Sunset's Shimmer
Chapter 4: Laughter
Previous Chapter Next Chapter.
My Little Pony: Sunset's Shimmer
Chapter 4: Laughter
"Hello," says Maud Pie as she greets us at the door. "You must be my sister's friends who are here for the slumber party."
Was it the sleeping bags that gave it away? Please tell me it was the sleeping bags. We all have them except for Twilight and myself. Pinkie told us she had that covered, but-
"You are Twilight," says Maud as she looks at the Equestrian princess. "Pinkie has told me that you are not from around here, and that you need a sleeping bag."
"Um, yeah," says Twilight, rubbing her neck. "If that's not any trouble."
"It shall be no trouble," Maud says, before turning to me. "And you, Sunset, the one who turned into a winged demon and mind controlled my sister's school, in a bid to raise an army of slaves…"
"Yep," I say, forcing a smile. "That's me. Sunset. Former mind controller." I rub one foot against the other. "'Fraid have a sleeping bag either."
"You shall have one," Maud says.
"Thanks."
"No thanks are necessary. She gestures to all of us. "You may come in now."
Pinkie leads the charge. We're her dear friends, and aren't going to perish bravely in the charge, but…am I quoting Shakespeare? Seriously, did I just quote Shakespeare? I mean, not that there's anything wrong with that, but…
Okay, context time. Pinkie told us on the way to her house that her parents, and other two sisters are out west visiting her grandma. Maud, who's in college doing a degree in mineralogy, is the one who was left to watch over the house and her younger, far more energetic sister. Sister in name only, I can't help but think to myself, because the two are nothing alike. Maud is grey. Her skin is grey, her hair is grey, her eyes are grey…ish… (okay, they're actually turquoise), and her clothes are grey. Her speech is grey as well. And Pinkie is, well, Pinkie. But, I think to myself, it's still awfully nice of her to allow us all to stay for the night. I can imagine what university is like (I mean, I did study under Celestia), and the need for quiet-time is a must, even if I've since learned that friendship is a must as well. So, as we file into the kitchen, I can only hope that we don't distract her too much. We-
"Here are your sleeping bags." Maud hands one each to Twilight and me. "What are your sleeping arrangements?"
"Oh, we're crashing in my room," Pinkie says, placing herself between Twilight and myself. "We're besties now."
Maud blinks. "I see," she says. "I did not think you would want to be besties with someone who bullied you for three years and turned into a terrible monster." She shifts her gaze towards me. "No offence."
"None taken," I say, still forcing a smile.
"Good." Maud reaches into her pocket and brings out two things. The first is a wad of notes – this world's version of bits. "Here. You may use this to pay for pizza."
"Aw, thanks sis!" Pinkie says, hugging her. "You're the best!"
"Are you sure, darling?" Rarity asks. "I'd be happy to cover the cost."
"No. You are my sister's friends. I shall cover your expenses."
The girls are all grateful, but I'm not paying attention. Instead, I'm looking at the second thing she took out of her pocket. A small, smooth stone that's grey…and rocky…and drawing me in with its mysterious-
"This is Boulder."
I glance up at Maud. "Huh?"
"This is Boulder," she repeats, holding the stone up in front of my nose, holding it in an open palm as if holding a mouse. "Boulder is mine," she says, and for a moment, there's a flash of light in those eyes of hers. "Stay away from Boulder."
"Aw, come on sis, Sunset is a friend," Pinkie says. "You can trust her."
Maud pockets "Boulder" and gives her sister a glance. "I shall hold you to that. But for now, I must study." She heads for the stairs. "Save some pizza for Boulder."
We stand there in awkward silence, broken only by a small cough from Fluttershy. "She seems, um, nice."
"Nice?" Rainbow exclaims. "She's an absolutely in…insatiable person."
"Insatiable?" Applejack asks.
"Yeah," she says, glancing at Pinkie Pie. "As in, um, she wants pizza for her…pet. Must be hungry." She rubs her stomach. "Hey, did I say hungry? I meant starving. I mean…um…"
Silence returns, before we all burst out laughing. And two thoughts run through my mind. One, the laughter. I like it. I like how I feel at ease. How despite Maud's thoughts, I can join in with my friends. How for a moment, all's right in the world.
