a sign of good faith on our part, but you've been such a good sport today, I guess you can say you earned them."

Applejack nods, "Eeyup."

My bottom lip starts to quiver and more warm water starts to well up behind my eyes.

"Oh my gosh! Hehe… She's actually crying!" Rainbow Dash says.

"Sniff… I'm not crying!"

I am crying…

"GROUP HUG!" Pinkie announces.

This time no one stops her.

Oh well, it's a pretty small price to pay for a new pair of sunglasses and an awesome new jacket.

-ooooooo-

The girls invite me to spend the rest of the day with them, and I don't refuse. Everything else is pretty uneventful, though I pick up the bill for dinner and milkshakes on my own accord. Gifts or not, I don't want to feel like I owe them anything, and it was money I figured I'd be spending on a new jacket anyhow. What's also nice is most of the girls know how to drive and even have their own cars, so I get to avoid public transit for the rest of the evening. Something I haven't been able to do since I broke…I mean Flash broke up with me.

Not going to lie, it was pretty nice… though Pinkie might have some sort of group hug addiction. Still, she was nice enough to help me go grocery shopping which added a chatty surrealism to the mundane task I had not known was possible. She also drove me back to my apartment in her small, pink compact car.

"Goodnight, Sunset Shimmer! I had a lot of fun hanging out with you today," Pinkie says.

"Yeah, me too…" I reply. "Uh… you can let go now."

"Ooops! Hehehe…" Pinkie unwraps her arms from around my body and lets me get a breather in. "Do you need help with your groceries?" She asks.

I pick up the brown grocery bags that are at my feet, "I got it, thanks!" I wouldn't mind so much, but I don't want Pinkie to see the mess I made of my apartment.

"Alright," Pinkie says, sounding slightly disappointed, "See you Monday, okay?"

I nod and smile, "Of course!" Surprisingly, I'm actually looking forward to it. I can't remember the last time I had so much fun, or if I've ever had so much fun.

"Bye-bye!" Pinkie says as she waves her hand enthusiastically.

"Goodnight, Pinkie!" I say as I walk towards the complex.

"Goodnight, best frenemy!"

I just smile and shake my head as I make my way back to my apartment. I don't even make it all the way before my phone starts vibrating. I get to the door, set down the bags, and pull out my phone to see Pinkie has texted me, 'SLEEP TIGHT!' along with a plethora of emoticons. I text her a quick "You too." Wow, being her friend is going to be tiring.

I'm tired, but happy all the same. I feel accomplished, a little giddy, and loved… well liked at least… It's a feeling that stays with me as I put away the groceries, clean up the sad pathetic state that is my apartment, shower, and get ready for bed.

I climb into the covers and rest my head on the pillow. I think this might turn out to be the most relaxing sleep I've had in a long, long time. I close my eyes…

…and my nose is immediately assaulted with the smell of sulfur.

I knew there was something else I was supposed to do today…

4. Chapter 4

All That Shimmers

Chapter 4: Woke Up On the Wrong Side of the Hellish Landscape

-ooooooo-

Home again, home again, jiggity-jig.

Not that I'm sold on the idea this barren wasteland full of lava and thick with the smell of sulfur is actually my home. I may not remember the first few years of my life clearly, but I distinctly remember them being full of less fire…

"Welcome back."

…and less demons.

I turn and there I am again. Well, demon me or the demon inside me. She's hovering several yards away with folded arms and smiling at me with her fanged teeth as she chuckles.

I just shot her a sort of unamused look. She killed me once, or at least it sure felt like she did, and I'm still here. I'm guessing I'm not in any mortal danger, but probably in for a pretty painful evening.

Still grinning, the demon turns green irises set against a pitch black void up at the sky and places a claw against her chin. "Let's see…" she coos, "… I think my favorite part of today was when you almost lost your breakfast during a group hug… No wait," she says with a smile, "actually it was when you had to pretend you actually cared about lemurs." She tilts her head and purses her lips as she stares at me, "No, actually… the part when you started crying when you got your new jacket," she smiles wickedly at me "that was definitely the high, or should I say 'low', point of the day."

I sigh and roll my eyes as I fold my arms over my jacket. Not sure what I was expecting, but it's my old one. My new one has a few less studs in the collar and more prominent, metal buttons. Must be some sort of mental projection thing like out of a Sci-fi movie where people are hooked up to computers or something…

"Are you going somewhere with this?" I ask snidely. "I have a full day of figuring out how to get rid of you, and you're kind of cutting into my sleep here."

Demon me gives me an open mouth smirk that shows off her fangs. She flies down in front of me, kneeling so she's roughly at my level. I'm reminded at how big I…erm… she is and it's a bit unnerving to say the least.

She flicks out a large claw and holds it under my chin. I suddenly regret the whole 'cutting into my sleep crack', especially as she flicks the claw up. For me, this was something of a nice power move to jar whoever I did it to into noticing who they were dealing with. In this case, the claw cuts up my face, through my lips, and slices my left nostril. I quickly raise a hand over the left side of my face as pain shots through it and blood starts pouring out. The idea that this meeting probably won't be fatal is suddenly not as comforting. This hurts.

Hello.

I'm Sunset Shimmer and…

… You know what? You probably get it by now…

"Silly Sunset Shimmer~," the demon practically sings out, "you can't get rid of me. I'm in you, I'm part of you!" The demon chuckles softly and raises back to her full height. "Go ahead. Buy your little books and try whatever spells or rituals you find. You know you'll just screw it up."

I look up at demon me with a glare, "I don't think so. Magic is something of my forte, remember?"

"Was, maybe," demon me says, "but you haven't used magic in a long time..." she stares up briefly and cocks her head slightly, "well, aside from the day before yesterday, of course."

I shake my head and point an index finger at demon me, "Mark my words, I'll find what I need to get rid of you and then it's back to nice, restful sleep."

"Ah, yes. And back to your great, big plan of a nice, quiet life of hanging out with friends, talking about primates, going to birthday parties?" Demon me rolls her eyes, "Sounds riveting…" she says sarcastically.

I try frowning, but the shooting pain in my face turns my expression into a grimace. Aside from staving off soul crushing loneliness, what exactly am I trying to accomplish?

"We both know that isn't you," the demon says. "You never had any friends back in Equestria, and you never made any here. Do you really think having friends is suitable replacement for your ambition?"

I spit out a gob of blood, "My ambition was become a princess! Not march into Equestria and take over!"

Demon me snickers, "You make it sound like the two are mutually exclusive. What were you going to do when Celestia was inevitably displeased with the power you gained and denied you and stature of you own?"

This shuts me up in a hurry. I always just hoped the crown would turn me into an alicorn and then after my big, 'I told you so!' moment, Celestia would be all smiles and suddenly I'd have a title and kingdom of my own, or something… I retrospect, probably not a likely outcome given how I would have come about my transformation. In all likeliness, I'd probably end up angrily challenging Celestia for the throne when she snubbed me. Judging by how well things went here with an elementless Twilight and crew, I have a pretty good guess how that might have turned out…

Demon me chuckles, "Anyhow, you're out of practice when it comes to magic. Maybe you should get some help?" She grins, "I suggest a young priest and an old priest."

I narrow my eyes at her. Dang, that was a good line.

She taps a claw against the side of her face thoughtfully, "I guess I'll have to prepare a bunch of nasty things to say… work out my timing with spinning my head around, that sort of stuff…"

"It's not going to matter because I'll get you out of me myself," I declare.

The demon gives me a knowing smile, "Sorry, but it won't work, removing me would be like trying to remove a vital organ and seeing how long you could last without it."

"Forgive me if I don't take your word on that," I reply.

Demon me raises her hands in a shrug, "Go ahead then, it'll be worth it just to see the look on your face when you find out it what trying to remove me will do."

I am starting to lose an awful lot of blood. Pretty sure she cut me to the bone with that little claw flick. "Seriously, was there a point to this little visit?" I ask. "I'm starting to get light headed here."

The demon cocks her head and smiles at me. "Point?" She leans down and simply pokes me in the stomach with a dagger like talon. It pierces a couple of inches, and I let out a pained gasp and fall to my knees. I use my right hand to cover the puncture wound as more blood slowly seeps out of me.

I glance back up at her, and make a mental note to avoid words that can result in sharp, pun related injury. "Wha…why?" I stammer out. It's about all I can manage at this point.

She grins at me as she flaps her wings and puts some distance between us once more, "Because it's fun! Much more entertaining than watching you pretend you care about Twilight's friends or see them as anything more than resources to be used and thrown away when they've outlived their usefulness."

The words cut much deeper than any wound she's inflicted on me. It's actually quite possible I'm not cut out to make and have friends. I managed to calculate and bluff my way through today, but who knows if I can keep it up? As much as I want Twilight's friends to like me, I'm honestly not sure if I like them… or even if I'm capable of liking them.

"Oh, poor Sunset Shimmer," the demon says in a soft mocking tone, "did I hit a nerve?"

Guess I'm not doing a good job hiding my feelings with all the effort to keep my blood inside my body. "GO TO HE...aven," I say, narrowly catching myself before I said something stupid… or at least stupider than the thing I did say. Hey, cut me some slack. It's getting increasingly harder to stay focused, let alone conscious.

The demon just shakes her head, "You really should just give it up. Abandon this friendship garbage and accept that I'm who you're destined to be. It'll be quicker," she smiles at me again, "and you'll be happier."

I sneer at her, "I think I'll take my chances with people who don't have a habit of slicing me up."

The demon rolls her eyes as her smile remains plastered on her face, "Have it your way~!" She holds her hands out in front of her and her palms begin to glow green. Black beams shot out from the glow and meet in front of her, creating a fireball that grows wider and wider. I can do nothing but stare at the large ball of flame as it's hurled in my direction.

I scream as the flames touch my body. An excruciating, burning sensation envelops me and then my eyes shot open as I sit up.

It's morning, and I'm in bed. Bonus points, I've soaked another pair of PJs and my blankets again.

Swell…

I do a quick feel of my body. On the plus side, I don't seem to be cut anywhere and it's rather likely my skin is still attached and not burnt to a crisp.

I feel rough. The last couple days and nights have been a whirlwind of activity, sure, but I'm starting to sense the demon's visits are affecting my sleep somewhat. She mentioned breaking me down. I wonder if this is all part of it.

Well, no time to sit and dwell on exactly how this all will go down. I've got to sort out how I'm going to get out of this mess before I'm a heap of sleep deprived, angstridden sadness, or worse; a giant, magical, ice-blooded killer.

I throw my sweat soaked sheets off me and hop out of bed. My options are leave them for the day in all likelihood that I'll be sleeping in that disgusting mess tonight, waste another hour or two on laundry, or buy a few spare sets to avoid either of those things and maybe minimize trips to the complex's laundry mat and having to scrounge up cash and quarters if this continues.

The later sounds more appealing at the moment. I got sidetracked and lost a day already, I need all the time I can get.

The mall was a bust, but I wasn't expecting much from it. There's a few other bookstores in town. The used bookstores in particular might have the odd item here and there and I can probably get digital copies of anything I want to start with.

I grab my phone off my nightstand and consider my options. I already had a sizable portion of the school's contact info saved for one reason or another… Alright, so those reason where almost always blackmail or manipulation related to me winning whatever it was I wanted at the time. However, in this case, I may have a few options to consider.

I dismiss most of Twilight's friends as options immediately. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity are likely to be skeptical at absolute best regarding my predicament. Fluttershy would probably faint on the spot if I told her what was happening, and might continue to do so if I she was expected to look through books on demonology and dark magic. Pinkie Pie I actually consider briefly; she's definitely more open minded than anyone else in the group, and between her eagerness to be my friend and her sheer craziness, she'd probably take whatever I say at face value… Unfortunately, I don't know how great she is at keeping secrets. Given she practically never stops talking ever, I'm guessing she's not that great at it.

I scroll through my contacts and stop dead in my tracks as my eyes catch a particular name, 'Flash Sentry'. Flash, like pretty much all my boyfriends before him, was a means to an end. That being said, Flash could further my goals better than any of the boyfriends before him. He was popular, well liked, had the coolest car out of the entire student body. He helped softened my image for a while with that 'nice guy' personality of his. Trouble was, my demanding nature and tendency to treat people around me like slaves who should be grateful that they even get to look at me wore on him. Usually my social stature, looks, ability to fake moments of human warmth, and made up sob stories will keep a guy interested until I no longer have a use for them.

Flash, unfortunately, never really stopped being useful, and I ended up getting attached without really noticing. Sadly, this didn't result in me altering my behavior, and Flash, who actually had quite a bit going on for him, eventually dumped me.

That night, I probably ran through just about every fake emotion and made up tragic incident from my childhood before it dawned on me that Flash had caught on to what I was doing some time back. Which probably explained why he was breaking up with me in the first place. I'm ashamed to admit I actually pleaded with him to give me another shot. When this didn't work, I tried another tactic…

… Turns out angry screaming and throwing things is not an effective trick to keep someone in a relationship with you.

The following days were spent coming up with various plans and schemes to get Flash back. Most of which were dismissed when I realized how ridiculous they were. The few I did try just resulted in embarrassing and somewhat painful moments of being rejected anew, and the last one I had to abandon because I could never pull together the resources or timing to get Flash and I stuck in an elevator together…

I almost convinced myself to go through with my plan of sabotaging the breaks on Flash's muscle car as a final act of revenge, but realized that I'd probably be suspect number one after his untimely demise. I had a feeling I'd regret the action, anyhow.

I push my thumb against his name, go to options, and hit the delete button.

A message on my phone asks me if I'm sure and reminds me the number will be permanently deleted. I sigh, hit cancel, and backtrack back to the contact menu. I can't tell you how many times I've done that. Who would have thought the mighty Sunset Shimmer was just as susceptible to ridiculous post break-up nonsense as anyone else?

Anyhow, I'm wasting time. I know exactly who would be willing to help me here… At least… I hope they're willing…

I scroll down to the 'S's and hit a name.

"Snips? I need you to call Snails," I say as my voice instinctively slips into 'business mode', "we've got work to do."

5. Chapter 5

All That Shimmers

Chapter 5: Double Sunday

-ooooooo-

"Uh… hey, Sunset," Snips's somewhat raspy voice says from the phone. "I'm actually going to see Snails soon… I mean, you remember what day it is, right?"

"Don't be stupid!" I yell into my phone. "Of course I know what day it…" My expression softens up slightly. Of course, it's Sunday. "Oh right… church," I mutter.

