Forgive and Remember

Flashback:

"What do you want little bitch?" Sunset's father said as he looked down at her, "I'm too hot to deal with you right now." He grumbled with annoyance.

"Um...I just...I'm thirsty." A six year old Sunset said quietly.

"And you don't think I am?!" He said harshly, "I'm not wasting any water on you!" He spat bitterly.

"But..but...the fridge has a water dispenser..." Sunset pointed out nervously.

"Shut up!" He said slapping her, "Don't talk back to me!"

"Aaaah! I'm sorry!" Sunset screamed.

"If you want something to drink, I'll give you something to drink!" He says, throwing open the fridge and pulling out a can of cheap beer and throwing it at her head, "Drink this! It's worth about as much as you are!"

Sunset took the can and ran into her 'room'.

"-hic-...-hic-. Hambo...what did I do?" She mumbled as she cuddled her stuffed hooman.

"Hmph. That'll teach her to ask me for something she needs to survive!" He says as he sits back down and continues doing absolutely nothing.

Sunset cracked open the can of beer. "At least it's cold." She said to Hambo.

If Hambo could talk, he probably would've advised her against drinking it. But alas, he truly was just a stuffed animal. Sunset put the can up to her lips and started drinking. She started coughing immediately. It was the worst thing she'd ever tasted.

"Why? What's wrong with wanting a cup of water!" Sunset cried to herself as she kept drinking the beer.

Not long after, she was almost blackout drunk since she was just a six year old filly.

She was heaving into a toilet.

"-hic- ehehee. H-hambuh. Luuk, at me go!" She said before heaving again.

"Ehehehehehahahahahehehehhhuhuhuhuhuhuuuuu!" She did a combination of crying and laughing.

Mercifully, her father had been drinking himself and was blacked out at the table. So he wouldn't be beating her for making a mess of the bathroom. Shinny walked into the bathroom to see her adoptive daughter currently trailer park black out drunk crying and laughing all at once.

"Sunset! What in Faust's name are you doing?!" She yelled, both concerned and angry.

"-hic- Hi mom! -hic- Dad gave meh some -blaaaaaaaaaaargh- of his angry juice." Sunset said.

"Why would he do that?! You're six years old!" Shinny said, gagging at the smell of the bathroom.

"Becausssh. I can't have watuh!"

"Sunset love, how much did you drink?" Shinny wasn't sure if it was wise to mover her daughter until she was certain she was done throwing up.

"A can...ish dere murr?" Sunset slurred.

"No dear, there isn't anymore. So why don't we find you a bucket and get to bed, okay?" Shinny suggested.

"Okeee." Sunset slurred out.

"Okay." Shinny went to pick her up and gagged at the smell, "Oh Faust you smell bad! We're giving you bath!"

"Whaaa?. Whai arrya bein sho nicsh to meeeh?" Sunset asked if confusion.

"Because your drunk and you won't remember this when you wake up, so you can't tell your father. And he won't beat me for it." Shinny said as she started drawing a bath.

"Oh..." was all Sunset could say.

Shinny tested the water, "There we go!" She said, picking Sunset up and setting her in the tub, "Now you have fun while Mommy cleans the toilet, okay?"

Sunset played around in the water for a bit while she waited for her mother to return.

Shinny frowned when she found Hambo sitting next to the toilet, specks of bile marring his red fabric, "You're going to need some cleaning aren't you Hambo?"

If Hambo could respond, he'd say something like: "Stand up to your demon of a husband"

".....don't look at me like that." Shinny said, "We both know what would happen if I tried to stand up to him."

Hambo responded with silence. But in Shinny's head, she heard him tell her she was a coward and a horrible pony.

".....stop that." She said, setting him down and turning him away from her, "Stop that or I won't clean you."

She heard in her head him say Don't lie to yourself. You know it's true.

"Stop that! Stop that or I'll put you somewhere Sunset will never find you!"

She heard in her head him say Then you'll be proving me right.

"Shut up!" She yelled, kicking him across the room, "Just shut up!"

"Mommy?" Sunset's voice called from behind her.

"What?!" Shinny yelled, rounding on her.

"I'm sorry! I just, you were taking a long time and I was worried he got you..." Sunset said.