The second thought is that maybe in her own way, Maud Pie isn't too different from her sister after all.
Theremin – an electronic musical instrument controlled without physical contact with the performer. Consists of two metal antennas that sense the relative position of the performer's hands, and control oscillators for frequency with one hand, and amplitude.
So, I think to myself as I hand Rarity's phone back to her, I finally know what a theremin is. And yes, I could have asked Pinkie about it, but hey, I like a challenge. Not that the Internet is exactly 'challenging' in regards to finding out information – true, this world still uses books, but unlike Equestria, they're usually the second point of call for info. But hey, I'm finding out the info for myself. That's something at least.
Of course, it's only a small something. Larger "somethings" exist to be dealt with (i.e. the sirens), but the only "something" I'm focused on right now is this slumber party. First one I've been to in my life, and…yeah, I'm enjoying it. We all are. Applejack and Rainbow are playing Mane-iac II. Fluttershy is playing with Spike, Rarity's scrolling through her texts, and Pinkie is giving her third status update of the evening on MyStable dot com ("okie-dokie-lokie" – just like it was the last two times). Twilight is sitting on Pinkie's bed, working on the counter-spell, scribbling away in a notebook Fluttershy leant her. I can only hope she's getting some fun out of it, but knowing Twilight, it'll be hammered out in no time.
Are we doing our own things, independent of one another? Yeah, kind of. But for the first time in three years, I'm completely at ease. I'm with people I can call friends. People who I believe consider me to be a friend. Like Twilight, I'm even wearing peejays that Pinkie leant to me. If slumber party 101 was a course, I think it's fair to say I've aced it. Laughter echoes throughout the room, and I drink it in, intoxicated. Never wanting it to end. Never wanting to let it go. As Fluttershy and I join Rarity for a selfie, I can only ask, "why in Equestria did I think being a monster and turning into a she-demon would be more fun than this?" Ignorance, I suppose. Ignorance and arrogance, but now, those things are behind me. And best of all, her voice is gone. She's left me. Hopefully for good.
So the party continues. Fluttershy and I giggle as Rarity discovers that Spike snuck his way into her selfie. Rainbow laughs after shutting off the game she and Applejack were playing, giving the contrary opinion that no, Applejack wasn't about to beat her. She keeps laughing as she keeps Applejack's controller out of reach. Pinkie laughs in response to something posted on MyStable. When Rarity sits on top of the bed next to Twilight, and says, "I think I speak for all of us when I say I don't know what we would have done if you hadn't come back to help us," we don't laugh, but say "uh-huh." We mean it. I, mean it. If not for Twilight, I never would have had this second chance. If not for Twilight, I wouldn't be here right now. Course I can kind of thank the sirens for that as well, but hey, don't over-analyse things. It's a slumber party. Feel, don't think.
The doorbell rings. "Pizza's here!" Pinkie exclaims, and we all rush down the stairs, laughing all the way. Well, all but Twilight, who comes down the stairs about a minute later, after Pinkie ran back upstairs to get her. She looks happy, I notice, but not in the same way as the rest of us. Like she's…forcing it, I think. For a moment, I wonder if I should ask her if anything's wrong, even though I know that there can't be. Twilight's here. Apart from the sirens, all's right in the world, and that's a problem that'll be solved by tomorrow once the counter-spell is played. And, as we tuck into the pizza and the conversation shifts to the time when Rainbow accidentally kicked a soccer ball into Miss Cheerilee, the laugher begins again. Even Twilight joins in. And I do myself, wholeheartedly. We laugh, we cheer, we whoop. And I have only one thing on my mind.
Sweet Celestia, this pizza tastes good.
Come to me, Sunset.
I hear her voice. In the splinter of my mind's eye, I see her.
We have unfinished business.
What part of my mind that sleep has yet to take resists her call.
You can't escape me.
Resists, but only for so long.
You can't ignore me!
So it does what it can to escape her.
I wake up.