I hate church. Not for any particular religious or anti-religious reason mind you. Though, admittedly coming from a world where I was once the main pupil of an immortal god-princess probably has messed with my perspective somewhat. I hate church simply because it's something that I can never get around on Sunday. Snips and Snails's parents insist the pair go to Church every Sunday, and this often leads to Bible studies, bake sales, charity drives, summer camps… just a whole bunch of activities my minions have to go to that I can never get them out of.

"Fine!" I huff out. "Tell him there. I guess I'll meet you two when services are over."

"You can always come, too, you know…" Snips offers. He does this every time.

"Pass," I say simply, like I do every time.

Snips chuckles. "Hehehe… What's wrong? Afraid you might burst into flames if you walk through the doors?" Sails says, like he does every time.

The awkward silence that follows is new, though. Normally I dismiss the overused joke and reiterate that I want the pair ready to go as soon as I show up. This time, Snips little joke actually stings a bit given my recent and current situation.

"Uh… Sunset Shimmer?" Snips says tentatively. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean…"

"It's fine!" I snap out. "Just make sure you both are ready when services are over… There aren't any stupid bake sales or anything I have to work around today, are there?"

"Uh, noooo…" Snips responds. In a somewhat unsure tone.

"What is it, Snips?" I ask as I roll my eyes.

"Uh well… What exactly are we doing?"

Normally I'd yell at Snips and tell him that I'll explain everything to him and Snips when I see them. Especially since I usually have to explain things two or three times anyhow, and it gets a bit tedious. This time, I sense Snips might be pensive about me getting up to my old tricks.

"We're looking for books," I answer.

"Uh… that's it?"

"Yeah, that's it."

"Oh, okay then. See you after Church, Sunset Shimmer," Snips says cheerfully.

"Yeah, bye," I say as I hang up the phone.

I sigh to myself. Guess I can at least take the time to work out, or something.

You might be wondering about the church Snips and Snails go to.

Religion is a bit different in this world than Equestria, likely because deities aren't walking around in broad daylight here. At least, not that I've seen…

Snips and Snails attend a Church where the primary figures are an omnipotent god, simply known as 'God' and his divine son made flesh, Fixer Christ. 'Fixer' probably because he was the son of a carpenter, with Christ being a title. The name seems, shall we say, convenient, for a figure whose primary role seems to be something of a savior.

Until recently, I've barely paid any attention to their religion. Only learning enough so I don't like a complete idiot if the topic comes up. The religion is the most practiced on this world, and it's somewhat ubiquitous in this country with most people believing and practicing to some degree. Not knowing the basics would sort of make me look like I came from a different planet…

Anyhow, as I mentioned, the religion is now getting a little more attention from me. Information on demons and how to deal with them seems to be mostly related to works from either Snips and Snails's religion or its precursor. The Star Swirl the Bearded of this world is a figure of great importance in both religions, and seems was something of a magician here as well.

No one I've met seems to be able to perform magic… real magic anyhow. Some clever sleight of hand, sure. But I've never seen anyone shoot a fireball or anything. The magic that Star Swirl the Bearded performed seemed rather ritualistic, a far cry from the instant satisfaction of levitating an object or teleporting. Not my forte, but they're the best leads I have and living with this thing inside me isn't exactly an option I want to entertain at this moment.

Anyhow, The Key of Star Swirl the Bearded is the top book on my list of things to find today, followed by The Lesser Key of Star Swirl the Bearded, and a handful of other books with names I'm not yet sure how to pronounce on account of their names not having a translation.

I go to my desk and break out some stationary. It's a big city, there's quite a few bookstores to scour, and the three of us will mostly be riding busses to get around. Once that's done, I'll hit the gym, take a shower, get dressed, and move out. I've got a big day ahead of me.

-ooooooo-

Dressed in my usual attire plus the new coat, new sunglasses, and a large, black handbag, I tap my foot impatiently as I wait in front of the long, single-story, brick church that Snip and Snails are currently in. Both seem to be taking their sweet time. Mostly elderly and middle-aged churchgoers are leaving at this point, the usual simple greetings and polite nods have giving way to asking me about the accident at school. Thankfully I have the same cover story Vice Principal Luna gave about no one being there at the time and it's the weekend, so it makes sense that I haven't seen the damage besides what the news had to report. Other than that, it's business as usual; polite greetings I return amongst offhanded comments that I should I join services next week. I doubt these same people would react this way around me if they know what I did just a couple nights ago.

Somehow this whole standing in front of a church thing has my more uneasy than normal. Loitering in an area where I stick out like a sore thumb as people come out and acknowledge my existence for whatever reason has never been a very high on my list of things I like to do, but somehow this feels weirder than usual. I suspect it's simply because of recent events that maybe I'm developing a psychosomatic aversion to churches.

Wait… If I'm somehow of cognizant of it then does it actually make a lot of sense for it to be psychosomatic? But… I mean… I can't actually be having some sort of real, physical aversion to churches, can I?! That would be…

"Uh… Hey Sunset Shimmer, sorry we're late," a nasally voice calls out. "Nice shades."

"Yeah, Sorry Sunset Shimmer…" a slow, somewhat dumb sounding voice adds. "I like the new jacket."

I snap out of my contemplating and turn towards Snips and Snails.

"What the heck, guys?!" I exclaim. "You kept me waiting for forever!" Not really, actually. Though, me getting annoyed at having to wait for them is pretty standard. I might have made it a point to be a little nicer if this wasn't so important.

"Sorry, but we had to change!" Snails says.

"Yeah, our parents get really upset if we mess up our church clothes." Snips adds.

They're both dress in their regular street clothes. For Snails, A green, V-neck sweater with black trim with a purple snail emblem on it all over a red shirt; a pair of khakis, and red tennis shoes. For Snails, a black t-shirt with a pair of scissors printed on the front; jeans, and green tennis shoes. Scissors on his shirt aside, Snips always dresses normally enough. Snails on the other hand…

I sigh. "Snails, you always look like you just physically assaulted a second-hand store!"

Snails looks down at his clothes and then back up at me. "What! It's totally me!"

I roll my eyes. "Oh it's you alright. You've managed to turn 'clueless' into something you wear!"

Snails begins to puff out his lips and pout slightly.

"Aww, leave him alone Sunset. Snails can wear what he likes. Besides, I like it," Snips asserts.

I fold my arms. "Yeah, well, you would."

Snails smiles at Snips. "Thanks buddy," he says as he holds out a fist.

"Anytime, pal!" Snips says enthusiastically as he holds out his own fist and taps it against the top of Snails.

The two do their stupid fist bump ritual while I roll my eyes as hard as I can at them. Not that they can see me doing this with the sunglasses on, but I've done it enough time that it's pretty clear I'm overflowing with silent disapproval.

It may not look like it, but this is pretty much the three of us saying 'Hello'. Pleasantries aren't my forte unless I'm faking. The nice thing about Snips and Snails is I don't really need to be mindful of my behavior around them.

"Are you two done being stupid?" I ask. "No, don't answer that… look we have a job to do and I don't want to waste all day in a church parking lot!"

"Alright Sunset Shimmer," Snails says, "so uh… what are we doing exactly?"

"I already told you!" I growl out. "We're looking for books! This is why I hate explaining anything to you two over the phone!"

Snails pipes up. "Yeah but… uh… we don't exactly believe you…"

One of my eyes begins to twitch in anger as I glare out the pair of dunces in front of me. "Why wouldn't you believe me?! Why would I lie about that!?"

"Well, you've never asked us to do anything like that before," Snips says.

"Yeah, it sounds kinda… weird!" Snails says.

"What? Looking for books is somehow weird?!" I exclaim. I mean, sure it's a bit strange regarding what I'm looking for, but the act itself should be innocent enough.

"So, we're really just looking for books?" Snips asks.

"Yes!" I exclaim. "How is that so hard to believe?!"

"Well, I don't think you've ever asked us to do anything that didn't have to do with winning a dance or something else." Snails says. "Are these books going to help you win a contest?"

I'm slowly losing my patience here. Granted, I have very little when it comes to these two, but still "Uhhhg! NO!" I exclaim as I throw my arms into the air. "This has nothing to do with winning a contest of any sort! I'm through trying to win stupid contests! I have more important things to worry about at the moment."

Snips and Snails look at me like I've just completely lost my mind. Well, maybe I have, but they shouldn't think that until we somehow get past the idea of LOOKING FOR FRIGGIN' BOOKS!

"Are you feeling alright, Sunset Shimmer?" Snails asks.

"No, I'm not feeling alright!" I snap back. "Instead of going off and doing what I want to do, which is going looking for some books, I'm stuck here explaining myself to you knuckleheads!"

"Well, I mean…" Snails continues. "Did you really mean what you said? No more contests?"

"Yes!" I shake my head. "I mean 'No'! GHAAA!" I raise my hands and ruffle my hair in frustration. "I'm getting stupider the more I talk to you! No more contests!" I declare as I stomp my foot on the ground.

Snips and Snails exchange another glance.

"Well, she sure sounds like Sunset Shimmer," Snails says.

"What do you mean 'she', don't tell me you two idiots are humoring the idea that I've been replaced somehow…!"

The pair give me a double dose of blank stares and utter a couple of stupid sounding "Uhhhh…"s.

"Oh my GOSH, you two! What the heck?! I need you two to help me find some books and suddenly it's a federal case?!"

"Well, maybe you can prove it's you!" Snips suggests.

"Yeah! Prove it!" Snails chimes in.

I grumble angrily to myself. "Do you want me to go over all the embarrassing things I know about you two?! I mean… I have a list of those. Literally!" I exclaim as I throw my hands out. "I literally have compiled a list of all the humiliating things you two have done!"

Snips and Snails look at each other and shake their heads.

"Well, that won't work," Snips says.

"Yeah, won't work," Snails agrees.

"WHAT?! Why not?!" I roar.

"Well, you wrote them down," Snips says.

"Yeah," Snails agrees.

"I mean… if someone took your place they could have just found your list and told us the things on it," Snails reasons.

"WHAT! BUT THAT… I MEAN…" As stupid as this whole exercise is, he has a point. An anger inducing, infuriating point. My body starts to shake in anger. "I AM JUST SO ANGRY RIGHT NOW… I COULD JUST… UHG… KILL YOU BOTH AND MAKE IT LOOK LIKE AN ACCIDENT!"

The two look at eachother again and nod. "It's her," they say in unison.

My eyes shot open wide from behind my sunglasses. "WHAT?! THREATENING TO KILL YOU TWO IS WHAT TIPPED YOU OFF?!"

The pair of idiots shrug.

"Well, yeah…" Snips says.

"You always do that when you're really mad at us."

I begin to take a number of deep, not so calming breathing. "Huuuufffff… puuuufffff… Don't tell me… huuuufffff… puuuufffff… Don't tell me you morons actually planned this?!"

The two exchange a confused glances.

"Planned what?" Snips asks.

"Yeah… Planned what?" Snails adds.

I smack a palm against my face. "Oh… I get it, you two are just naturally good at making me angry… Remind me why I hang out with you two?"

"Uh… 'cause we always do what you ask?" Snips suggests.

Well, he's not wrong.

"Yeah," Snails chimes in, "even after you turned all evil and stuff a couple nights ago…"

I wince. I know Snails didn't mean anything by what he said but his words cut me deep and I feel my stomach churn just a bit. I didn't realize how just how much the comfortable, but irritating feeling of routine had kept me going the last few minutes, but Snails words remind me that things are not normal at the moment. If anything, I should feel lucky these two are talking to me, not the other way around. And that stupid church is still making me feel uneasy!

I ball my hands into fists and turn away from the pair. I'm just so angry, and frustrated, and more than anything I just want this thing inside me gone! Also, I feel something wet and hot trickle down my cheeks. I'm crying again. Lovely.

"DuuuUUUuuude!" Snips says. "Not cool!"

"Huh?" Snails replies. "Oh, sorry Sunset Shimmer. I didn't mean…"

"It's FINE!" I snap out angrily as I quickly lift my sunglasses and wipe the tears from my face. I have a feeling there's going to be a lot of me asserting its fine around these two when, in fact, it's not fine… "Can you twoplease just focus long enough for me to give you two instructions?"

"Sure, Sunset Shimmer," Snips says.

"Yeah, Sunset Shimmer," Snails says.

I turn back and nod. "Good," I say as I reach into my handbag, pull out a folded sheet of line paper and hand it to Snips. "This is a list of places you two will check and books we're looking for."

Snips unfolds the sheet of paper and he and Snails both look it over as stupidly as possible.

They both knit their brows as they continue to stare at it.

"Gee, Sunset," Snips says, "I thought your writing was getting better, but I can't read half of this."

"Yeah, me either," Snails agrees.

"What?!" I protest. "I spent a long time making sure it was legible for you two idiots! Give me a break! I've only had hands for a few years!"

Snips and Snails pause then begin laughing. I relax slightly, too. It's oddly liberating now that quite a few people know my secret.

"Hahahahahehe… Alright," Snips says, "It's just that"—he turns the paper to me and points at a line—"I don't think this is a word."

I look at it. "Sefer Yetzirah? Yeah, it's a real word, it's just in another language."

Snips turns the sheet around and looks it over again. "Oh?"

"YES!" I exclaim irritably. "Look! Just go to the places on the list! And check the stores for sections on religion, thaumatology, demonology, or Kabba…"

"Whoa, what?" Snails say.

I smack my palm against my forehead. "What is it now?"

"Did you say demonology?" Snips asks.

I pause. "… Is that a problem?" I ask.

"Uh, well… aren't demons, you know… evil?" Snails says.

"Yeah, I mean… now we all have experience being demons, and kinda cool or not, it doesn't seem like a good idea to be messing with them."

Snips and Snails usually only question what we're doing up to the point where I have to explain everything. Here they seem pensive to even be helping me. I guess I can't blame them… This would seem suspicious even under normal circumstances.

Time to come clean. "I'm not 'messing' with them, I just need to understand them better!" Okay, so more likerinsed, I guess…

"But, Sunset," Snips begins, "I don't think it's a good idea to be playing with dark magic… it's uh… unholy."

"Yeah, unholy…" Snails parrots.

"No, you see, these books are about using good magic to control bad magic!" I insist.

The two look at the list skeptically. "Really?" they exclaim in unison.

"Look!" I say as I step behind them and point at the first few entries on the list. "See! Star Swirl the Bearded! He's a good guy!"

"Huh… I guess she's right," Snips says.

"Of course, I'm right. I'm always right!" I exclaim.

The two look up from the list and narrow their eyes at me in in a 'You're kidding, right?' fashion.

Uh… looks like there's a line I can't use around these two anymore.

