My name is Sunset Shimmer, or better known as simply Shimmer due to more recent events. A lot has transpired in such a short time, and there is definitely mystery afoot. I’ll try to get to all the important details, and explain what I understand and my recounts of what happened, leading up to this. I regret not being completely up front about a lot of this, but truthfully I didn’t want anyone else involved.

What I’m about to divulge to you… Well, some of it is personal, so I ask you to not take it lightly.

It’s my hope that you can understand what happened, perhaps the key is piecing together my accounts with others. It’s too late for me to be able to do anything about all of this, but this is my story nonetheless.

To understand that story though, we will need to go back, back to a memory that I would have preferred to erase, a memory that I didn’t want to think about any more than I had to…

Blood. That’s all I could remember seeing, just blood everywhere. The entire room covered in blood, my hands, my clothes, everything. It would haunt my dreams for years to come. At the time of, I hid inside a nearby cupboard, trying to make time go backward, trying to undo what had just been done, and apologizing over and over and over. I must have said “I’m sorry” over eight hundred times that afternoon.

When the police finally found me, I had slept inside that old cupboard for days, not wanting to come out and see what my hands had done. I didn’t even understand how it was even possible to do something like… that.

They wrapped me in a blanket and fetched clean clothes for me to change into. When we went down to the station, they allowed me a shower and some time to collect myself so they could hear what happened.

I remember sitting in a detective’s office trying to explain my plight to him.

“Tell me again what happened…” He sighed.

“I told you already… We were arguing and this… flash came out of my hands…” I looked down to my small hands and closed them into fists, hoping that the action might reveal the mystery to me, but no such luck. I looked back up at him and finished. “The next thing I knew they were…” I paused, and looked to the floor. “Blown apart..”

The detective sighed and shook his head. “Sunset, that’s just not possible. You must have imagined it, you’re probably traumatized so your imagination made that up to help you cope with it, but I need you to try and remember if anyone came into the house…”

“I told you before, I am not lying! I didn’t imagine it! This big explosion thing came out of my hands! I know what I saw!” I yelled, coming to a stand and banging my hands on the desk.

He gestured for me to sit down with a pencil in his hand before returning to scribbling into a notebook. “Ms. Shimmer, I’m assuring you that it’s impossible for you to simply make an explosion appear out of nowhere. You clearly blame yourself for what happened, but I’m here to tell you that it’s not your fault. The evidence points to some kind of bomb being used, now do you know how to construct a bomb?”

“Most of the materials to build a pipe bomb can be acquired a hardware store and Radio Shack… Sir.” I huffed in annoyance, trying to show him that just because I was a child didn’t mean I was stupid.

“Impressive, you’re a smart little girl, but this was far more advanced than a pipe bomb, and I doubt you would be able to construct such a thing without raising suspicion.” He chuckled. “Though it sounds like you may have a promising career down the road in detective work.”

“Why so I can sit at a desk like you and not believe witnesses?” I raised an annoyed brow.

He laughed and stood up and came around to my side of the desk, placing his hands on my shoulders he knelt down on one knee and met me at eye level. “Shimmer, I promise you… We’re going to catch this guy and get to the bottom of this. I need you to help me though, is there anyone who would want to hurt your parents?”

It was clear by the way he interrogated me that he wasn’t the best with children, looking back. He clearly lacked any and all tact.

I shrugged. “Half of our family doesn’t like us because my parents got rich and they were trying to get our money.”

He nodded and came to a stand. “We’ll see about finding somewhere for you to stay for the time being.”

I spent a lot of the next two years jumping from relative to relative. I had been written to inherit my parent’s fortune when I turned eighteen, however it created much in the way of conflict for the remainder of my family. The only home I remember outside of the house I grew up in where I felt comfortable was that of my grandparents, however, they both passed away before any of this happened. I would ultimately end up in my Aunt Lilly’s care.

At the age of fourteen, I had forgotten what home felt like. For two years I spent time in places alien to me, with relatives who cared little about myself, but entirely about the fortune attached to me. Aunt Lilly at first seemed different, but it wasn’t until the option of adoption came about that she revealed her true colors like the rest.

I remember the last night there so vividly. It is a memory that I doubt I'd ever lose.

I had walked to the post office to pick up a package and returned home during the day while my aunt was away. My social worker had set up a card in my name that I had access to some of my fortune to be used for personal expenses, and I had made a large purchase on Amazon.

Sneaking the box back to my aunt’s house, I remember unwrapping it and smiling at the shiny new laptop inside. I had wanted my own personal machine for research purposes, as I didn’t enjoy sharing the family computer with my aunt and her two sons. What I had in mind they could not know about, no one could.

I was determined to get to the bottom of what happened two years ago, to figure out what exactly caused that explosion. To do that, research was necessary, simulations, contacting some people who may understand the strange phenomenon.