Moonlight streams through the window. I can see all my friends sound asleep, squashed together in Pinkie's room. All of them snoring, some louder than others. My body urges me to stay put within my sleeping bag, and do what I can to return to sleep's embrace. My eyes take note that the clock on the wall says that it's 1:02am, reinforcing the idea that sleep is indeed what I should return to. I close my eyes, and try to settle down.
But I can't sleep. I toss and turn, I try counting fillies, but it's no good. My body needs sleep, but my mind won't let it. I think of what tomorrow (or today, I guess) will bring – the musical showcase. The counter-spell. The sirens. How we'll do in the competition. I-
I'm hungry.
I open my eyes and sit up – yes, I'm hungry. I've no idea how I'm hungry, considering the copious amount of pizza I ate less than five hours ago, but, whatever, I'm hungry. Hungry enough to make me get to my feet, to jolt my mind enough to say that maybe I'm not hungry, and that perhaps it's just a craving. But, whatever, I'm up. May as well indulge that craving and get out of bed.
So I walk out the door and down the stairs, my eyes adjusting to the gloom, and my feet brushing against the carpet, trying my best not to wake everyone up. To my surprise, I can see light illuminating the kitchen as well. Most of the room is in darkness, but a single bulb shines from its roof. So as I walk to its doorway, I see Twilight sitting at the kitchen table, looking over the notebook. I hear her mutter something as she rests her head on her palms, but can't make it out.
"Hey Twilight," I say, walking into the room. "You're up late."
For a moment, I'm afraid that Twilight will point out the irony of me also being up late, but she doesn't. She instead shifts the notebook to one side, putting an arm over its pages – no doubt she's finished her work.
"Just going over the counter-spell," she says. "We only get one shot at this. We have to be perfect."
"We really are lucky you're here," I say, as I open the fridge.
"That's what everyone keeps telling me," she murmurs.
I barely hear her, as I stare into the contents of Pinkie's fridge. "Who could possibly need this much whipped cream?" I ask, as I stare at one tube after another of the substance. Like a rack of shells waiting to be fired into my stomach.
Well, any chance of my midnight snack being healthy just went out the window, I reflect. Looking at my range of selection, I find that I'm no longer hungry. I wonder what Maude would think of me if she saw me stealing food in the middle of the night. Whether her monotone would turn into something more, shattering what little trust I've been able to build with her. Nonetheless, I squirt some cream onto my thumb and sigh, as I look at Twilight.
"Must be nice to have everyone always looking to you for answers to their problems," I say morosely. "Instead of waiting for you to cause a problem."
"Just because everyone expects something from you doesn't mean it's guaranteed to happen," Twilight says.
"Well, that doesn't stop them from expecting it."
"Which only makes things harder," Twilight continues, "because the last thing you want to do is…"
She trails off, and our eyes meet. In sync, we say, "let everybody down."
I smile, and for the first time in the last minute or so, so does Twilight. Maybe even the first time this evening. I slurp up the whipped cream, thinking that, maybe she understands. I mean, obviously Twilight has the counter-spell down, but maybe, after all we went through, I can call Twilight a friend as surely as the Rainbooms. That if Twilight can forgive me for everything maybe other people can as well. I hold onto that thought as I close the fridge and-
"Waaah!" I scream, seeing Maud standing there in the gloom. Staring blankly, as if sleepwalking, or perhaps the living dead. Turquoise eyes, piercing through the gloom, piercing my body and soul. As if to ask what the heck I'm doing in her fridge. As if on the cusp of casting me out into the night.
But she doesn't do that. Instead, she picks out a box of crackers from the cupboard and pours a few onto a small rock she's got in her hand.
"Boulder was hungry," she says.
I back away as I watch her continue to pour the crackers out of the box, before she walks off with the crackers in hand, 'feeding' her rock as she does so, leaving a trail of debris in her wake. "I still can't get over the fact that she's related to Pinkie Pie," I whisper to Twilight.
"You and me both," she whispers back.
We smile, but I don't hold mine, as my mouth opens in a yawn. "Better get some sleep," I say, as I start heading out of the kitchen. "Good luck with the counter-spell. Not that you'll need it. This must be nothing compared with the stuff you're expected to deal with as a princess in Equestria."