I sigh and dig through my handbag, pull out a wad of cash, and hand it to Snips. "Just go to the places on that list, look for those books, send me pictures if you're unsure of anything and meet me at the usual place,capisce?" We'd cover more ground alone, but these two work better as a pair. Which is to say, they're absolutely useless by themselves.

The pair nod and parrot back "Capisce" to me.

I glance at the Church. "One more thing. Uh… wait here…"

"Sure, Sunset," Snips says.

"Yeah, sure." Snails says.

I begin slowly walking towards the church, the building never particularly bugged me before, so why now…? Somehow getting closer and closer makes the act of walking seem harder. Like I'm getting slightly heavier with each step. There's also a vaguely nauseating feeling that's increasing. My body is telling me to turn back, but my curiosity and strong desire to prove that this is all just in my head is urging me forward. I walk forward to the wooden, double doors and I reach my hand out for of the bronze door handles. The handle is one of those that you grasp while depressing a lever at the top with your thumb. Nothing out of the ordinary for a church, but my heart starts beating faster as I reach out for it.

I place my hand around it and… nothing… Well, okay, not exactly nothing. Somehow the metal feels uncomfortable against my skin. Like it's prickly, but my hand didn't catch fire, or begin to melt or anything. I slowly open the door and the suddenly it's like a wave of the nausea hits and my body feels really heavy. My vision blurs and I let go of the door handle, falling to my hands and knees. I start breathing heavily, pantingeven as sweat drips off my face and onto the walkway in front of the door.

Snips and Snails rush over to me, each grabbing and arm and helping me to my feet.

"Are you okay, Sunset Shimmer?!" Snips exclaims.

Snails just looks at me with a concerned look on his face.

"I'm fine!" I snap out. I begin to direct us away from the Church, allowing Snips and Snails to support me as we walk away. "I just…uh…" I scramble for a plausible explanation that doesn't involve me developing some sort of aversion to holy places. "Felt a little ill and wanted to get some water…"

"Oh!" Snips says. "How about I go inside and get…"

I reclaim my limbs quickly. "No… I feel better now… thanks." I walk away from the church, towards the bus stop. Snips and Snails follow. I feel better physically, and there's no way in Heaven or Hell I'm going to risk drinking water out of the church. However, this has my worried. Demon me's words began to echo in my head…'Silly Sunset Shimmer~, you can't get rid of me. I'm in you, I'm part of you!'

I had assumed it was a bluff to get me to not even make an attempt to get her out of me. I still believe that. I mean… if she's in me, it would make sense that I can't just waltz up to holy places… but what if she's not bluffing? And if she is part of me, what does that mean exactly?

I shake my head, clearing it slightly. No, this is what she wants. She wants me to second guess what I'm doing. She might even have a little control over my body and is messing with me at strategic times just to get me hesitating.

Well, I'm a master of head games, too. It's not going to work. I just need to get the right information and then it's back to Hell for her, and back to sleeping soundly for me.

We walk up to the bus stop with near perfect timing as a bus pulls in front of us and opens its doors wide.

"Get in losers," I say as I step into the bus, "we're going shopping."

6. Chapter 6

All That Shimmers

Chapter 6: The Dregs

-ooooooo-

"There's one!" Snips says excitedly as he points and he and Snails stare out the bus window.

"Ooo! Ooo! I see one! I see one!" Snails says as he, too, points out the window.

From the seat across the aisle from them I sigh and shot them an irritated glance. I'm going to regret asking, but… "What the heck are you two nimrods doing?"

"We're playing Spot-the-Car!" Snips informs cheerfully.

"Yeah! Spot-the-Car'!" Snails echoes.

From behind my sunglasses, I knit my brow at the two. "You mean like spot the red cards or the cars with out-of-state plates?"

"No, any car!" Snips says.

I knew I'd regret asking. "Okay… just… what?!" I say in disbelief. There's stupid, and well…

"There's a car! There's a car! There's a car! There's a car!"

…and then there's these two. "You know the sad part here is that if I killed you two, I would go to jail!"

"Ah, come on, Sunset Shimmer," Snail says. "Relax a little bit!"

"Yeah! Relax!" Snails parrots.

"Relax?! How can I relax when… uh…" Don't say anything about the demon in me. Don't say anything about the demon in me. "… the entire school hates me!"

The two pause and consider this.

"Well, not the entire school," Snips reminds.

"Sure! We don't hate you, Sunset Shimmer!" Snails adds.

"Oh good-eee," I reply sarcastically. I'd wonder how my life had become this, but this is pretty much a normal Sunday for me. Snip and Snails are the only two people I've met so unburdened by intelligence that they follow me without question. Well, up until now… There's been a few questions today. Though, it's not like I'm tricking them into to doing anything objectionable… at the moment.

"Oh! There's another one!" Snails says.

"Ooo! Ooo! I see another," Snips replies.

I sigh to myself. "What I wouldn't give for the telekinetic ability to explode the pair of your heads…" I mumble.

Just a few more bus stops to the transit center and then I'm free… at least for a little bit…

-oooooooo-

As mentioned, we part ways at the transit station and go on our merry ways to opposite ends of the city. Honestly, I'm a little more worried than usual that these two can do as I ask. Looking for books should be easy enough, but it's pretty outside our normal modus operandi, and none of these titles are exceptionally easy to find… if one discounts the internet of course.

So we begin are not terribly interesting journey where the two overcompensate for their incompetence by sending me pictures of just about any book they find with a weird title, which so happens to be quite a few given the sections we're all looking at culminating in lots of angry text messages from me. So much for the sweet taste of freedom.

Hours later and I'm combing through more spiritual self-help books, tired, hungry, and irritable when my phone beeps at me. I pull it out of my handbag and am greeted by yet another strange looking title that has nothing to do with what I'm looking for.

Gastropds4Life: is this 1?

ShimmeringBeauty: Alright, first of all, 'one', second of all 'no'.

Gastropds4Life: 1 wat?

ShimmeringBeauty: You can't see this but I'm rolling my eyes

as hard as I can at the screen right now.

DoubleBladed: how bout this?

ShimmeringBeauty: NO! And would it kill you both to

type like you had half a brain between you two? All

day! ALL FREAKING DAY I've been subjected to texts

that look like something from before my time on this

planet full of ridiculously lazy people.

Gastropds4Life: wat do u mean?

ShimmeringBeauty: How could you even ask that?! How

is it not obvious to you two dimwits that you both text like

you have to push the numbers upwards of three times to

get the letter you want.

DoubleBladed: ss we have smartphones

Gastropds4Life: hehe ya who even has a dumbphone

anymore?

ShimmeringBeauty: Exactly! Pinkie types better than

you two! Except she fills the screens with obnoxious

emoticons.

Gastropds4Life: like this? :) :( 80 :B 0_0 0_0 0u0 }:)

:3 D:B :33 :] ::::) :o) 38) (;≧Д≦) (ಠ益ಠ;) ) D: u_u tUMUt

ShimmeringBeauty: Yes, for the most part except

I'm pretty sure you made up about half of those.

DoubleBladed: wait when did u talk to Pinkie?

ShimmeringBeauty: Yesterday! I ran into her and her

friends at the mall. We hung out and exchanged

phone numbers and everything. In fact, I've been

politely declining little invites to things all day! God,

that girl is insatiable!

DoubleBladed: u mean u actually made friends

already and didnt tell us?

Gastropds4Life: :(

ShimmeringBeauty: I didn't tell you because it has

nothing to do with getting the books I need!

DoubleBladed: were both really happy youve made

friends! this is a big step for u!

Gastropds4Life: :)

ShimmeringBeauty: YOU! Y – O – U! HOW IS THAT

HARD TO DO?! YOU BOTH HAVE FULLY FUNCTIONAL

KEYBOARDS THAT POP UP WHEN YOU TYPE JUST LIKE

ME! EVEN IF YOU CAN'T WORK THE SLIDE FUNCTION

I KNOW YOU TWO CAN AT LEAST TYPE! YOU WOULDN'T

HAVE EVEN MADE IT INTO HIGH SCHOOL IF YOU ACTUALLY

WROTE PAPERS LIKE THIS! HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU TWO

ACTUALLY THINK YOU'RE SAVING BY TYPING LIKE THIS?!

AND IT'S NOT LIKE EITHER OF YOU HAVE ENOUGH GOING

ON THAT SAVING YOUR PRECIOUS MILLISECONDS MEANS

YOU'LL BE DOING ANYTHING PRODUCTIVE OR FULFILLING

WITH YOUR MISERABLE LIVES! I SWEAR, IF ONE OF YOU

USES 'U' AGAIN I'LL END YOU AND REPLACE YOU WITH A

TRAINED MONKEY. NO WAIT! FORGET THE TRAINING

EVEN!

Gastropds4Life: :(

DoubleBladed: u type fast

ShimmeringBeauty: That's it! That is IT. When we

meet up, I'm killing you both.

Gastropds4Life: :'(

ShimmeringBeauty: Sad faces won't save you this

time! My mind's made up!

Gastropds4Life: :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(

ShimmeringBeauty: Oh shucks. You found my

weakness! Spamming me with sad faces.

It's like my heart just grew three sizes over here!

Gastropds4Life: really? :)

ShimmeringBeauty: No.

Gastropds4Life: :'(

DoubleBladed: fond 1

ShimmeringBeauty: Bizarre pet names won't

save you either.

DoubleBladed: wat? I fond 1 of the books

ShimmeringBeauty: It's 'found', nimrod, and show me.

Snips sends me a picture of the book and to my great surprise he managed to locate a copy of The Key of Star Swirl the Bearded, the book I was looking for the most.

ShimmeringBeauty: Nice work. I guess you both get

to live after all.

Gastropds4Life: :)

ShimmeringBeauty: Stop it.

DoubleBladed: Next store?

ShimmeringBeauty: Forget it. We're already

scraping the dregs as it is and I'm starving.

I'll order the rest. Let's meet up for some food.

Gastropds4Life: sweet

DoubleBladed: sweet

I put away my phone and take one more look at the spiritual book section in front of me. There's basically nothing here that's of any direct use. This was mostly true of all the other stores I checked. However, something catches my eye. I pull off a deck of Tarot cards of the shelf and examine it. It appears to be the same deck Pinkie used when she did a reading for me. A potentially prophetic, and equally potentially lethal reading.

Well… at the very least I guess it couldn't hurt.

Speaking of injury, something else catches my eye. I glance at the religious section and notice a few of the books are sporting religious symbols. I wonder…

I slowly make my way to the section and spot a large Bible with a small cross on it. Tentatively, I reach my index finger out and poke the cross in the center.

Nothing. No light headedness, nausea or anything of the sort… Guess whatever is going on with me isn't quite as straightforward as some sort of vampire like negative reaction to holy symbols.

I lift my sunglasses onto my forehead and take the Bible and open it. Randomly scanning pages and flipping through it. My vision doesn't seem to be blurring or anything… Maybe if it was printed in its original language it would have some physical effect on me? I'll have to dig into this a bit deeper. It might give me some clues as to how I need to move forward here. I put the Bible back.

Huh… I guess one of these wouldn't hurt to have on hand either… But why the heck are there so many?!

A quick search on my tablet shows me there are several translations and even versions that have or don't have certain chapters (or books, more accurately) depending on what denomination they're printed for. Fascinating I suppose, but I'm not here to dig deeply into the nuances of each different branch. I figure out which version will give me the most to work with and find a recent translation that won't remind me that reading Shake Spear's work gives me a headache weather it's from this world or my own.

After I've sorted out a suitable copy for my needs, I purchase it along with the cards and add it to a modest collection of reference books on demons I found while looking for things on my list. The reference books won't tell me how to deal with a demon in detail enough that I might banish it outright, but maybe they can help me figure out if the thing inside me is a known demon and give me a few tips.

After a bit more bus riding I meet up with Snips and Snails at our usual hang out, An out of the way Italian restaurant that does pretty decent food. No other kids from school think to go here, so it makes for an ideal location to meet up away from potentially prying eyes. Plus, we've gone enough that we're recognized on site by the staff and treated pretty nicely. The whole thing has a nice gangster vibe to it that I can't help but dig.

I walk in and a waitress simply nods in the direction of a booth. Snip and Snails have undoubtedly arrived before me. I walk into the restaurant and the pair of them are inhaling soda like it's going to be declared illegal tomorrow and chowing down on free bread.

They're both also keeping themselves busy. Snips is occupying himself with scissors and a book full of different colored construction paper. The kid's a wiz at creating things with just scissors and multicolored paper. Likewise, looks like Snails found himself a book on, you guess it, snails… It's the one topic he's well versed in. So much that he can occasionally break out scientific terms that the teachers and I don't even understand until he explains things to us. He also seems to be doodling something, three guesses as to what, and the first two don't count. It's is shame neither of their special talents are particularly useful for winning most competitions.

Snails shoots me a mildly annoyed look. "Where the heck where Sunset Shimmer? We waited forever!"

"Yeah! Forever!" Snails parrots.

"Sorry," I offer as I sit across from them. "I figured out another book I wanted and had to do some impromptu research before picking a copy," I explain.

Snips and Snails look at me as If just grew an extra six feet and sprouted… Uh, wait. I used that one… They look at me like I just grew an extra head. Not sure what the big—

"Did you just apologize to us?!" Snips asks in disbelief.

"Yeah! You even explained yourself," Snails adds.

Oh… well… They have a point. Usually I would have just yelled at them both to mind their own business… Not sure why my impulse was to be nice, or at least, not horrible to them. Maybe I'm starting to subconsciously feel a bit grateful that they're sticking with me despite all I put them through.

A waitress comes and pours me a coffee without having to ask me and leaves me a couple sealed, plastic shots of half & half. "I can explain myself if I want!" I snap back. Stupid minions… it's not like I actually like you, or anything…"

"Alright, alright, Sunset Shimmer," Snips says defensively. "We were just wonderin'… Here…" Snips grabs a bag that's sitting next to him and hands it over to me. In it is the book they found to me and most the money I handed to them.

I pull out the book and flip through it. Prayers, various circles for summon demons and making them obey you, detailed rituals of how to purify everything from water to fire. Exactly what I was looking for. "Nice work, you two," I say offhandedly. They at least did better than me, and I even gave them the 'B' list when it came to the stores.

Snips and Snails stare at me as if… uh… okay, they're just surprised again, I guess.

"Did you just say 'nice work'?!" Snips exclaims.

"Uh… are we sure it's really Sunset Shimmer?" Snails adds.

"Well… she seems nicer and not eviler… but maybe mirror world Sunset Shimmer is actually nice and she's just pretending to be mean to trick us!"

"Can we please notmake a big deal out of every single time I don't feel like yelling at you two? I'm starving and would rather eat and start studying than deal with your inane prattle all evening!"

