Author's Notes:

Celestia Hate Group unite! This chapter will definitely cause some ruckus. I swear to you, however, that there will be less drama and more romance. I think the drama and sadness in this fic is overrated now. And here is your quote of the day from Dat_Brony.

Stahp teh seriousnezz!

Parti ynstehd!

Also, this music video just got stuck in my head. It has nothing to do with the chapter but listen to it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLw2pnZEKeY

Twilight held her breath as she waited for Sunset to deliver the last blow.

" Well, you sure do feel high and mighty, don't you?" Sunset growled. " You've lived a life full of love, happiness, and happy-go-lucky crap. You got everything you wanted. Your parents didn't die when you were young. You got to live with their approving smiles and cherishing voices..."

Sunset sniffed. " Why can't you and Celestia see that life has been hard enough?"

Sunset drew closer and continued more menacingly. " Star student Twilight Sparkle. I used to be a star student. I used to be Celestia's prized pupil, the daughter she never had...until that day."

Her mood changed suddenly and she sighed. Twilight looked up in surprise and watched the girl practically falter. Her tense shoulders slumped down dramatically. Her head dropped down in self pity. The angry expression was erased and there was a look of regret. Result of her mental state it was. Sudden mood swings were bound to come of it.

Sunset looked at her hands. " I was very young then and I had wandered into the lab in the castle. At the time I didn't know much at all about chemicals. I was fooling around when I accidentally knocked over a ton of them. There was this gas in the air, it was invisible but I could tell it was there. The whole room was all stuffy because of it.

" In a panic, I tried to use my magic to clean the mess up. But there was this sudden extreme surge of power that came out of no where. Instantly, I knew it was the gas around me that was causing this power burst. The magic I conjured up was so strong that I had some kind of seizure and blacked out..."

Sunset smirked mockingly at herself.

" It's funny now that I think about it..."

She sighed again and continued solemnly. " It was when I came to that the doctor said the immense power fried the nerve that controlled my emotions, but not completely. There was still a signal coming from it to the rest of my brain, but it was very low. The doctor diagnosed me with autism. The surge apparently spiked my intelligence level up to brilliance, but I was emotionally challenged. After that, Celestia kept me away from others. She cast an invisibility charm around me sometimes when there were a large number of people around...

" She was afraid that with my new genius intelligence, but corrupted mind, I'd hurt others around me. She didn't want me to become a new Nightmare Moon. I was kept in a room down in the castle cellar area. Celestia kept me busy with assignments and books to read to feed my curiosity about the world around me. Back in those early years, she would visit me every night and I would ask when I could come out. It was always 'Not now.' Then, I didn't understand why that was the answer. But now, I understand. Anything dangerous could've happened.

" As I got older the visits became less frequent. The question I had changed to when I'd be princess. 'Not yet' she'd say. I always yelled out that she didn't care about me. That it wasn't right to imprison her foster daughter. And the answer was that it was I who was imprisoning myself. She was protecting me..."

Sunset gritted her teeth. "She was right! This whole time, my whole life she was right! I'm a danger to society! All this time she'd been trying to protect me, but I got in the way. Always mouthing off and going against her will...She never meant this punishment as a harsh one. It was just to keep me from getting hurt and rejected by the other ponies like I always had!!! Celestia didn't do this out of hatred. She just wanted to protect me!"

Tears streamed down her face and sobs hiccupped from her chest. It was all an illusion, this Celestia hated her. Sunset had devised it to keep herself feeling better about herself. But in truth, Celestia cared.

Twilight stared in shock. Everything she thought about Celestia was a lie. The fate wasn't to hurt her but to help her, to save her from the evils of the magical Equestrian world. By transporting her to a place barren of magic, nothing could influence her to be evil. No corrupt kings like Sombra could touch her or nasty queens like Chrysalis. No chaotic beings like Discord or even Nightmare Moon if she were to return. Sunset would be isolated from anything dangerous that would use her for evil. Nothing could influence her...except Sunset herself.

Sunset reeled her head back and screamed," Celestia was right! I imprisoned myself!"

Twilight understood everything now. That day Sunset described was the day she and her friends got her cutie marks. That day changed her life, Sunset's life, and the lives of the Main 5.

Twilight touched Sunset's knee and the girl looked hopelessly into her eyes.

" I'm here to help. I will help make things right between you two. I promise."

Golden words.

They were the hope, salvation, and future to Sunset Shimmer. The crying girl threw her arms around her and cried on Twilight's shoulder. In the end, it was Sunset Shimmer herself who was her own enemy. She was battling a war against her own stubbornness to see the truth. It was all a delusion.

Twilight knew right then and there what her new purpose was.

She was to stay and help Sunset Shimmer through this hard time and let the rays of sunlight stretch across her sadness. She had to protect her from the sad times ahead and show her the way to happiness. She had to.

For Sunset Shimmer.