I reach the kitchen door, and-
"Sunset Shimmer?"
I halt in the doorway, and look at Twilight. Her mouth moves, as if trying to say one thing, but instead uttering something different. Specifically, "never mind. It's not important."
I can tell that something's on my friend's mind. Something that's clearly bothering her. But as a friend, is it best to give her the faith to sort it out, to trust her that it really isn't important? Or should I push, and get to the heart of things?
I force a smile, and head up the stairs. It's for this reason that Twilight is the Princess of Friendship, not me, I tell myself. She's a master magic user, an alicorn in her own world. Our ace in the hole against the sirens.
Of course she's got this down.
Man, I think to myself, I really shouldn't have eaten that whipped cream.
I'm dreaming lucidly – aware that I'm dreaming, in control of my own sense of self, but unable to awake from the dream. That's what comes from eating whipped cream at one o'clock in the morning. For a moment, all I'm aware of is my own mind and body.
"Hello Sunset."
I begin to sweat. My heart races, my hair stands on end. Not her, I think to myself. Anyone but her.
"You woke up last time," she says. "But this time, you're not going anywhere. This time, you're mine."
I want to wake up. I don't care what time it is in the real world, I want out. I want to be free from this prison. I try to scream, but I have no mouth. I try to flee, but there is nowhere to run to. All I can do is remain in place. To watch her take form before me, accumulating from the darkest pits of my mind. The one that plagues me in my waking hours, and holds dominion over my sleep.
"Go away," I whisper.
But it's for naught. She takes form, and her black, pitiless eyes meet mine. I see her, as surely as she sees me. I see myself, the one that has always looked back at me from the mirror. I see what I became two months ago. I see my fears and shame made manifest, in a form of giant wings, claws, fangs, and hair that flows like fire.
I see the demon.
"You aren't real," I say.
"I'm real enough," she says, her tail wagging, her claws like daggers. "I was made real, thanks to you."
"And now I've moved on."
"Moved on?" She laughs, and it echoes in every corner of my mind. "Oh yes, most certainly. You've 'moved on,' while the entire school despises you. You've 'moved on,' when your mind still summons me. You've 'moved on,' when your mind has brought you here."
"Here?" I look around. "I don't see anything."
"Look harder," says the demon.
I don't, but I see it anyway. I see a lavishly furnished corridor. I see stained glass windows, all of them bearing Equestrian imagery. I see-
"Canterlot Castle," I whisper.
"Oh yes, very good," she sneers. "Now-"
I slam her against the wall. She's a demon – taller, stronger, prouder. But this is my mind. And I tell her this.
"Mine as well," she sneers. "It became mine the moment you put on the Crown of Harmony."
"And you lost your form minutes later."
"Your weakness gave birth to me, and your weakness nearly killed me," she hisses. "Now, silly girl, stop and see what your weakness gave birth to long before."
She gestured down the corridor. I turn my head and-
No.
She can't show me this. Not now. Not here. Not within my own memories. I turn around, to demand, beg, if necessary, that she take this away. But she's nowhere to be seen. I'm left as a prisoner within my memory. And my eyes are my chains, as I see them walking down the corridor.
I see Princess Celestia, in all her magnificence. Even with me in human form, she is still my equal in height. Her mane like a rainbow, her horn akin to a sword, her hair white, and her wings angelic. She's there, before me. My mentor, my friend, my bond to Equestria sundered. And there, walking beside her, is me. The me of three years ago. The me that is about to go down a terrible path.
I run towards them, but stop. This is my dream, and this is my mind. This is my recollection of history. It is not history itself. Nothing I can do will change this. I look away and-
Watch.
Her voice yanks the chains of my mind, and my eyes turn. In my mind, she has power. And as my eyes turn to my old mentor, my ears follow suit.
"Sunset Shimer, I've heard that you're not getting along with the other students," I hear Celestia say. "We've talked about the fact that personal relationships-"
"Personal relationships?" my past self sneers. "Who needs anypony? The most important thing in life is to be the best."