"Well… she still sounds like, Sunset Shimmer…" Snails says.

I irritable reach for a menu and start scanning it. "Just figure out what you both want to eat before you give me enough time to figure out how to discreetly poison it." Not that I'd actually do that here. Too many people have seen us together and the evidence would certainly point back to me… Also, I guess I kinda, sorta don't want to kill off the only two people I know I can count on even if they are unbelievably irritating.

The two look at each other and shrug. They pick up a menu and begin looking it over.

"Should we do mozzarella sticks again?" Snips asks.

"How about French fries?" Snails replies.

They're splitting an appetizer, a telltale sign that they're broke. Typical.

I sigh as I look up from my menu and address the two idiots, "Look… since you two actually managed to find the book I was looking for the most, dinner is on me."

Both Snips and Snails look at me in disbelief. "Really?!"

I roll my eyes. "Yes, really." I'm not sure if I'll ever quite get the hang of being nice, but I'm at least getting the hang of repaying a favor.

The two still seem to be in some sort of state of disbelief that makes them slower to act than usual.

"Can we order dessert, too?" Snips asks.

"Yeah! Dessert!" Snails adds excitedly.

"Fine! Whatever! Just stop talking, already!"

"… And you sure you're not some sort of pod person trying to replace Sunset Shimmer?" Snips asks.

Snails nods in agreement.

I glower across the table at the pair of nitwits. "I'm trying to give all this friendship stuff a chance! Please don't make me regret it!"

"Wow! Thanks, Sunset Shimmer!" Snips says with a smile.

"Yeah! Thanks!" Snails says as he, too, smiles.

"You really are turning over a new leaf!" Snips says.

"You, maybe you should try helping out at the next bake sale!" Snails suggests.

"I'm just trying to be a little nicer!" I explain as I hold up my fingers to signify a small amount. "I'm not trying to reinvent myself into some sort of goody-goody!" Not to mention I currently have more pressing matters to work out than changing my image. I can worry about what the school body of Canterlot High thinks about me after I'm sure this thing inside me won't kill me or turn around and kill the school body. Neither is ideal even if either one would solve the whole issue of what the school thinks of me.

Snips and Snails shrugs and go back to picking out something to eat, both enjoying the rare freedom of getting their own menu without having to agree on a single, cheap dish.

I spend most of dinner going over my new books and ordering a few online as well as purchasing digital copies. Between the books I have, my tablet, and my laptop back home I should be able to get some decent cross examination going tonight.

I'd say the three of us enjoy a pleasant evening of dining together, but it's actually a lot of me telling my idiot minions to be quiet as I try to absorb a plethora of unfamiliar phrases and information and eat pasta at the same time. Still, it feels oddly routine. It's somehow comforting that my life hasn't completely changed… yet.

After the two finish their desserts they feel compelled to thank me.

"Thanks, Sunset Shimmer!" Snails says. "That was really friendly of you," he says with a grin.

"Yeah! Friendly."

"Yeah, yeah," I say dismissively without bothering to look up from my book. "Don't get used to it."

"We should do this again sometime," Snips says. "It was kinda fun not having to follow anyone around and take videos of them… even if we have gotten some pretty funny videos!"

"Hehe, yeah," Snails agrees.

"Fun for you two nimrods, maybe," I say back. "I'm the one who has to keep you both in line!" Also, there's a better than not chance my life is actually at stake here. I'm sure they'd focus a bit more if I told them that, but I'm not desperate enough to start letting anyone know I might actually have a real demon inside me.

"Awww, cheer up, Sunset Shimmer!" Snails says. "It's not all bad."

I cock an eyebrow at him. "It's pretty bad! I turned into a demon and then mind controlled pretty much the entire school!" Guess I'm still preoccupied with Friday night… Neither of them had even brought it up… "In fact, you two should probably avoid being seen with me at school. You were already unpopular enough as it was… Actually hanging around with me would probably kill any chances you two have of recovering from this… or worse…" Geez, I must be getting sentimental here. I'm actually looking out for these two idiots.

The two idiots exchange quick glances and look back at me.

"Awww, we'd never leave you alone, Sunset," Snips says.

Snails shakes his head back and forth. "Yeah, never."

Uh… wow… wasn't expecting that. I quickly stand up, push my sunglasses down over my eyes before either of them can see me get teary, and use some of the money Snips and Snails returned to me to pay for the meal plus tip, keeping track of the amount was fairly trivial. "Uh, fine, whatever… It's your social lives," I say quickly. "What do I care if you both screw it up?"

Snips smiles at me. "Oh, I made this for you," he says as he opens his book of different colored paper and slides a perfectly cut and constructed rendition of my cutie mark on a sheet of magenta paper towards me.

I was wondering why the little twerp was staring at my chest more than usual tonight.

"Yeah!" Snails chimes in "And I made you a drawing!" Snails sails says as he hands me a sketch of a surprisingly well-drawn cartoon Snail, not unlike the one on his shirt, that's smiling happily back at me.

I calmly take both pieces of paper, stare at them, and carefully…

"Hic… sniff… heehhh…"

… completely loose it. I manage to keep my touched sobs to a dull roar, but the sunglasses can't really hide that I'm bawling my eyes out here.

"Aww, don't cry, Sunset Shimmer," Snips says.

"Yeah, don't cry," Snails adds.

Damn it you idiots, you're not really supposed to talk when these sorts of situations happen… You two are as bad as Pinkie…

They both get up and wrap comforting arms around me as wrap an arm around each of them and continue to emit a series of rather pathetic sounds.

Damn it, why do they have to care? It would be so much easier if they abandoned me. If Twilight and her friends abandoned me. IF the whole frickin' world just abandoned me. Okay, yeah… I wouldn't be crying right now if I weren't happy they all actually seem to care, but I still wish I wasn't making a scene at my favorite restaurant.

"Don't worry Sunset, it'll be okay," Snails assures.

I want so desperately to believe that, but I know things aren't over yet between me and demon me. I've only begun to make any sort of progress and it's incredibly unlikely I'm going to sort everything out before I need some sleep.

"Yeah… sure…" I say sheepishly as I break our touching embrace. "Uh… look… I'll meet you both outside… "

"Sure, Sunset Shimmer!" Snips says cheerfully.

"Yeah! Sure!" Snails says.

"Uh… hold onto these, will you?" I say as I hand Snips the items he and Snails presented to me.

"Hehe, no problem!" Snips replies as he carefully takes the sheet from me.

I quickly collect my things walk away and head for the ladies bathroom. I walk in and look at myself in the mirror. Thankfully I'm not wearing a ton of makeup or anything, but I'm still a bit of a mess. I set about fixing myself in front of the mirror.

That was embarrassing. Touching, but embarrassing. I'm really not used to this having people care about me… like really caring. Despite that, I can't seem to help but crave it at the moment. Maybe it has something to do with the magic, rainbow, friendship beams I got shot full off? That would certainly be a convenient, if unsatisfying, explanation. Then again, I've also begin to realize there was something hallow about the type of attention I was seeking before. This whole experience made me realize that no one really cared about me… Okay, Snips and Snails apparently did, but I hadn't figured that out until now… Celestia seems to care, but I'm sure that's just out of a feeling of obligation for me as her student. Guess most of Twilight's friends don't quite care yet… though there is one possible exception…

On that note, I hear a beep from my handbag and quickly dig out my phone.

PartyHard: You okay? :{

ShimmeringBeauty: Fine. Why wouldn't I be?

PartyHard: Oh! Well, I was just randomly thinking

about you, and I decided, :O 'OMG! Maybe a quick one

card reading would let me know how you're doing!' :)

so I broke out my Tarot deck and pulled a random card!

It was the five of cups! And I was all like 'WTH!' Can you

believe it?! :{ I mean, there are worse cards but definitely

happier ones, too! So I thought something must have

happened and then I decided to text you to see if

everything is okay, but then you said you were fine,

so maybe the card was wrong or I'm misreading it?

ShimmeringBeauty: You type fast.

PartyHard: :) lol. Tanks! ;P

ShimmeringBeauty: Also, 'WTH'?

PartyHard: 'What the Heck' ;)

ShimmeringBeauty: You're actually censoring an

acronym?

PartyHard: Well, the other one is hecka rude! _

ShimmeringBeauty: I see. I'm fine, alright? I'll see

you tomorrow, okay?

PartyHard: Are you sure you're ok? /:-|

ShimmeringBeauty: Totally.

PartyHard: Well… okie-dokie-lokie. :) Just

remember we're all here if you need to

talk. ;)

ShimmeringBeauty: Don't worry. I'll keep that in mind.

PartyHard: That's all I wanted to know! ^_^

See you tomorrow! XOXOXOXOXO

ShimmeringBeauty: Yeah. See you tomorrow.

I put my phone back and leave the restroom. I'm not ready to trust any of Twilight's friends. Not even Pinkie Pie who hasn't let up on her efforts to befriend me despite already making lots of headway there yesterday. Still, it's an option if I get desperate.

To satisfy my curiosity, I quickly break into my own Tarot deck and pick out the card she pulled for me. The Five of Cups, a cloaked figure stands regarding three fallen cups while two upright cups sit behind him. There's a river and a castle past that in the background. The guide that came with my cards suggests loss with something left over with a fixation on the loss part.

Huh… not sure the two idiots outside are great recompense for having my dreams crushed, but maybe there's something to the card… I mean… they're better than nothing…

I walk outside and Snips and Snails are waiting for me again, this time a bit more patiently than before.

"Sorry," I offer as I walk up to them, "I had to respond to one of Pinkie's stupid texts."

"We weren't gonna ask…" Snails says.

"Yeah uh… we agreed we wouldn't say anything…" Snips adds.

Touching, but I'm all cried out for the day. "Well, now you know anyways. Come on… I have another chore I need to do and more reading to do," I say flatly. "Guess you idiots can keep my company a little longer…" I say as I do my best to keep my cheeks from flushing.

Snips and Snails exchange a quick grin.

"Sure, Sunset Shimmer. Whatever you say," Snips says.

"Yeah, whatever."

I shake my head and try to conceal the tiniest of grins. Idiots.

A bus ride later and I pick up a couple new pair of bed sheets to hopefully keep my from the constant horrors of going to the laundry room on top of the constant horrors I'm already dealing with. Snips and Snails can at least help me carry all this stuff some of the way home.

Another bus ride and we part ways. I manage to avoid any more touchy feely nonsense, however I do ask for the cutout of my cutie mark and picture of the snail…

One last bus ride and I'm home. I set up shop at my desk and pour over the books and try to absorb as much as possible, breaking once to hang up the things Snips and Snails made for me. I mean… there's basically nothing on my walls anymore, I have to put something up.

…

Shut up.

Anyhow, it looks like a few trinkets and miscellaneous things might come in handy here, a silver ring, an iron ring, incense, salt, medals that sport various names or images of divine beings, etc...

It would help if I could figure out if I was dealing with a specific demon, also if said demon wasn't inhabiting me. The books don't seem to really deal with self-exorcisms. There is, in fact, a guide online on how to perform an exorcism. It's a bit more based in faith than ritual then I'm strictly comfortable with, but I guess I can always try it in front of a mirror once I have a few more items.

I stifle a yawn and look over at my clock. It's getting late and have a lunch date with Twilight's Friends at school tomorrow. Let's hope the rest of the school lets me live that long. Let's hope the thing inside me lets me live that long. Though, it seems the demon is more interesting in some form of cooperation… or breaking me down until I don't have a choice. Uhg… a hallow form of acceptance or not, I think I'm starting to miss fussing over trivial dances, it's not like the stakes were particularly high if I screwed up.

I wrap up my research for the night, get changed, and attempt to mentally prepare myself for another round of getting made fun of for losing my cool… Also, you know, probably getting stabbed multiple times or sliced up before dying horrifically and waking up covered in sweat.

Hmmm… You know, it just occurred to me that I don't know if it's only my bed that triggers my little spiritual journey to the land of brimstone and getting murdered or if it the act of trying to sleep. I just assumed it was the later. I guess it couldn't hurt too much to experiment here. I mean… what do I have to lose?

I snag a pillow from my bed and break into one of the new sets of sheets. I quickly setup the couch for an experiment sleep session, lay down, pull the sheets over me, lay my head on my pillow, and close my eyes.

It still amazes me how fast the smell of sulfur hits me.

7. Chapter 7

All That Shimmers

Chapter 7: Taking a Stand

-ooooooo-

As the smell hits me, my eyes shot open and I'm staring into what is becoming a very familiar, very dull scene. I turn and there I… not am… Huh… that's new.

"Uh… hello?" I call out tentatively into the empty wastes. I guess demon me is out at the moment? Possibly attempting to flay the skin off some hapless individual's back, or even bury someone in a pit of burning hot coals?

I start walking through the vast expanse of nothing and look around. Not exactly a very scenic place. Aside from the odd, somewhat interesting rock formation and the scattered glowing pit, it's just flat, sometimes sun-cracked earth. Which is a little strange as there doesn't seem to be a sun here, or at least, I've yet to see anything like one through all the gloomy clouds.

I grumble irritably to myself as I stare out into the barren landscape broken up by the odd jagged rock or fiery pit. Alright, it's official, she's messing with me. She figured I already got used to a little banter before being julienned or charbroiled so now she's figured out the most boring way to get under my skin… uh… figuratively. Note to self: Don't say that last sentence out loud when I see her again.

I do an about face and stared out at more barren landscape, rocks, and fiery pits. Uhg… Why does Hell have to be so unnervingly quiet?! I would have expected some tortured yelling of the damned, or evil cackling from a horde of demons, or maybe—

A bizarre, indecipherable sound suddenly invades the silence. I look up into grey skies and still see nothing. Soon the sound disappears entirely leaving me just as alone as I was, but slightly more confused. … Okay… just… what?

I shake my head from side to side in an attempt to clear it.

Dear Sunset Shimmer,

Please stop mentally wishing for things you will later regret.

Sincerely,

Yourself

P.S. Seriously, what the heck was that?

Whatever it was, it did sound vaguely familiar… Well, no sense dwelling on every little weird thing that happens in this bizarre place; I have a demon to find so it can make fun of me because I can't seem to go ten minutes without breaking down into a heap of tears. Then it can brutally murders me for a third time.

…Man oh man has my life hit a low point.

"HELLO?!" I call out. Part of me can't believe I'm walking around trying to hasten my death or pseudo death or whatever. Another part of me wishes I could somehow mentally project a Joyboy to pass the time. My choices are basically to sit and do nothing or track down the only other being I've seen in this place. It's not like I can get a run in or anything like that… I mean, I don't know much about this place, but given the circumstances in how I keep ending up here, I doubt the environment is conducive to burning calories or building muscle tone.