Leaning back on my old bed, I sat with the laptop on my lap and began clacking away, writing up a reply to an email chain that I had started in the library with a professor regarding paranormal sensations. The discussion had turned interesting when I got to the topic of people having abnormal powers. He had much to say on the subject, but my work would be interrupted by the sound of idiotic chuckles and what could only be described as “grab assery” as I could hear the two boys get home from school. I scoffed and rolled my eyes as I set the laptop aside and stood up to go and shut my door.

Before I was able to though, one placed his hand on the door and smirked as he looked in. “Hey, Sunset…” He grinned.

“Go away, Chance, I’m not in the mood…” I rolled my eyes at the brute.

“Awww, what’s wrong nerd girl? Don’t like us?” He gave a fake pouty face.

“Oh good, you figured it out. I guess you really aren’t a Neanderthal. Well, there goes that theory…” I snapped my fingers in a mocking manner before placing my hand on the door to try and push him out, but his brother stepped behind him and assisted in pushing the door open.

“Get out of here, you two!” I commanded.

The older of the two frowned as he forced the door open. “You know it’s not very nice to be so hostile to people who allow you to live in their home…”

“I wasn’t aware you paid the mortgage…” I rolled my eyes.

The older one, named Cliff grunted and stepped into the room with his brother. He was at least sixteen and his brother fifteen, but they both looked far older, like two cavemen almost. Perhaps the ugliest children I ever met.

“You know you should show a bit more appreciation…” He stated as he towered over me.

“Yeah, I’m super appreciative that I catch your little brother trying to spy on me changing…” I grunted.

Cliff chuckled. “He’s just admiring a lady.”

“Well with how you two are? I’m sure you’ll be doing a lot of that admiring from far away.” I smirked.

He reached forward and gripped my arm. “Maybe I can do a bit of admiring up close.”

“Let go of me!” I growled.

“Maybe you want to put on a little show for me?” He suggested as he held on tight and wrecked me over to the bed.

“Get off!” I yelled.

His hand reached forward to my shirt, only for me to reach toward my end table and grip a nearby pen and thrust it as harshly as I could into his arm holding me down. He hissed in pain and recoiled backward gripping the spot, trying to pull the pen out of his flesh.

While he was distracted, I dug through my drawer and retrieved a pocket knife that I had bought and hid in the room and extended the blade.

“You bitch!” He growled.

“Back the fuck up!” I hissed, swinging the blade which caused both to step backward.

“What’re you gonna do? Kill me? Where will you live then?” He asked, finally ripping the pen out of his arm with a groan. He gripped the spot to stop the blood.

“What is going on in here?” The familiar voice of an older woman rang through the hallway.

Standing there in the doorway was the grouchy face of a middle-aged woman, my mother’s sister, but not even a fraction of my mother’s beauty shined on this woman. She looked of misery and discontent and had the worst resting bitch face I had ever seen, only complimented by the fact that she actually was a bitch.

“Cliff, Chance please leave us…” She stated, gesturing for her two sons to vacate.

The two boys were about to object, but she gave them both a glance that caused them to shrink and scurry out of the room like dogs with tails between their legs.

After they were gone, Aunt Lilly began her scolding. “I bring you into my home… And you have the nerve to stab and threaten my son…”

“Your son was trying to rape me!” I defended.

“Nonsense,” she replied.

“I can’t believe this bullshit! He pinned me to that bed and tried to take my shirt off, I had to stab him with a pen to get him to let go of me!” I responded.

“Enough! I won’t such accusations in my home!” She hissed.

Realizing I was wasting my time trying to make this she-demon feel sympathy, I just closed my mouth and lowered my head.

Her eyes trailed to the bed and noticed the laptop sitting there. “Where did you get that?”

“I ordered it off of Amazon; I have my own money you know…” I grumbled.

“Unbelievable… I let you stay here rent free…”

I cut her off and corrected her. “The state requires you do that. You can’t make a minor pay rent because they can’t legally contract, read a fucking book for a change.”

“You live here taking up space and resources, you eat my food and you pay for nothing around here! You complain anytime I give you a chore-“ She started rattling off her complaints.

“The chores you give me are insane! I am in the bathroom scrubbing a toilet and cleaning hair out of a drain while your two sons sit in their room with literal garbage surrounding them! One of them sleeps with trash on his fucking bed! This is fucking slavery!” I protested.

She acted as though she didn’t even hear my defense. “And yet you can go out and buy yourself a laptop when you know the roof needs repairs? When you know we are behind on the electric? You couldn’t show some gratitude by helping us keep this home afloat?”

My eyes narrowed as I replied, full of venom. “Maybe if you had asked nicely… Maybe if you showed you were people who deserved the help, but honestly… There is being poor and making the best of it and trying to compensate by being a decent person, and then there is being poor and deserving it… You people are the latter. You’re poor because you spread nothing but misery to others, jealousy and envy. You spend your lives grubbing for anything you can get…”

“You ungrateful little…” She began, but I cut her off again.