I wince as they walk past me. I remember this moment – it was the day after the mid-term exam where I used the growth spell. I remember uttering these very words, and I remember being the person I was back then. The person I was up to the moment when the demon that haunts me was brought into this world.
But the memories do not do the truth justice. Seeing the old me, hearing the old me…I see her…me…I…for what she…I…was. See, and hear, and hate it.
Keep watching.
"We've talked about friendship and its importance before, and we've discussed that you need to start opening up to new friends," Celestia continues. "And remember that talk we had about humility?"
"I remember," the past me says. "It was boring."
Celestia sighs, but nonetheless keeps walking. Through the magic of her horn, she opens a giant pair of doors, and beckons my past self to follow her. I follow, but stop under the arch. I know what's in there. I know what's about to happen. I turn around, only to see the demon watching me.
"Go in," she whispers.
"No."
"Do you dare defy me?"
"You can't make me go in there."
"I can, and I may," she says, smiling like the devil she is. "But you want to see it, don't you? You want to see what you nearly saw all those years ago. To plumb the depths of your mind, and see the truth."
I say nothing, but my legs carry me forward anyway. Two legs, as opposed to the four of my mentor and past self. I see Celestia show me the mirror that links Equestria to the human world. The mirror I would use to cross over three years ago, and cross back three months ago in order to steal the Crown of Harmony.
"Don't do it," I whisper. "Turn away."
But she won't. My past self can't hear me. Memory is history, and history can never be changed.
"Now then," Celestia says. "Look into the mirror and tell me what you see."
"A beautiful pony that has nothing but power and potential," my past self says smugly.
I wince, and I'm not the only one to do so. Because I see the look on Celestia's face, and hear her say, "care to try that again with our talk about humility taken into account?"
I close my eyes. The demon can keep me within my dreams. She can't force me to watch.
"I see a pony who isn't powerful enough," my past self says. "Somepony who could be great, powerful. Somepony who could rule all Equestria."
I open my eyes. This is what the demon wants. But I have to see for myself. There were two things I saw in the mirror that day. One, I remember clearly, and the other...
I see her. See what my past self saw. The mirror making my desires manifest upon its glass. I see myself as an alicorn, a princess, a ruler of Equestria, the equal of Luna and Celestia. I see what my past self sees, but see it differently. Eyes, three years older, linked to a mind three years wiser. I see an alicorn, looking out from the mirror, not in might, but in contempt. Conceit. Arrogance. Elements that no true alicorn could ever possess. Elements that were lurking within me, brought to the surface. I can hear my ego laughing, and I offer no voice to battle her own. The memory is the same. Only my perception has changed.
"Maybe we better move on," Celestia says. She turns away, and for a moment, my past self follows suit. But her head suddenly switches back, as something in the mirror catches her eye. I know it does, because I remember it catching my eye, three years ago.
"Wait, what was that?" she asks. "I that I saw…"
She trails off, and Celestia says, "oh, it was probably a trick of the light." She pauses, before continuing. "Our lesson is over for today. For tomorrow, I want you to reflect on the discussion we've just had."
My past self makes a non-committal "hmm," but nonetheless follows her teacher. My teacher, I think to myself, before reality sits in. She isn't my teacher. Not anymore, and likely never will be again. I stand in place, as I watch both ponies leave. Wanting to go with them, but knowing I can't follow. That I can change nothing.
And then I'm alone. Left in the room with the mirror. Alone, in what feels familiar, and worse, normal. As if this is what's meant to be.
Look in the mirror.
But not alone, I recall. I hear her voice. It comes from all around me, entering my ears from every angle. I hear her, as she whispers the words of a devil.
Look in the mirror.
And, Celestia help me, I oblige. Because something caught my eye that day. Something I saw but only the barest of glimpses of. A glance at Canterlot High? Or something else? Something more? Slowly, I approach, and I raise a hand to the mirror, feeling its cold, uncaring glass meet my palm. I step forward, and-
"Hello Sunset."
I scream, as I see her in the mirror. Scream, as I try to draw back, only for her claws to lunge out and grab me by the shoulders.
"I didn't see you!" I yell. "I can't have seen you!"