One of the fiery pits catches my eyes and I approach it. The heat from the fiery lava below warms me to the point of being uncomfortably hot. The smell of sulfur is much worse standing next to it as well. You know, I sort of wonder if I can skip the whole part where I'm shamed for getting all sentimental with Snips and Snails and just fling myself to an early dream death. On the other hand, I know next to nothing about this place… A suicidal act in a place like this might somehow result in actual death.

Well… At least I know at least two people who would probably show up at my funeral… Fixer Christ is this depressing place making me go all morbid. I really hope demon me shows up—

"Well, if it's her sad and moist crybaby herself."

I jump slightly as my somewhat deeper, lightly echoing voice calls out from behind me.

Dear Sunset Shimmer,

You apparently have a memory roughly analogous to that of a goldfish when it comes to letters from yourself. Stop being so stupid.

Sincerely,

Yourself

Demon me chuckles at the jump and suddenly I just don't care anymore.

"Oh, did I scare little miss can't keep a handle on her emotions? I'm—"

"Was that as good for you as it was for me?" I ask with an unamused expression as I turn to face my demonic self. She's sitting on a rock large rock, but she still towers several feet above me. Still, her face goes from sadistic enjoyment to perplexity pretty quick.

"What? What do you mean?" she asks.

I glance up at the sky briefly and raise my palms in the air. "The whole boring game of hide-and-seek. Was getting a slight jump out of me worth waiting out of sight for so long?" I smirk and point to the pit behind me with a thumb. "Don't tell me you hid in one of these foul smelling pits writhing your hands together just waiting me for me to come by."

Demon me scowls. "Now wait a damn minute—"

"Hah!" I exclaim derisively. "That's a 'yes'. I'll give you some props for mixing things up a little bit, but one of us spent a while inhaling sulfur fumes, so who's the joke on?"

The demon raises her a palm up and a black orb crackles green before turning a flickering orange.

I grin and spread my arms out wide. It'll be nice to get this over with.

The demon flicks her wrist and the fireball heads for me. I feel its heat moments before it hits the ground beside me. The blast knocks me off my feet and the hot smoke that wafts up from the impact makes me sputter and cough. Guess I'm not as lucky tonight as I hoped.

I look up and demon me is up on her feet, towering above me and glowering down. It seems doubtful that I'm going to enjoy the next few minutes very much.

She bends down to pick me up and I can't help but wince as her claws cut into my arms. I guess demons don't need a delicate touch for much of anything, having what seem to be knives for digits doesn't seem terribly convenient for day-to-day living. On a side note, geez I have a lot of blood… or had, I guess…

She spreads her wings and begins flapping them and soon we're airborne. Suddenly the mystery of how I'm likely go to go out this time around is becoming clearer and clearer as the ground gets further and further away.

"So," Demon me begins as she stares me right in the face, "Snips and Snails hand you a couple lame art projects and suddenly you lose your stuff at your favorite restaurant."

I manage to choke out a response in between grunting in pain. "That…eugh… seems to be the… huff… size of it…"

"It doesn't have to be this way…" she says darkly.

"No… but…" I pause and try to focus through the pain. "… maybe … ergh… maybe I'm… puff… okay with that."

Demon me scoffs. "Seriously? Hanging out with a couple of losers? With a handful of girls that drive you up the wall when they get together? Breaking down in a heap if anyone so much as shows you any kind of affection?"

"Ya…yeah…" I stammer out. "I think… huff… I think I'm really onto… eek… something here…" Despite the pain I manage a chuckle, which makes the shooting pain in my arms that much worse, but it still feels good to laugh about it.

Demon me shakes her head. "Don't be ridiculous. You know what we can do. We have 30 moons to conquer this entire planet!" She focuses her green eyes that are set in a sea of black on me. "We have power, real power! Given enough time we could march an endless army across that mirror and claim both this planet and Equestria for ourselves! Don't tell me you think this friendship garbage is worth that!"

"I tried… puff… tried it your way…" Maybe it's all the blood I'm losing that's making me feel light headed, or maybe I find a bit of strength inside me… either way, suddenly my arms don't hurt quiet as much as they did a few seconds ago. "And… I didn't like what I became… Didn't like how I felt." I look demon me straight in the eyes. "Little by little, between Twilight's bizarre collection of friends and those two"—I role my eyes—"'losers', I'm starting to not feel so lonely anymore… And I think… I think that's all I really want…"

Demon me scowls, closes her eyes, and shakes her head. "We both know that's not for you, that you won't be able to make it work." She opens her eyes again. "You'll find the kind of power I have to offer is the only thing you can really rely on."

"Maybe…" I narrow my eyes and smirk. "But you and I both know we're probably the last pony we should listen to for advice."

Demon me knits her brow. "Oh? And how do you figure that?"

"Because we only care about what's good for ourselves… and you wouldn't be trying to convince me to give up on this if it didn't benefit you." For the first time in in the last few days I feel like me again, and it feels good. Mentally and emotionally that is… it's actually a little excruciating, physically speaking. "So, sorry to disappoint you but… I'm not sorry." I grin wide as demon me's face pulls into an angry grimace. "I think I'm just going to go ahead and do what I think is best for me. I'm afraid you don't fit into that equation."

Demon me grits her razor-sharp teeth before she continues, "Guess you'll just have to find out the hard way you don't have a lot of choice in the matter…"

"Excuse me if I don't take your word for that…" I look down to see we're hovering over quite a large fiery pit. I look back up with a wry grin. "Now if you would be so kind as to drop me off here, I think this is my stop."

I feel the knife-like claws loosen. "So it would seem…" the demon says.

Suddenly, I'm in free fall. Yet, I'm still the one smiling up at demon me who is glaring back. Huh, I wonder if I'll even feel the— "AAAAUGH!"

There's a split second where I must of hit the side the pit which involves lots of bones breaking, or more likely shattering and then another split second where I see the molten rock I'm heading for. I feel the heat on my face, which isn't nearly as bad as the pain everywhere else and then suddenly I'm back on my couch in a pair of sweat soaked PJs wrapped in sweat soaked blankets. My heart is pounding in my chest and I'm struggling to breath. Little by little, I manage to focus both heart and breath to something resembling normality.

Victory hurts. It hurts a lot, or rather, it did. Though, something like that was probably going to happen anyway. At least I feel somewhat good about what happened before grisly demise number three. Bleary eyed and exhausted I walk into the bedroom and stare at the digital clock on my nightstand. It's a bit early, I could always get a run in and watch some news before heading to school…

…Yeah, nuts to that. I'm somewhere in between dead on my feet and wanting to deck the first overly cheerful person I see… which will probably be Pinkie in this case. I quickly change into a non-soaking pair of PJs and crawl into my bed. I don't care if it smells of my sweat at this point. If demon me wants to meet up with me so soon after I gave her a verbal smack down, then more power to her. Anyhow, I kind of doubt she does. I sure the heck wouldn't.

I close my eyes and for a refreshing return to normalcy I feel myself drift back to sleep. For what turns out to be a somewhat less refreshingreturn to normalcy, my alarm wakes me. I groggily reach over and turn it off then sit up in bed, my bare feet dangling over the edge. I still feel tired, but at least it's a tired I can work with.

It seems me attempting to sleep doesn't mean an automatic trip to the gloomy land down under. Which I guess means that my demon self has some control over when I show up, or she can only do it once in a 24 hour period. I suppose I could also engage in some rousing nap experiments, but I'd also like to figure out a more permanent way to deal with her.

Anyhow, I don't have a lot of free time to dwell on this at the moment. No, I've got to go and attend classes I couldn't care less about at the school full of people who probably despise me. I sigh to myself and shake my head as I stand up. If it weren't for the fact that I'm giving this friendship thing a shot and told Twilight's friends I'd meet them for lunch, I'd probably not show up today… and maybe all the subsequent days after that.

Still, Saturday was fun, if a little grating at times. Additionally, at the very least this friendship stuff seems to actually irritate the demon inside me.

I trudge into the bathroom and glance at my baggy eyed, disheveled reflection. On the plus side: I have two idiot friends and five more smarter, but still almost as obnoxious maybes… on the negative side: I attend a school where everyone likely despises me with good reason, and I'm also possessed by a demon that's painfully killed me in my sleep the last three nights in a row. I hate to sound like a cynic, but it still seems to me my life is at a cruddy point at the moment.

…Oh who am I kidding, I love sounding like a cynic.

Anyhow, giving up is not going to get me anywhere. If this demon who's using my body as a condo thinks I'm just going to roll over and let her wreck my cruddy life, she's in for a surprise. I may not know anything about friendship, but I sure know a lot about picking a target and taking them down using any means necessary.

Determined against my better judgment to make an appearance at school, I set about getting ready for the day.

-ooooooo-

One daily routine plus a bus trip later and I'm walking up the path to Canterlot High. Yawning and getting glared at as I go. Yippy-skip.

"Hey, best frienemy!"

"Hey, Pinkie," I say casually as Pink Girl enthusiastically bounds up to me, a pink backpack slung around her shoulder.

"So are, you excited about today?! Are you, are you?! Oh, I'm excited. I've never been so exited! Except for the all the times I saw a new student and I was like" –Pinkie cupped her hands under her chin "'AAAAAH!' and they were all like" –Pinkie placed her hands on her cheeks—"'EEEEK!'"

I sigh before I continue, "Pinkie, it's a little early for me to muster excitement. Maybe, at lunch, huh?"

"Oh… okay!" Pinkie says cheerfully. She grinned wide. "I know you're just going to love the surprise we have for you!"

I look down at my new leather jacket. "I thought I was wearing it."

Pinkie shakes her head vigorously. "No, Silly-Billy! We have another surprise for you!" Pinkie's grin widens to what seems to be the limits of what her face will allow and she sows me a mouth full of pearly whites. "So are you excited now?!"

"Uh…" I stare at Pinkie's massive grin for a moment. "Sure… and maybe a little terrified…" Mostly terrified.

Pinkie giggles. "Oh don't worry so much! We're not going to ambush you, silly!"

"Well…" I look around at the other kids that pass us and continue to shot me dirty looks. "I guess it's not you girls I'm worried about."

Pinkie frowns. "What do you mean?"

"Not sure if you noticed, but everyone is looking at me like as if they'd like nothing more to crack my head open. I should know, it's a look I've perfected, myself."

Pinkie looks around and catches a few of the looks I'm being shot. Though the other students quickly look away as Pinkie glances at them.

"Oh, don't worry about them! They just don't know you like I do!"

"I'm sure they know me plenty…"

Pinkie puffs her lower lip out in a pout before her expression explodes in a smile once more. "Here! I know what will cheer you up!"

"Start singing and I will punch you," I growl out. I probably wouldn't, but this should defuse any early morning revelries Pinkie was thinking up.

Pinkie paused. "… I know something else that will cheer you up!" she declares as she leans down and pulls her backpack off her shoulder. "I was saving this for lunch, buuuut…"

She digs through it and is quickly up again with a cupcake holder with what appears to be an expertly crafted cupcake complete with multi-colored rainbow frosting. She stands and holds out the holder.

I reach for it and stare for a second.

Pinkie smiles. "Go ahead!"

Well, a ton of sugar might help me get through the early periods, at least. I open the holder, peel off the wrapper to the cupcake, and begin scarfing it down. It's delicious.

Pinkie giggles. "See! I bet you feel better already!"

I swallow the bit of cupcake in my mouth. "Yeah, actually." I can get used to this friendship thing if it means more free food out of nowhere.

Pinkie's not-stop giggle-fest continued. "Hehehe… Frosting face."

I reach up to my lips and feel something moist. I look at my fingers and it seems I've made a little mess of myself. Guess my heads not quite all together yet.

"Great," I huff out. At least people are looking at me and snickering instead of looking like they want to murder me.

"Here!" Pinkie says cheerfully as she reaches into her hair and pulls out a napkin.

"Uh… That's okay." I say as I hold up my hands. Why does this girl carry around hair napkins? "I'll just quickly wash off in the bathroom before first period."

Pinkie smiles. "Okie-dokie-lokie!" She waves. "See you at lunch!"

I wave back as I walk briskly away. "Yeah, see you."

As I approach the school I see that the front entrance is now closed off with yellow caution tape. Well, it does look like something crushed the entrance with magic and not a lot of headway was made repairing it…

I grumble to myself as I walk around towards a side entrance. I can practically feel everyone's eyes on me with a mixture of hate and amusement as I quickly make my way down the hallway and into the nearest bathroom.

I stare at my reflection in the mirror. I kind of look like a clown that tried to paint its lips in a drunken stupor. Oh well, hopefully I was fast enough that no one got a photo for blackmail purposes. I grab a paper towel, turn on the sink and began washing my face.

I hear the door open, and I smell the faint scent of cigarettes as a girl with white, spikey hair with purple highlights shows up in the mirror in front of me. She's wearing a brown, bomber jacket over a plain white shirt, and surprise, surprise, she's glaring at me.

Gilda. Just my luck one of the resident bad girls would walk in.

Guessing I shouldn't expect a 'Good morn—

Before I know it, something hard and fast smashes into my left eye and I head straight for the floor. I fling my hands out to catch me before I slam into the ground.

Sloppy, I should have known someone like Gilda wouldn't be afraid to work out her anger on me if she got the chance.

I quickly turn and see Gilda is looking down at me with a wicked smile and I know it's going to be one of those days.

-ooooooo-

In case anyone is wondering, the sound Sunset heard was a reference to my The Wheel and The Butterfly fan-fic, just a little cross-over-fic humor.

8. Chapter 8

All That Shimmers

Chapter 8: Bathroom Revelations

-ooooooo-

My eye is throbbing as I look up from the ground, figuring out what my next move should be. Apropos of my being punched in the face, her 'accidental death plan' simply involves me sabotaging her motorcycle. Granted that doesn't guarantee her death, but motorcycle accidents can be pretty brutal.

I suppose I can try talking her out of thrashing me. "What the heck is your deal?!" I ask from the floor as I put a hand over my recently punched eye. "You didn't even go to Fall Formal!" Alright, so I'm not trying very hard. Anyhow, if she decks me a few times and I walk around with proof that someone punished me for Friday night, it might get the rest of the school body who hates me, a.k.a. 'almost everybody' to leave me alone for a while. A few might even feel sorry for me if I walk around sporting a few bruises.

Gilda glares down at me. "You think just because I was lucky enough to miss out on becoming one of your mind controlled zombies, you get off the hook?"

She bends down and grabs me be the collar of my jacket, hauling me back to my feet. "Hey! Watch it!" I snap out. "This is a brand new jacket."