“You were always envious of my mother. You hated how beautiful she was, and how she married a man who became wealthy while you only got uglier and poorer.” I smirked.

She reached forward and slapped my face, but I didn’t stop talking.

“She worked for her beauty and used it to raise others up, they donated much of their good fortune and used what they had to give scholarships to children in need, donate to hospitals, and they were rewarded for their goodwill, you’re just a greedy little bitch who wanted everything handed to her. You weren’t as pretty as her because you never tried. You ended up marrying a deadbeat drunk loser because you’re a self-fulfilling prophecy, losers generally only hang out with losers after all,” I continued.

She slapped me again and she had completely stopped blinking at this point. The vein on her forehead looked as though it could burst at any moment.

“Your mother was a harlot!” She spat.

“My mother was a saint, you’re the harlot. You never came to her for anything but money, you’re the same miserable greedy old crow that you were then.” I replied.

“That fortune should be mine…” She stated.

I smirked and shook my head. “And yet it isn’t, it’s mine. There’s no way you’re going to get it either, I’ll never agree to this adoption, and even if you kill me, the entire thing is willed to charity. You won’t ever see a cent.”

She sighed and shook her head. “Maybe you need some time to think about this…” She opened the door and gestured out it.

“Come back when you can appreciate what you have here until then go enjoy the streets.” She smirked.

I reached down and scooped up the laptop and stuffed the knife into my jean pocket. “Fine, the comfort of a bridge in the rain beats this shithole.”

She just nodded and allowed me to walk out the door. Making my way to the back door of the house, and getting outside I whistled. “Moon! Come on, boy!”

Running out of the doghouse, my familiar companion raced to my side and barked. Reaching down, I rubbed behind his ears. “Good boy, come on I know a place we can stay.”

Opening the gate I could see the two boys staring at me in the backyard. I smirked and raised my hand to display a middle finger to the two of them before exiting. It was a long walk that night, but I had made it back to my family’s estate and retrieved the key from my pocket. Walking the long driveway and into the house, I smiled as I saw it was still being taken care of. The state hired people to maintain the house for when I would eventually inherit it.

Reaching down, I lifted Moon into my arms and carried him up the stairs. Finally coming to the one place that I would consider my sanctuary, I opened a door and allowed us both in. I set him down on the bed and laid next to him with a sigh. “Don’t worry, Moon… I’m not going to let us go back there… I’ll go to the department of social services tomorrow, I’ll get us a lawyer… We’ll get out of that place ASAP.” The dog woofed contently.

I sighed as I leaned back and rested my head on the pillow as I laid there in my parents' old bedroom. For a brief moment, I could almost feel them there with me.

That was the last night I ever had to spend with my aunt, the next day I would spend a few weeks at a foster home before finally the state had me evaluated and determined I was eligible for legal emancipation. Within a month or so I was permitted to accept my inheritance and move back into my own home.

Sitting there sipping on some decaf tea, I listened to the sound of my phone ringing over and over. Staring at the screen I saw the label of “Babe <3” on the screen and just stared as it rang and rang, not daring to answer it.

Thinking back, maybe I acted rashly to them, but then again given the circumstances, I think anyone would.

When the ringing stopped, I sighed as I looked at the text message they chose to leave due to me not answering.

Look, I get this is super fucked up, but I swear it was an accident. I didn’t want any of this to happen, but it just sort of did… You have to understand I’d never do that on purpose. I need you to trust me on this, Sunset...

I sighed and typed up a response.

Trust you? I can barely trust anyone as it is. You knew that going into this. What you did is beyond fucked up. I could get in trouble just for knowing about it, alright? There is no other way to slice it… You did something beyond messed up, and tried to make me an accomplice to it. How can I trust you when it’s clear you don’t have any moral compass? This is over, plain and simple.

There was only a brief pause before the response.

I thought you different, Sunset. But it turns out you’re just like the rest, the moment things get a bit too scary, you turn your tail and run. Ignorance and fear blind you, and that’s how you like it. Thanks for leaving me high and dry. Thanks for showing me that I can't count on anyone. I hope you are in trouble one day and need help so you can see what it feels like to be left high and dry by someone you care about...

I didn’t even bother justifying it with a response before turning my phone off. At one point, I loved them, but they had harmed my trust. It wouldn’t be until later that I would enlist their help in hunting down Ghost.

It is clear that whatever is happening is beyond normal. Ghost is connected to Sunset or myself, or possibly both, that much I know for certain. That is the link that connects it all, they may have even been involved in what happened six years ago, it’s a possibility anyway. I know that this all sounds crazy, but it has to be connected somehow.

Either way, it’s up to Sunset to figure this all out now. I wish I could help her, I wish I could be there by her side, but the circumstances clearly are not permitting.

Good luck, Sunset.

Next Chapter: Act III - Chapter XXX: Painful Loss Estimated time remaining: 66 Hours, 6 Minutes