"But I am you," she says. "How could you see anything but me?"
She pulls me in through the mirror, and I fall. Through memory, despair, and doubt, through the darkness of my mind.
Her laughter is all around me.
Canterlot Castle: A History: Volume II
The book is in the hooves of my past self. A book that led to my discovery of what was beyond the mirror. I'm lying on the floor of the library, watching history unfold. My mind a time capsule, the book as much a record of fate as it is of history. I look around for the demon, but she's nowhere to be seen. I get up, and-
Huh?
I'm a pony again. Within my mind, I've regained my old form, one that I haven't had since I briefly returned to Equestria. Not that long, all things considered, but still, it feels alien to me. No clothes, a horn, hooves, a tail…I've spent so long as a human, that even in my mind, my original body feels alien to me. I wonder if-
"Here we go!" my past self exclaims.
I look at her, as she reads through the book. "The Crystal Mirror," she murmurs. "Every thirty moons, a portal will open to…another world?"
"That's not really for you to know now, is it?"
The eyes of two Sunset Shimmers turn to Celestia, who's entered the library, flanked by two of her royal guards. Three pairs of eyes are focused on Sunset Shimmer, prize pupil, and not Sunset Shimmer, the ghost of guilt not passed. I know what they're going to say. How many times has this conversation played out in my mind?
"How dare you keep this kind of magic from me?!" my past self yells. "You know that I'm ready for this, that I can be great!"
I wasn't. And I'm not now.
"You could be great," Celestia says, showing more faith in me than I can claim to possess. "I thought I saw compassion and sincerity in you, but it was nothing but ambition. You're being selfish. You need to step back and reflect-"
"I'm selfish?!" past-me exclaims, throwing the book at her teacher. "That book right there says I could become as powerful as an alicorn princess. I could rule here! It's selfish of you to keep me from my rightful place!" She pauses, and when she speaks, her voice is lower, more in control. But the venom is there. The venom that I carried with me for three years. "I deserve to stand by you and be your equal…if not your better." She locks eyes with her teacher. "Make me a princess."
Celestia stands there, rooted to the spot. The guards stand in shock, but the only true alicorn in this room looks…sad. Only for a moment, but it's there. Was it something I recognised on some level back then? Or has it only occurred to me now, how much hurt I inflicted with those words? Because listening to them now, I feel ill.
"No," Celestia says.
The feeling doesn't leave me – I still know what comes next.
"Being a princess must be earned," she continues, her voice heavy. "I have been trying to teach you everything you need to know, but you've turned from it. Every time you say you 'deserve' to get something without effort just proves to me that you are not ready." She sighs, and as she spreads her wings before pronouncing sentence, I see her as the true ruler of Equestria that she is.
"Sunset Shimmer, I am removing you from the position of my pupil. If you cannot get past this, your studies end here. You are welcome to stay in Canterlot, but you are no longer welcome to stay in the castle."
My ears hear her words, but my eyes see only my past self. I look as she glares at Celestia, her eyes ablaze with the light of a false sun. Slowly, she speaks, through gritted teeth…
"We'll never get 'past this,' because you aren't seeing how great I deserve to be. Is this really all you have to say?"
"No. The guards will escort you out."
I didn't even deserve such a courtesy, I reflect. But I watch as the guards do indeed escort past-me out. As she snarls, "this is the biggest mistake you'll make in your entire life."
"One of many," Celestia says softly.
I stay rooted in spot, as I watch my old self walk away.
Go after her.
I stay in place, even as her voice whispers to me. I was wondering when I'd hear from her again.
You can't stay here, your memory won't allow it.
"I won't," I say. But she's right. The world around me is fading. My memory of this room exists only as long as my past self stayed in it.
"Do as I say!"
The demon appears before me, in all her terrible glory. She was already taller than me in her human form. As a pony, I'm dwarfed horrifically.
"Follow her," she snarls. "See it to the end."
"Why?" I whisper. "We know what happens."
"Then tell me, princess."
"I used my magic to incapacitate the guards," I say. "Then I entered through the mirror."
"Why?" she asks.
"Why?" I say. "Because…because I wanted to prove her wrong? Because I wanted more power?"