She pulls her fist back and punches me right in the face again. My vision blurs on impact and I stumble back against the bathroom wall. Also, there's now a sharp pain in my lower lip.

I sure hope the pain means this plan is working.

"So Sunset," Gilda coos out with a smirk, "if you died here, do you think anyone would bother to investigate?"

I narrow my eyes and wipe blood away from my lip which is now split. "You wouldn't…" Well she might… Her opinion of me wasn't particularly high to begin with, but she never bothered to participate in most school events so it was a non-issue for me. Now she has a reason to hate me and I'm sure there's a long list of people who'd love to just see me drop dead.

Gilda snorts out a derisive chuckle. "Heh, maybe we should find out." She reaches into a coat pocket and pulls out a black handle. A few quick movements of her hand and suddenly the handle folds out revealing a blade.

Suddenly Gilda has a butterfly knife and this plan doesn't seem like such a good idea. I'm not feeling particularly great about myself, but I'm not keen on being stabbed and left to bleed to death in a high school bathroom. Chances are she's bluffing, but she has enough reason to actually just stab me that I'm not going to take that risk.

"I'll scream," I say in a warning tone.

Gilda blows out a dismissive puff of air. "Pffft, go ahead. The whole school hates you, do you think anyone will actually come to your rescue?"

Sometimes the truth hurts more than being punched in the face. Like right now, for instance.

Gilda suddenly closes the distance between us so she's mere inches away from my face. She holds the knife up so I can see it. She grins wickedly at me. "Go ahead, scream."

I wonder if a couple dozen moons of watching wrestling and imaginary training can really be put to use…

I don't scream, instead I bring my head down hard, aiming the bridge of my crown for Gilda's face. A target that's pretty easy to hit at this range. Her nose makes a satisfying crack as bone hits cartilage and she reels backwards.

… Apparently it can.

Before Gilda has time to react I throw a fist out and it catches her in the side of the head. She stumbles back and catches herself on the bathroom counter, the knife slips out of her hand and clatters on the floor.

She turns and looks up at me with wide, surprised eyes as blood flows out of her nose and down her lips. A bruise is already forming around one of those eyes.

I feel my lips curl up almost on their own accord and my eyes widen to take in the scene in front of me. I throw another punch and watch in satisfaction as Gilda's head jerks to the side from the impact. I had no clue taking her out would be this easy. Had I known I could hit this hard I would have just taken her out immediately.

Funny, as she's looking up with me, practically begging me with her eyes to stop, I somehow feel I couldeasily bash her skull in, and I'm having trouble coming up with reasons why I just shouldn't.

I pull my fist back again.

"WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU DOING!?"

I look up and Rainbow Dash is staring at me in disbelief.

Suddenly a hundred reasons why I shouldn't punch a schoolmate to death in a public bathroom come rushing at me, even quite a few sensible ones that have nothing to do with the sudden addition of a witness I'd have to account for.

Slowly, I raise a hand to the side of my head and turn to stare at myself in the mirror.

What the heck… what the hell happened just now?

I reach out and touch the mirror with the other hand, the swollenness of my left eye and lip barely register to me. I think… I think I'm going to cry…

Gilda loses her grip on the counter and falls to the floor. The knife clatters again as its pushes out into the center of the tiled bathroom floor.

Rainbow Dash looks down in shock. "Gilda, is that your knife?! Did you actually pull a knife on Sunset Shimmer?!"

Gilda frowns. "I wasn't gonna… I mean… I just wanted to scare her…"

Rainbow Dash smacks a palm over her eyes. "I can't…. I can't even look at you right now."

Gilda scowls at Rainbow Dash. "So you're taking the side of the girl who can turn into a demon and tried tomind control most the students here?"

The comment cuts me deep enough that I kind of wish she had just stabbed me. Tears start streaming down my face and I bite my throbbing lip in an attempt to choke back sobs.

I'm not even sure what I am anymore, and it scares me.

Apparently I wasn't the only one who had a nerve struck by that comment, because Rainbow Dash has Gilda by the jacket collar in an instant.

"YOU LEAVE HER ALONE," Rainbow Dash screams. "AT LEAST SHE'S TRYING TO MAKE UP FOR WHAT SHE DID AND NOT PULLING FRICKIN' KNIVES ON PEOPLE!"

"Okay! I get it!" Gilda says as she jerks out of Rainbow Dash's grip. Still woozy, it would seem, she almost falls back to the ground. Catching herself on the counter.

As shaken up by this whole thing as I am, I admit I'm just a little proud of that.

Gilda attempts to make it look like she planned her little tumble all along by turning the tap on and washing some of the blood off her face.

Rainbow Dash lets out a tremendous sigh. Who came blame her? She just walked into a bathroom only to find a friend of hers about to fillet one of her quasi-friends and both of us have some nasty looking injuries. Not a fun mess to suddenly find yourself in…

Gilda grabs a paper towel and wipes away the blood and water from her face. She quickly realizes the bleeding from her nose isn't going to stop soon and grabs a wad of paper towels, holding them to her face. "I'm going home… " she announces as she woozily retrieves her weapon. "If you want to be first in line to have their brain snatched when demon girl here decides she's done faking playing nice, that's your business."

As much as I'd love to say, 'If I was faking, I'd probably do a better job of being nice', the part of my brain that's supposed to automatically deliver snark is still working with the rest of my head to sort out what happened and just how it seemed I would have no trouble, both mentally and physically, caving someone's skull in with my bare hands. What escapes from my mouth is some pitiful sounding mumbling.

Rainbow Dash shoot me a small concerned look then turns to Gilda. "You are not riding your motorcycle home!"

"Pffft, thanks mom," Gilda replies derisively. "But I can get—" Gilda is cut off as she apparently finds standing up difficult. She smacks her head on the bathroom door frame as she collapses to the ground, her eyes unfocused and her head wobbling. It'd be funny if it weren't so pathetic. Truth be told, I'd probably laugh anyway if I were in a better mood.

"You can't even stand right now!" Rainbow Dash cried. "How the heck are you going to drive a motorcycle home?!"

Gilda woozily stares up at Rainbow Dash. "Well what the hell do you suggest I do?! Call one of my parents?Bet that'll go over well, provided I can even get one of them to show up at school…"

Rainbow Dash shakes her head as she takes her backpack off. "I can't believe I'm doing this…" She digs her phone out of her backpack. "I'm calling my dad."

To my surprise, Gilda's eyes widen and she seems worried at the suggestion. "Ba… Blaze? You can't… you can't tell him I got… uh…" She trails off as she glances at me briefly. She looks back at Rainbow Dash. "You gotta tell him I gave better than I got…"

"You pulled a freakin' knife on someone! You're lucky I'm even making the call, let alone making sure you don't crash your bike on the way home."

Gilda quickly stands back up to her feet and gives Rainbow Dash a panicked expression. "You absolutely can't tell him I did that! He'd never look at me the same way again."

Rainbow Dash lets loose another heavy sigh and helps Gilda walk out of the bathroom. She turns to me as she's heading out. "Wait here," she says. "Let me just sort this out."

I nod weakly. Self-defense or not, it would be nice if this was handled discreetly. Thrashing Gilda is likely to make anyone think twice before cornering me in a bathroom, but I think I did a little more damage than I could just get away with given my current reputation.

Rainbow Dash leaves with Gilda and I'm left to my own thoughts.

I take another look in the mirror. Well I do know one thing about myself, I'm a wreck. I have got blood trickling down my lip and a nice, swollen eye. I begin cleaning myself up.

Still not sure what happened back there. Initially I just wanted to keep from getting stabbed, but for a few moments there, I wanted nothing more to hit Gilda until she stopped moving, and I'm not even sure why.

That isn't me… it can't be! It just can't!

I try to choke back sobs, but fail this time around. I start bawling in the bathroom.

People should pay me during drought season to stand in their lawns…

HA! Take that, me!

"…HeheheheheHAHAHAHAHAHAHAWHOUAAAHOUAAHOUAAHOUAAAAOHUAAAAHUOAAAAAA…"

I hate myself and want to die. I'm sitting here, staring at myself in the mirror with a hand on either side of my head and wishing I had the strength to cave my own head in.

I start breathing short, shallow breaths very rapidly. Alright, calm down… Hyperventilating in the bathroom isn't going to get me anywhere. I need to figure out what's going on here.

Is the thing inside me slowly gaining control? Did it take over because I was in danger, or did I somehowallow it to take over for the same reason? I guess I can test these hypotheses in different ways, but I really don't want to!

What if someone else attacks me and I actually do kill them?! Heck! What if someone just makes me angry enough and I suddenly snap and start beating the heck out of them?!

I'm not a monster! I'm not!

I slump down on the bathroom counter, resting an elbow on the counter, and my head against my palm.

Get a grip. I mean… I spent all day yesterday getting mad at Snips and Snails and didn't feel an urge to cave their skulls in… Uh… any more than usual, that is… I should be fine provided I can avoid anyone else who might want to stab me.

… Hopefully that's not too difficult.

I clean myself up a bit more and look up as Rainbow Dash walks back into the bathroom.

"You okay?" she asks.

"Tha… hhehh… thank goodness you got here… If you hadn't showed up—"

"You would have beaten Gilda into a greasy stain?" Rainbow Dash suggests as she raises an eyebrow.

The fact that she's probably right sends shivers through my Gilda regained her senses enough to pick up her knife, I might have been in danger. However, I'm not sure how much of a fight she would have put up with a few more blows to the head.

I lose it again almost immediately and start sniffing and sobbing. I guess on the bright side I'm not having tofake distress over this incident, but the fact that I lost control of myself and almost inflicted serious damage or even death to someone is a little too much to bear. Honestly, with the scene I'm making I'd think I'd need to tone it down a bit if I were faking…

"Hey, chill… it's alright," Rainbow Dash says as her expression softens. "I uh… I just had no idea you were the wrong girl to get into a fist fight with."

Yeah, me too…

"Hick… Just go…" I utter quietly.

Rainbow Dash looks at me as if I had just announced I was a unicorn from another world… you know… if she didn't already kind of know that…

"What?" she asks flatly.

"…Ju—Just go…" I stammer out. "I don't wa…don't want to… hhehh… hhehh… huh-huh-hurt you" I don't want to hurt you…

"Ya—You don't… hhehh… don't… owe…" I swallow "… owwa me anything…" You don't owe me anything...

"So jus—just… just go… " So just go.

I don't know if my collection of half stammered, half sobbed out sentences completely get through to Rainbow Dash, but she just folds her arms over her chest and tilts her head.

"That's not happening," she informs me.

"Ba…but…"

Rainbow Dash shakes her head. "Look, if I can call my dad for Gilda after she pulls a knife on one of my friends, I'd be a real jerk if I just abandoned you here."

I feel my heart skip a beat at the word 'friend'. "But you… hhehh… you barely…"

"Hey, you're going through a tough time right now," Rainbow Dash replies. "I get it… uh… kinda… and I'm not just going to abandon you because things are a little tougher than either of us thought…"

I manage to put a lid on my crying long enough to stare at Rainbow Dash.

She continues, "… Like it or not, you're my buddy, a'ight? And I'm not just going to go away 'cause you're having a bad day."

The lid on my sobbing quickly blows off and I start bawling again. I wrap my arms around Rainbow Dash and start sobbing into her shoulder.

She seems surprised at first, but she returns the hug.

"Th—thank you…" I say quietly.

Rainbow Dash just chuckles and tightens her grip a little. "It's cool. We're all here for you…"

I hope that's true… or rather… I hope what's wrong with me isn't enough to drive everyone away. And, if they are dead set on sticking by me… Well… I just hope the 'dead' part remains an expression…

Little by little, I think… I think just maybe I'm beginning to figure out what friendship is really about.

9. Chapter 9

All That Shimmers

Chapter 9: Good Intentions

-ooooooo-

After a little talking and what I guess was a well-meaning comment that I apparently cry more than both Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy combined, Dash helps my get me head together enough that I think I can attend first period without making any more of a scene of myself than I'm going to by merely showing up with a swollen eye and split lip. She does talk me into seeing the nurse to at least get an ice pack.

I guess it doesn't matter if I'm even later for first period at this point. I'm late enough that Mr. Donkey is going to give me a stern stare as I walk in… Actually, if I of all people walk in with an ice pack over my face, there's no telling how he'll react.

Dash tries to smooth things over slightly as we walk down the green locker-lined hallway. "Uh… Look, I know it doesn't excuse what she did, but uh… Gilda didn't exactly have the best childhood…"

"Haven't we all…" I reply. "Maybe next time if Gilda can forgo punching me in the face or threatening to stab me, she and I can trade sob stories." Oh, hello again, automatic snark dispenser. Remind me to figure out if you have an off switch besides traumatic experiences.

Rainbow Dash stops walking as her face turns a little red. "Uh… sorry…" she says, obviously flustered by my comment. "I didn't… I mean… I guess I don't know—"

I stop, turn to face Rainbow Dash, and raise my palms out at my chest level. "No, I'm sorry. That was uncalled for." I shake my head. "Besides, I don't think people need to have bad childhoods to justify pulling a knife on me at this point…" Well aren't you just a ball of sunshine, Ms. Shimmer…

"Hey, don't talk like that," Rainbow Dash says in an slightly upset tone. She walks back up to me and puts an arm around my shoulders as we resume walking down the hallway. "You and I both know you didn't mean for things to go down the way they did at the dance."

I scrunch my lips up slightly. "Sure, but I don't think the rest of the school quite gets it..." I paused before turning and asking, "… Do you think any company makes 'Sorry I accidentally mind controlled you and tried to march you through a portal so you could do battle with magical horses' cards?"

Rainbow Dash bursts into a fit of laughter. "HAhahaha… I think you're out of luck on that one."

I put on a fake frown. "Dang… Do you think one gift basket for the entire school is enough, or do I need one for each student and faculty member?"

Rainbow Dash continues to laugh. Good, her reaction is actually making me feel a bit better. Maybe the worst is behind me. I mean… I have to believe the worst is behind me. Oh please, oh please, someone tell me the worst is behind me!

Uh… Anyhow, yeah… we get that ice pack… And make our way to my classroom.

"Well, we're here," I say as I approach the door.

"Uh… Should I come in?" Rainbow Dash asks.

I roll my eyes. "Dash, we're at my class at first period, not my apartment. You don't even need to worry about giving me a goodbye kiss, or anything."

Rainbow's eyes go wide and her face turns bright red. "Whoa, whoa, whoa…" she says as she waves her arms in front of her. "I didn't mean… Uh… I mean… You're hot and all, but we're friends and are just sorta getting to know each other…"

I raise an eyebrow. That wasn't the reaction I was expecting. "Dash, I was just joking."