"Worried who got me?" Shinny asked, taking a few deep breaths to calm down.

"Dad.." Sunset said.

"....." Shinny looked away, ashamed, "...I'm so sorry Sunset. For everything."

Sunset was breathing heavily as Twilight shook her, not 'there' at all. "Sunset! Wake up! Please!" The Alicorn shouted.

"Don't hurt me! I'm just thirsty!" Sunset cried. "At least it's cold." She mumbled. "Mommy?" She was shaking like crazy, all her horrible horrible memories overshadowing her consciousness into a state where she couldn't even see what was happening in the present.

"I'm not equipped for this! Where is Celestia?!" Twilight shouted as she started to panic.

"Call her!" Velvet shouted in just as much worry.

"I don't have Spike!" Twilight stopped, "...but I do have Ray! Where is he?!" She said as she scribbled something on a nearby scroll.

"Does he even know how to do that?!" Velvet shouted.

"Ehehehee. Luuk at meh go!" Sunset slurred like she was drunk.

"I think so! Spike said he's been teaching him how!" Twilight said with hope.

"Don't hurt me don't hurt me don't hurt me. DON'T HURT ME DON'T HURT ME DON'T HURT ME!!!" The orange unicorn screamed.

"Try and calm her down!" Twilight said as she ran downstairs to find Ray.

"Not my horn not my horn not my horn." Sunset begged with tears streaming down her face as she covered her horn with her hooves.

Twilight found him sitting an armchair, gorging himself of amethysts, "Ray! Mommy needs your help!"

Ray threw the amtheysts out of his lap and ran along with Twilight.

"Hambo, you luuk purty." Sunset slurred. "AAAAAAAAAAGH!" She suddenly screamed.

"Ray, remember that trick Spike has been teaching you? Mommy needs you to do it for her, okay?" Twilight said hastily, wanting to help Sunset as quick as possible.

"Leave me alone with mah whiskey, Starlight!" Sunset shouted.

"Uhhh I'll try!" Ray said hurriedly.

"See this paper?" She handed him a small scroll, "I need you to send it to grandmare Celestia, okay?"

"I'm sorry! Don't take him away! HAMBO!!!!" Sunset screamed.

"This is all my fault." Velvet said to herself.

Ray took the scroll and successfully sent it off to Celestia.

Celestia was in the middle of Day Court when a scroll exploded into existence in front of her, "What in mother's name?!"

Shinny trotted over. "What's going on Mistress?"

Celestia didn't answer as she reading the scroll. ".....Sunset's in trouble." She didn't even give Shinny a chance to react before she teleported them straight to Sunset.

"No no no no no no no no no!" Sunset was shouting like a mantra. "The fridge has a dispenser. AAAAAH I'm sorry!"

"Starlight, I want to die!" She screamed with anguish.

The pair popped into existence only a few feet from Sunset, then rushed to her side.

"Dont hurt me." Sunset mumbled. "I just wanted water." She continued.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" She shouted.

"Oh thank...You....! You're here!" Twilight breathed out when she saw Celestia and Shinny.

"Don't worry Twilight, this has happened before." Celestia said, quickly picking up Sunset and crossing their horns, "This spell should jolt her out of it."

Sunset's eyes undiluted and her breathing slowed to a normal pace.

"Sunset!" Shinny swept her into a hug, "It's okay, Drilling can't hurt us anymore! He's gone!"

"Mmm. Mmmuh. Mmmom?" Sunset mumbled.

"Yes sweetie, it's Mom."

"Mom? Are we okay? He's dead, right?"

"Yes, he's dead. He's dead."

Sunset finally seemed to calm down. She hugged Shinny desperately. "Please. Please don't go."

"I won't. I swear I'll never leave you Sunset."

"Mom? Where's Mama?"

"I'm here Sunset." Celestia joined the hug, wrapping them both in her wings.

"Mama. Please don't leave me! When you're here all the pain goes away." Sunset begged.

"We won't leave Sunset. And Twilight won't either."

"You're damn right about that." Twilight said as she joined in on the hug.

Sunset finally seemed to calm down completely at these words and cried happily into the three of the four mares she cared for the most.