"Because you were weak," she sneers. "And selfish. And foolish. And right now, you're no different."
"You're wrong!"
"Lie to yourself, but not to me. I know you, Sunset. Better than you even know yourself."
"That's not true," I say.
"More lies, but what can I expect from-"
I send a stream of magical energy from my horn at the demon. She swats it aside, laughing, before swooping down and grabbing me by the neck. I shout, I cry, I feel blood and water mix. She cackles, as she draws out her claws. I sob as she tears a gash against my cheek. All a dream, I try to tell myself. It'll be over soon.
"Time to wake up Sunset," the demon sneers. "Wake up and smell reality. All this is who you are. And who you'll always be. Alone. Unloved."
She throws me down into the darkness.
"Wake up Sunset."
The darkness remains around me. Darkness that is the colour of dreams. Darkness that I spurn, for if I embrace it, I'd be fated to dream longer.
"Wake up Sunset."
Funny, how the voice of the dream bids me wake, while also acting as my jailer.
"Open your eyes."
The dream is giving a different order now, but already, I can see a glare beyond my eyelids. As if the sun has risen, and is shining directly into them. So open them I do, in anticipation of the dawn.
But I don't see the sun. Instead I see-
"Wake up Sunset."
"Gah!"
I spring up from my sleeping bag. Sweat drenches my hair, my neck, my back. In the end there…did I actually see…
"You alright?"
"Twilight?" I rub my eyes, and my image begins to clear. I'm in Pinkie's room, and apart from Twilight, I'm the only one in it. What's also noticeable is that I'm still in my peejays, while Twilight is fully dressed. "What time is it?" I ask.
"Nine-fifteen," she says.
"Nine-fifteen?" I stand up straight in shock. "School was-"
"Cancelled," Twilight says, smiling.
"Huh?"
"Cancelled," Twilight repeats. "Every band taking part in the battle gets today and tomorrow off to rehearse. So, that includes the Rainbooms, you, and since I'm not a student…"
I frown – neither of those parameters exclude me from attendance. But I don't care – it's not as if Luna or Celestia could talk to my parents, and some tardiness now is a small price to pay for offering what little help I can.
"Anyway, we're going to be heading to Applejack's to rehearse in ten," Twilight continues. "The battle begins at three-fifteen, so that gives us a good five hours."
"Yeah, great," I murmur.
"Sunset, are you okay?"
"Fine." I lie back down in my sleeping bag and covering my eyes with my palm. "Just too much whipped cream."
"Uh-huh." Twilight doesn't sound convinced. "Well, see you in a bit. And if there's anything you want to talk about-"
"There's nothing," I say quickly." I remove my palm, look at Twilight, and force a smile, before letting out an awkward laugh. "Everything's fine, trust me."
'Trust me.' That's a tall order, and the look on Twilight's face shows me that she has some trouble abiding by it. But she nonetheless nods and leaves the room, leaving me to think about whipped cream, and what it led to. Memories. Dreams. Nightmares. The chains of my mind reaching out to scar me. Just as sure as the scar on my cheek where the demon ran her claws down my mind's flesh.
In the real world, the pain's still there.
In the real world, it starts to bleed.
A/N
Why yes, I did take scenes from The Fall of Sunset Shimmer one-shot comic and present them here, thanks for asking.
Actually, on that note, there are two things I feel that are probably worth bringing up. First, the comic in question, where Sunset possibly sees her alicorn self in the mirror. Or not. By my reading, it's actually down to interpretation as to whether the mirror is showing her an actual image, or it's a visual metaphor, a representation of what's going on in her head. If asked, I'd actually go with the latter, but for the sake of this story, presented it as the former.
Secondly, the demon. Some of you may be saying "that sounds like Midnight Sparkle," and yes, it is. I will say that I did conceive this story well before the fourth film was even announced though (course you've only got my word for that, but anyone who looks at my writing homepage can see that years can pass between a story going on the writing/drafting list, and me getting round to it). In a way, Legend of Everfree kind of validates the idea (or not), but, well, yeah. Regardless of origination vs. execution, hopefully it works out.