"Oh… right…" Dash grins pensively and rubs the back of her head sheepishly. "I knew that."

I smirk and cross my arms across my chest. "Hot?" I still got it.

Dash swallows and chuckles nervously. "Uh… Look… I didn't mean to…"

"Dash, I primarily hang out with a couple of guys who spend their free time either being dunces or ogling me when they think I'm not looking. I can deal with one of my friends thinking I'm hot."

To my surprise, Dash's next move is to lean in and gives me a hug, and not a quick, short one either. She wraps her arms around me tightly and just stays there. I think my comment somehow actually struck a chord with her.

"Thanks for being cool about this," she says.

"… Uh… sure?" I reply as I confusedly return the hug, patting her lightly on the back. The things humans make a big deal out of… I don't think I'll ever fully understand it all.

Dash and I part and jump as the classroom door suddenly swings open. Mr. Donkey, in his toupee-wearing glory, is on the other side and apparently well beyond glare territory and on to angry yelling territory. "WOULD YOU TWO FIND SOMEWHERE ELSE TO BOND?! YOU'RE DISRUpting…" Mr. Donkey trails off mid-sentence as he notices who he's yelling at. It probably helps that I look like I just got punched in the face a couple times. I don't get the scowl about being late, but I don't get a sympathetic look either. Mr. Donkey simply opens the door wide and lets me walk in. As I do, he loads up his scowl for Rainbow Dash and points down the hallway.

"Uh… right…" Rainbow Dash says sheepishly. "I was just going…"

For the sake of not leaving anyone out, me taking out Mr. Donkey would involve mislabeling some lab supplies. You know… something that would unexpectedly create an explosion. Not that I'm incredibly mad at him or anything. I'm actually glad befuddled silence seems to be all he can muster at the moment.

I look out into the class and it's a mixed bag of expressions. Some kids are avoiding looking at me as if I might curse them if our eyes met. A few shoot glares and then look away, possibly because of how I look. A few are giving me smug looks as if I deserved what I got.

Can't say I necessarily disagree with that last part.

Uhg… I hope this friendship stuff can do something about my new found self-esteem issues. I think I've stumbled on some sort of ultra-efficient way of making myself feel depressed.

The students start whispering amongst themselves as I sit at my desk. Whispering that's quickly quieted as Mr. Donkey scowls out into the classroom. It's going to be a long few hours until lunch…

I manage to get through chemistry and move onto the next period, and then the next. I'm also hearing half whispered rumors as I walk by. Seems a few people saw Gilda depart in the sad state she was in. Obviously they assume we fought and it doesn't seem like there's much of a question as to who won. Of course no one comes up to me so I can confirm or deny the rumor. Not that I mind. I don't want or need the attention that comes with everyone knowing I beat someone's face in at the moment.

Hopefully everyone will be too put off by the idea I might have thrashed one of the toughest girls in school to try messing with me again… It's either that or I get attacked by a group of people looking for payback…

…Have I mentioned yet that I kind of hate high school?

Anyhow, I manage to make it to lunch with nothing but people whispering around me and a few weird looks. Of course that immediately changes when I step foot into the school cafeteria.

"Heya, Sunset Shimmer!" a cheerful voice calls out.

"Hi, Pinkie."

Almost as soon as I greet her, Pinkie is inches away from me and examining my face intently.

"Whoa, uh, welcome to my personal space, Pinkie. Can I help you?"

Pinkie puffs out her lower lip as she examines my wounds. "Are you okay?"

"Fine, why wouldn't I be?" You know, aside from the parts about me being punched in the face, almost killing a girl with my bare hands, and not being fine at all.

"Well you don't look okay!" Pinkie replies.

"I'll be fine! It'll heal up," I insist.

"Did you really try to sacrifice Gilda to your demonic lords?"

"I… WHAT?!" Apparently the rumor mill is working overtime.

"I heard you tried to carve out her heart with the Ancient Bonesaber of Zumakalis!"

I furrow my brow. "Pinkie… You saw me walk into school this morning. Did it look like I was packing a Bonesaber of whatever-it-was?" I cry as I fling my hands to my side.

"Well no… But you might have summoned it with your eeeeevil magics!" Pinkie says as she raises her fingers and wiggles them about… erm… evilly.

I stare at Pinkie long and hard. I'm not sure if she's joking or not. If she is, she has a hell of a poker face. "Do you really think I did that?"

Pinkie smiles. "No, but it's sort of fun to imagine you could do stuff like that!"

"Oh, so you were playing…" One of my eyes opens wide, the other is still swollen. Don't say it… Don't say it….

Pinkie's grin goes full Cheshire. "… 'Devil's advocate'?" she suggests.

I groan as Pinkie laughs. She grabs one of my arms and essentially escorts me to the cafeteria line and starts chatting me up about our menu options.

"Awwww, hamburgers again!" Pinkie bemoans as she reaches out for the item she just complained about and puts it on her tray. "I mean… don't get me wrong! I like a good burger as much as the next girl, but spaghetti with meatballs is just the best! Pizza is so good, too!" She turns to look at me. "What's your favorite cafeteria option, Sunset?"

"Uh… meatloaf, I guess…" I answer as I also grab a burger. Not like I spend a lot of time dwelling on how great the food at the school is.

"Really?" Pinkie asks in disbelief.

I successfully fight the urge to snap back with, 'Screw you, pink girl. I like what I like,' and instead answer with a shrug and "I guess I just really like meat for some reason." I wonder if she's a little unnerved that I've turned into something of a carnivore now that she knows I used to be a pony. I probably should be myself, however I arrived with my some of my pony coat turned into the dead and tanned skin of another animal. I try not to think about it too much…

Rather than make a big deal about it Pinkie just smiles. "Okay! I just think the meatloaf here lacks something… It' just a little too plain for my tastes." Pinkie gasps as if she was just struck by a sudden epiphany. "Hot sauce!" she declares.

I raise an eyebrow. "Hot sauce?" I ask.

Pinkie nods her head up and down as we continue to go through the line. "Hot sauce makes everything taste better!"

I nod my head as we approach the dessert area. "Even dessert?"

Pinkie grins wide. "Especially dessert!"

She has to be messing with me again. I allow a small grin onto my face. "Prove it! I dare you to put hot sauce on anything here and eat it. I'll pay you back for anything you manage to eat without gagging on." Friends do stupid stuff like this, right?

Pinkie gives me a look that seems to be somewhere smack dab in between exuberant and crazy. "Really?!" she asks.

Not the reaction I expected. She sounds excited. Still, I'm not one to back down from a challenge, especially if I issued it. Still, I better add some more conditions so she doesn't try to make this easy for herself. "Totally!" I answer. "But you have to really drench everything in hot sauce!" I bet that'll at least make her—

Nope she's still smiling and she's nodding her head up and down excitedly.

Aaaaaand she's piling her plate high with dessert items… And now she has a second… no third plate. She's holding her first in her teeth and has come to pile the other two high with dessert. As much as this might cost me, I can't figure out if Pinkie is crazy enough to think she can actually eat all this or weird enough that she actually can.

I snag a few bottles of hot sauce and we pay for our meals. Thankfully for Pinkie, there's plenty of free surfaces to rest lunch trays on as she fishes out her wallet and coughs up a ridiculous amount of money for her ridiculous pile of ridiculous food.

Well, she's confident, I'll give her that…

We exit the serving area out into the dining area. A least for a few shining, glorious moments everyone is shooting weird looks at Pinkie instead of me, but I wasn't interested in that. I search for Snips and Snails and find them sitting at our usual table. They notice me noticing them and both wave emphatically at me. Guess they really don't care about keeping a low profile about being buddies with me. Oh well.

I nod at them as Pinkie and I make it to a table where the other four of our merry band are sitting. Despite the fact that my lower lip is protruding from my face a bit more than usual and my eye is turning black, they're starting at Pinkie's trays piled high with food.

Hayseed is the first to speak up, "What in the Sam Hill is going on here?!"

Pinkie lowers her head to the table and sets her center tray in front of her, she then sets her 'dessert trays' on either side of it. "Sunset said she'd pay for all the desserts I could eat as long as I cover them in hot sauce first! Isn't she the best!?"

The other people at the table stare at me in confusion as I set my own tray down and the bottles of hot sauce.

"Well… it's more of a bet really," I say.

Applejack smirks.

Fluttershy giggles quietly to herself. "Oh my…"

Rainbow Dash snickers. "Oooooh, you made a bet thinking Pinkie eats food like a normal person. Hehehe… Glad I'm finally not the only one here to fall into that trap."

Rarity raises a hand in front of her mouth and titters. "Decided your wallet was a bit heavy, did you?"

I glance to my side at the massive piles of food. "What? She can't… I mean… even without the hot sauce, that's an absolutely obscene amount of food!"

The all just shoot me a collection of knowing looks and suddenly it dawns on me I've made a terrible mistake.

"Eat fast, darling," Rarity says to me. "You won't want to even look at food for a bit after you watch Pinkie eat."

As if on cue, everyone starts chowing down on their meals. Pinkie starts on her hamburger first. I play along and eat a little quicker than I usually would. If Pinkie really can make short work of those piles of desserts if they're drenched in hot sauce, I'll probably never look at food the same way again.

We all quickly eat our lunches and then Pinkie moves on to her dessert. Without me even having to prompt her, she grabs a bottle of hot sauce in each hand. She then proceeds to flood her trays with them. Cupcakes, muffins, apple crumble, jello… Everything and anything on those trays is soon bright red. Even for the sake of the bet, I wouldn't have forced her to use that much hot sauce.

She digs in, grabbing a cupcake and shovels it into her mouth. She chews a few times and then moves on to the next item, a muffin. Without a single hint of discomfort, she makes short work of that as well and moves on to something else. It's amazing. It's unbelievable. It's sickening. The sweet scent of the food is mixed with the sharp scent of the spicy hot sauce. I glance at the other people at the table and it seems their feelings mirror my own. Rarity and Fluttershy look like they're doing their best to keep their lunches down. Rainbow Dash and Applejack don't look quite as distressed, but they're still pulling faces that seem to be a mix of disbelief and nausea.

Yet Pinkie continues. The hot sauce hasn't even slowed her down. She's eating at a pace and with fervency I'd usually only associate with overweight cartoon cats.

Soon the piles are little more than little bits of food marinating in hot sauce, and soon those are gone too as Pinkie cleans her plate. She even starts licking the sugary hot sauce off the trays.

Rainbow Dash chuckles. "Hehehe… You should see the look on your face."

Applejack utters a short laugh herself. "Heh… It's a sight, alright."

Rarity chimes in. "You do might want to rehinge your jaw, darling."

Fluttershy parts the fingers that are covering her face ever so slightly to look out at me. She giggles quietly to herself.

I come to my senses and realize I've been gawking at Pinkie. I close my mouth. Still, that was pretty incredible… stomached-churning, but incredible.

Pinkie finishes cleaning her final tray and sits it down. She stares at me with a giant red tinted toothy grin framed by bright red lips. It's more than a little disturbing.

You know… after watching that… maybe I shouldn't be so quick to evict the thing inside me that's making sure I end up in something that looks like art inspired by Enduring's Inferno every evening. Otherwise I'm going to have nightmares about this experience for weeks to come.

I fish my wallet out of my handbag and take out a rather large sum of money to cover Pinkie's spicy dessert spree. Disgusting or not, a bet's a bet and she earned this.

Pinkie graciously accepts the cash I hand her and retrieves her wallet from that mop of pink curls that seems to double as a dimensional portal where Pinkie keeps everything and anything. She puts the money in her wallet, then returns her wallet to the safety of her hair. She continues to smile at me as she says, "It was a pleasure doing business with you."

I manage a small smile. "Yeah, yeah. Guess I know better now than to place bets in regards to what you can and are willing to eat."

Rainbow Dash chuckles slightly. "Heh, you should have talked to me first about what Pinkie is capable of. At least that way both of us wouldn't have had to learn the hard way."

Applejack speaks up. "You mean the five of us wouldn't have had to learn the hard way!" She motions to Pinkie. "I may not have lost any money to Pinkie Pie, but watchin' her eat is certainly somethin' I wish I could erase from my mind."

Fluttershy squeaks out something that sounds like an agreement as she nodded her head up and down.

Rarity turns and looks at me. "Well now that mildly traumatizing event is somewhat behind us, whatever happened to your face, darling?"

I wince. I've got to hand it to Pinkie, as weird, gross, and bizarre as that whole thing was, she made me forget I'm some sort of freak who's also is sporting a couple injuries on my face, at least for a little bit. Still, it seems Rainbow Dash hasn't told any of her friends exactly what happened with me and Gilda.

…Quick, think of something plausible… preferably something that doesn't involve me being punched in the face.

I rub the back of my head. "Uh… Mishap in P.E. I got hit in the face with a basketball a few times…" I don't actually have P.E. this quarter, but it works considering no one out of the group shares any early morning classes with me. Hopefully none of them get too curious otherwise I'm going to have to continue this little lie a bit further than I'm comfortable with.

The group gives me a concerned look. Well, everyone but Dash, she just gives me a small smile and a nod.

"Oh my…" Fluttershy murmurs.

"Why that's just awful!" Rarity says. "You don't think anyone deliberately threw the ball at your face, do you?"

"Uh…" I didn't think about that, but if anything that's more likely in my hypothetical scenario given how everyone feels about me at the moment. "… Maybe …" I say sheepishly as coax a deep frown onto my face.

"Oh no!" Pinkie cries. "Sunset has bullies!"

I sigh. "What goes around comes around, I guess…" On that note, let's hope I never get attacked by a twelve foot tall demon… Erm… Outside of dreamland…

Applejack speaks up. "Now don't go beatin' yourself up. We all know you regret what happened at the dance."

The other girls nod and hum "Mmm-hmmm"s in agreement.

Applejack continues, "Maybe you oughta tell me which kid or kids threw the ball…" Her eyes narrow slightly.

I hold up my palms in front of me. "Uhhh… I didn't really get a good look at them… Besides, it could have been an accident! No sense stirring up more trouble unless we know something is wrong, right?"

"Awwwww!" Pinkie says. "She's even protecting the people that pick on her. She really has changed!"

I purse my lips slightly as I simply stare out at everyone. I hope someone can change the subject soon, this has gone on for a little too long for my taste and is getting uncomfortable.

"Just tell us if things get outta hand, a'ight?" Rainbow Dash says.

I look at her and she seems rather serious. I'm guessing she's as serious as she is playing along.

I give her a small smile and nod. "Alright, I will."