After a few minutes, Sunset sighed as she stood up and stretched. "Can somepony call Starlight? I promised her that I would tell her the next time I had an episode." Sunset said.

Twilight looked at her with concern. "Just how many times has something like this happened to you? And why haven't you are Starlight told me about this! Or that you're an Alcoholic?!"

Velvet quickly put a hoof on Twilight's shoulders, "Now now Twilight, I'm sure you can those questions in a much calmer way."

"Velvet, it's okay. Besides. The only pony I'm mad at right now is you to be perfectly honest." Sunset said.(edited)

"....I'm sorry about earlier Sunset. If I had any idea it would lead to this-" Velvet started.

"No! Because of you I had to relive something I just wanted to forget!" Sunset shouted.

Velvet flinches away, "I-I'm sorry! I didn't know!"

"It's not like I begged -begged- you to not force me to relive it or anything. Oh, wait. I DID!"

"I thought the only problem was your drinking! How was I supposed to know you were talking about something else?!"

" 'You're just as bad as him' wasn't enough of a fucking hint?!" Sunset asked angrily.

"I...I was just trying to help..." Velvet said, tears starting to form in her eyes.

Sunset took deep breaths to calm herself, she didn't want her relationship with the kind mare to be ruined because of this. She wouldn't let her father win.

"I'm sorry I snapped at you, Velv...Mother. Like you said, you were just trying to help me, and made a mistake." Sunset said softly as she approached the motherly mare.

She gave her a big warm hug. "I'm not mad anymore. It's all right." Sunset said softly.

She successfully calmed down Twilight Velvet, who returned the orange pony's hug. The other three mares joining in on the hug.

The door opened and Night Light came running inside with a wagon of groceries. "Sorry I took so lo-" He cut himself as he saw what was happening.

He rubbed his eyes, and then seeing as everything he was seeing was real, he fainted.

A couple hours later:

They had woken Night Light up and explained everything to him.

"Oh my stars, Sunset...I had no idea you had been through so much! Man, if I ever meet Drilling somehow I'll show him what for!"

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

"Who could that be?" Velvet wondered.

"It's Starlight. I had Ray send a letter to her through Spike." Sunset told the white and purple unicorn.

"Enter!" Velvet called.

The door practically slammed open as Starlight ran inside looking around for her best friend frantically. "Is Sunset okay?!?!" She shouted.

She saw Sunset sitting next to Twilight, who had a wing around her protectively.

"Over here, Glim Glam," Sunset waved.

Starlight sighed in relief as she walked over. "Oh thank Celestia. I was so worried when I got the letter."

"You're welcome," Celestia chuckled.

Starlight chuckled a bit as well. "Everything's fine now thought?"

Sunset nodded as she snuggled into her owner. "You told me to contact you next time I had a relapse."

"Well, what specifically happened this time?"

"Can we please just not talk about it anymore? I don't wanna bring it up again."

"Alright," Starlight said as she wiggled into the hug.

"Mom, looks like there'll be dinner for seven, now," Twilight realized. "Will you be able to handle it?"

"Of course I can, Sweetie. I'll get started," Velvet told her with a grin as she entered the kitchen.

An hour later, everypony was sat around the dinner table.

"Mmmm.... This food is delicious!" Starlight exclaimed, licking her lips as she ate. "Mistress, your Mom is a great chef," She added to Twilight.

"Don't gotta tell me. I've known that for years." Twilight said proudly.

"How'd you get so good?" Starlight asked Velvet.

"By being a Mom." Velvet chuckled.

"Touche," Starlight chuckled before resuming eating herself.

"Again, mother, I'm sorry I got mad at you." Sunset told Velvet.

"I'm the one who kept pushing when I clearly should have stopped," Velvet said.

"Mmm! These sandwiches are amazing!! You have to give me the recipe." Celestia exclaimed.

"I'll be sure to do so," Velvet said cheerfully.

"What's in them?" Dew asked.

"Bacon, ham, hay, and a bit of ketchup," Velvet said.

"No wonder it's so delicious!" The unicorn said cheerfully.

There was a chorus of agreement from the rest of the group. Velvet blushed and smiled happily.

Author's Notes:

Sorry for the delay on this story. I've been busy with other works and other things in general lately.