Rarity speaks up again, "Would you like me to see what I can do about that eye and your lip, darling? I'msure I can make it a little less noticeable…"

I open my mouth to speak but am soon cut off by Applejack. "Shouldn't we wait until later to worry about makeup? She'll probably just mess it up in a few minutes here."

Huh? What is she talking about?

"Oh, right!" Pinkie says. "The surprise!"

I give Pinkie a slightly confused look. "Surprise? What…"

Pinkie smiles at me and pulls a familiar purple wrap out of her hair. Looks like it's blindfold time again. At least she remembered the wrap and isn't covering my eyes with sweaty hands.

I hear the sounds of chairs scraping the ground as everyone stands up. Pinkie helps me to my feet too, and we start walking.

Somehow despite making a lot of headway with this group, this is definitely a bit unnerving. The entire school, including these five…especially these five, have plenty of reason to hate me, and I did beat the snot of a friend of Rainbow Dash's on top of everything else that's happened.

"Uh… where are we going?" I ask in a concerned tone.

"You'll see~," Pinkie sings out.

That was probably innocent enough, but I start to freak out a bit, I mean… they could be taking meanywhere! In fact… I feel a temperature shift and a bit of a breeze. They've taken me outside.

Alright, stay calm… I mean, these are all my friends, right? RIGHT?! They've been nothing but nice to me since Friday! They even got me new glasses and a new jacket and everything despite all the horrible things I've done to them! It's not like they'd do this as some sort of elaborate plan so they could gain your trust enough that they could all get rid of me discreetly…

Oh…

Oh no…

"Sunset, pardner. You hanging in there?" Applejack asks. "You're shakin' in yer boots!"

"Shaking nothing!" Rarity says. "The poor dear has started crying again!"

I hear Pinkie gasp. "Sunset, are you afraid of the dark?!"

Normally Pinkie's bizarre leap in logic would warrant some sort of quip from me, but instead I just sob out a response. "No I… sniff… I… hhehhh… hheeehh…"

"It's okay, Sunset Shimmer," Fluttershy assures as I feel a gentle hand on my shoulder. "I know this seems pretty scary, but we're all here for you. We won't let anything bad happen to you!"

Oddly enough, Fluttershy's words do calm me, if only because she reminded me she was there. I don't think she'd have the stomach to even participate in a relatively harmless prank, let alone what I was thinking was going to happen.

"Don't worry!" Rainbow Dash says as a firm hand lands on my other shoulder. "You're totally going to dig this surprise!"

I take a few calming breaths and nod my head. I really let my imagination get away from me there… Maybe I need to think about murder a tad less often…

The group leads me around some more. Me fears are further alleviated by the fact that they don't take me very far. Unless they plan to just toss me in the crater I created when everyone's magical friendship beams took me to the ground, I think I'm safe.

Soon the slightly moist wrap is taken off as Pinkie exclaims an excited. "Ta-daaaa!"

I'm suddenly staring at the trashed school entrance, and oh boy is it trashed! I must have crushed and moved a ton of rock or more with a mere motion from my hand. If ever there was a sign of the power I wielded and just how strong I was, this is certainly it.

At least by fixing this little by little, I can feel I'm putting that all behind me.

…

…Oh who am I kidding, it blows major plot that I have to fix this!

"Uh… It's the school entrance…" I reply. "That I ripped apart… and it's still ripped apart…"

"Well d'uuuuh!" Pinkie says. "It's not going to fix itself!" she says with a grin.

"That's why we're all going to help ya!" Rainbow Dash says.

I feel the corners of my mouth curve up slightly. "Really?" I ask in a hopeful voice.

"Sure as shootin'!" Applejack says as she swings a fist in front of her.

Fluttershy chimes in, "We're all here to help you, Sunset!"

Gotta admit, a little help might go a long way here. It's going to take Snips, Snails, and I a long time to rebuild the entrance to the school… Also it doesn't help that the three of us barely know what we're doing.

The corners of my mouth continue upward. I'm not sure if we can do a ton with the time we have left at lunch, but it'll feel good to get a little of this out of the way. I bet it'll go even faster once we get Snips and Snails to help us.

"Well, enough dawdling," Rarity says. "Let's get started, girls!"

Geez, even Rarity is getting into this! I'm actually touched she'd dirty her hands over me. I mean, not so touched that I'm holding back tears or anything…

…Alright, I'm absolutely trying not to cry here…

"Alright, line up girls!" Pinkie says.

Wait… what?

The other girls do as they're asked and form a line, starting with Rarity, then going to Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and then me. What the heck are they planning?

Much to my surprise. The girls break into song.

"There's no need to worry."

"If we work together, we will be done in a hurry."

"Uh, girls?" I say. "I'm not sure if sing—"

The girls continue as Rarity picks up a loose brick from the ground.

"All we need to do is to join together and work as one."

Rarity gently tosses the brick underhand to Applejack, who does the same to Rainbow Dash, who does the same to Pinkie Pie…

"And before you know it—"

… who tosses the brick a little too high to Fluttershy who bends down a little too low…

"—our work will be dooo—"

My eyes go wide as the sounds of two rather solid objects colliding breaks into the groups impromptu musical number. The solid objects in this case being the brick and Fluttershy's forehead.

I tried to tell to warn everyone that this seemed like a bad idea!

"AIE!" Fluttershy cries as she falls like a ton of… well… you know… something heavy… She falls backwards onto the grass and the rest of us circle around her with concerned looks on our faces.

"Oh my gosh, Fluttershy!" Pinkie exclaims. "I am so, so sorry!"

"OoOoOoOoOh…" Fluttershy moans out as she looks up at us with slightly glazed over vision. "It's okay, cotton candy cloud… I'm sure you didn't mean to flood out the vet's office with chocolate milk…"

The rest of us look at each other, confusion mixing with our looks of concern.

Applejack speaks up, "She's more confused than a hog in a chicken coop!"

I cock an eyebrow at Applejack then look back down at Fluttershy, "I haven't spent a lot of time with Fluttershy, or anything, but I'm willing to guess she normally doesn't talk like that."

Rarity shakes her head. "That sounds more like something Pinkie would say."

Pinkie gasps. "Do you think we switched bodies?!"

The four rest of us turn to stare at Pinkie briefly, then back to each other.

"I think she may have a concussion," I say.

Rainbow Dash leans down and holds up a couple fingers. "Fluttershy! How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Uh, that's not how you check for a concussion," I reply.

Rainbow Dash looks up at me. "It's not?"

I feel my brow scrunch slightly on its own accord. "You're in just about every sport!" I cry as I fling my hands up in the air. "How can you not know how to check for a concussion?!"

Rainbow Dash scowls at me. "Sorry! Must have been sick during 'brick throwing day' at P.E.!"

Pinkie whimpers sadly.

Rarity puts a comforting hand on Pinkie's shoulder. "It's alright, my dear. We know you didn't mean to hurt Fluttershy."

Rainbow Dash continues, "Look, if you're so smart, why don't you figure out if Fluttershy is concussed?"

"Alright, fine!" I snap back. I lean down and stare at Fluttershy. Hoping to see some focus and recognition in those glazed over eyes of hers. "What's your name?" I ask simply.

Fluttershy, her eyes focus again and she looks at me as if awareness suddenly came flowing back to her all at once. It's almost as if my simple question has restored her from her dazed state. She looks me dead in the eyes and answers, "Cantaloupe."

We all hang our heads and utter a few sighs.

"Oh no!" Pinkie cries. "Fluttershy is totally concussededed!"

Applejack sighs. "She's more mixed up than one of my Granny's fruit salads, alright!"

I turn and stare at Applejack. "Do you sit up at night coming up with these? I mean… do you write them down or something? Is there a journal of similes you have stashed away somewhere?"

Applejack turns to me with a slightly perturbed look on her face. "What in Tarnation are you talkin' about?"

I shake my head. "Never mind… Let's just get Fluttershy to the nurse…" I lean down further and reach for one of Fluttershy's arms. "Here, someone help me lift her…"

Applejack leans down with me and grabs her other arm.

"Is it safe to move her?" Pinkie asks in a distressed tone.

"It should be fine," I say as Applejack and I put Fluttershy's arms over our shoulders and lift her up. "A little rest should help clear her head…"

"I hope so!" Pinkie says. "Oh! I could never live myself if I killed Fluttershy!"

"Uh, Pinkie, dear?" Rarity says. "I don't believe concussions are usually fatal."

The six of us make our way back into the school and to the nurse's office. Once again, I'm getting a bunch of strange looks, or maybe it's all of us collectively. I guess two of us practically dragging Fluttershy through the hallways is bound to turn a few heads. I'm mostly glad the other girls are with me so it's a bit unlikely the rumor mill is going to go crazy here. Fluttershy is practically the absolute last person at this school I would want people to think I beat up. That would be analogous to people thinking I punch out toddlers for fun.

We bring Flutters to the nurse's office. Nurse Redheart looks up from her desk as we walk in and immediately is on her feet as she sees we're dragging a student in.

"What happened to her?!" Redheart asks as she walks up and starts examining the red welt on Fluttershy's forehead.

"She had an unexpected rendezvous with a brick to the head," I say without thinking.

Everyone turns and stares at me.

"Sunset!" Rarity says, aghast.

Pinkie begins to tear up slightly. "Ba-but…I didn't mean to hit her with a brick!" she wails out.

"Right!" I say. "That's why I said 'unexpected'."

Rainbow Dash leans forward to look at me past Fluttershy. "Uh, I think 'accidental' rendewhatever would be atad more accurate."

Fluttershy giggled. "Hehehe… rendezvous is such a fun word to say… rendezvous… rendezvous…"

"Oh no, I was just thinking that!" Pinkie cries. "We are switching bodies!"

Applejack raises an eyebrow. "Uh, Pinkie Pie, dontcha think you'd start talkin' like Fluttershy if that was the case?"

Pinkie pauses briefly and speaks begins speaking in a soft tone, "I'm yellow and shy…" she says in an absolutely dead on impression of Fluttershy. Pinkie's eyes open wide as and she covers her mouth.

My swollen eye go wide… everyone else's eyes go wide. She's probably not switching bodies, but had I not been staring right at her, I would have sworn Fluttershy had just spoken.

"Oh no!" Pinkie exclaims in her regular voice that's increasingly going shrill. "We have a code 'Freaky Friday',and it's only Monday!"

Fluttershy giggles again. "Hehehe… freaky…"

"It's getting worse!" Pinkie shrieks out.

I sigh heavily and nod to Fluttershy, "Can we please put her down?"

Applejack smacks a palm against her face. "You just had to phrase like that, didn't ya?"

I cock my head slightly as I stare back at Applejack. "Phrase it like…?" I stop and think about my wording a bit. "… Oh…"

Tears began to stream down Pinkie's face. "Please, no! There's still hope she'll recover, there has to be… hhehh… hhehh…WHOUAAAAAAAAAAHOUAAAAAAHOUAAAAAAAAAAA…"

Nurse Redheart scowls at Pinkie and puts a finger her lips. "Sssshhhhh!"

"I meant 'down on a recovery couch,' Pinkie!" I cry over Pinkie's hysterical sobbing.

As quickly as Pinkie began shooting tears like a high powered faucet, she stops. "Oh… That makes a lot more sense!"

Nurse Redheart leads Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and I to black recovery couch and helps us lay Fluttershy down.

Man, she looks out of it...

"Oooo… is it story time already?" Fluttershy utters.

… and sounds out of it.

Nurse Redheart looks up at us. "Look, I'll call her parents and make sure she's taken care of. Why don't you girls give her some room? Some quiet will be good for her."

Pinkie frowns. "But what if I start rejecting my host body!?"

Rainbow Dash stares at Pinkie. "Wait, you mean Fluttershy's body starts rejecting you, or your body starts rejecting Fluttershy?"

"YES!" Pinkie Pie cries.

Applejack and I turn to Rainbow Dash.

Applejack is slightly quicker on the draw, or maybe I say 'drawl'. "Now why the heck are you encouraging her?"

I nod. "I was just about to ask that!"

"Girls!" Redheart says sternly. "Please leave!"

Pinkie begins to protest. "But…!"

We leave the office, taking Pinkie with us. Pinkie whimpers as Nurse Redheart closes the door as we all exit.

Rarity places a hand on Pinkie's shoulder. "She'll be just fine, dear! She just needs some rest."

"I hope so…" Pinkie says. Her eyes light up. "Do you think she'd feel better if we threw her a 'Get well soon' party?!"

I fold my arms over my chest. "Absolutely not."

Pinkie puffs out her lower lip and begins to pout. "But…"

"Someone who's concussed needs quiet and rest, Pinkie," I say.

"Oh…" Pinkie says sadly. "Okay…"

"Hey!" Rainbow Dash says. "Maybe we can take another crack at the entrance!"

I turn and smile. "Sure! The days still young! Maybe someone can get a skull fracture!"

Rainbow Dash shoots me a glare. "I didn't say we'd try singing again while we do it!"

Pinkie lets out another whimper and looks like she might start crying again.

Applejack joins in on glaring at me. "Now why'd you go and say something like that? We were just trying to help!"

"Sorry if I was hoping help wouldn't involve a trip to the nurse's office!" I snap back.

The anger in the eyes pointed at me only increases.

"Now, now…" Rarity says as she gets in the middle of the group and holds up her hands. "We're all friends here. No need to get short with each other…"

Everyone's expressions soften a bit.

"Uh, right… " I say weakly. "I'm just a little on edge, today… I didn't mean to snap at everyone. Sorry."

Without warning, Pinkie flings herself at me and wraps her arms around me. "It's okay, Sunset Shimmer. We know you're trying your best."

I uh… I don't know what to say to that. The idea that even one of the girls is cutting me this much slack is not just tugging at my heart strings, and grabbed hold and is pulling with all its might.

Great… now I'm crying, again! You'd think I'd run out of tears at some point…

"Group hug!" Pinkie cries.

Oh no…

"Girls! What are you all doing gathered in front of the Nurse's office?!"

Rather than hug me, the girls turn to look at who had just spoken. I quickly dry my eyes and turn as Pinkie loosens her grip.

Vice-Principal Luna is walking down the hallway with her default stern expression.

I'm saved!

Luna looks directly at me. "I am afraid I am following up on word that you attacked a fellow student."

I'm screwed!

Next Chapter: Chapter 10 Estimated time remaining: 0 Minutes

All That Shimmers

by Justice4243

Chapters

1. Chapter 1

2. Chapter 2

3. Chapter 3

4. Chapter 4

5. Chapter 5

6. Chapter 6

7. Chapter 7

8. Chapter 8

9. Chapter 9

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