The splash was boiling hot, as the water began to pour into her lungs. Her chest exploded with the heat of the sun. Her gasps silenced by the burning liquid that had consumed her. Her heart wishing to be free of the prison of flesh behind her ribs.
Sunset Shimmer writhed inside the thick ocean of water. She opened her eyes, as the burning solution scratched at her vision. She could feel the feverish water begin to compress, as her body grew tighter, the deeper she fell. The pressure continued to build as she tried desperately to swim back to the surface.
What kind of place was this? How did she get here? Her mind seethed with questions as much as the ocean that gripped her.
Her last memory was returning to Equestria, battered and bruised, but forgiven. Twilight was more merciful than the others, and forgave her for her deeds. She had no idea what she would be subjected to, mainly from Princess Celestia. She was the Princess's prized pupil once, now had fallen so far from her path. She had feared imprisonment, feared banishment.
But she had never expected something like this.
She couldn't see anything within the blinding depths, but she managed to hear the distorted sound of movement beneath her. A sudden primal panic within her ignited her body into action. The pace of her attempted swimming increased. Something had emerged and wrapped itself around her left forehoof. She tried to scream as her, her lungs swallowing the water, as she could feel numerous barbs pierce through her coat. The wounds spewed their contents of blood, quickly replaced by the burning water.
Searing pain erupted up the length of her limb, as the water intruded upon the cuts and slashes from her unseen captor. Sunset's horn lit up, as her magic reached out to her defense. She begged and begged to Celestia that whatever had gripped her would release its grasp, and she could swim safely to the surface and whatever shore she prayed was nearby.
Sunset was not ready to go down. Not after all she had worked for. Twilight Sparkle and her friends had ruined her chance, but offered her a much brighter path. A reluctant choice, but one she had made nonetheless.
Sunset Shimmer had been given the chance of redemption, and she knew better than to waste it.
Her magic whipped around, as it swam through the water with as much grace as it could muster. It snaked around the strange tendril, and quickly lashed at it, attempting to coax it away from her hoof. As she continued to lash out at her captor, the tendril began to grind around her hoof, the barbs ripping and tearing at her skin. Fresh blood billowed above her wounds, as the tendril ground its sharp spikes.
Sunset screamed in terror. It wasn't working, and she couldn't break free of its grasp. She needed to escape, she couldn't die here.
She had so much to make up for. She didn't deserve damnation just yet.
There was that word again.
Deserve.
Sunset Shimmer had been a terrible student. She knew that. Princess Celestia had worked so hard for her, and she tossed it aside like a spoiled brat. She would go on and on about how she deserved this or that she was entitled to that. Selfish, foalish, and arrogant.
She was just like her mother.
No! Sunset was better than that! Wasn't she? With the help of Twilight, maybe she could be. Maybe she could right all the wrongs she had in the past. Maybe she could actually learn respect, learn humility.
Maybe Celestia would truly forgive her.
Rage became to boil inside, mirroring the heat around her. She trashed harder, as her magic ignited. The tendril became more wounded than she, as bursts of magic assaulted the limb. Her crusade was beginning to succeed, as she could feel the tendril loosen its grip on her ever so slightly.
It was working! Soon she could be free of this damn place!
The next thing she knew, her other hoof was ravaged with the most terrible pain, as it raced through her body with the force of a thunderstorm. Her magic raced over to the other side, revealing a second tendril that had impaled her hoof. The barbs ripped and tore at the muscles inside her leg, as she could feel her blood pour out from their next exit.
Shock had the tightest grip on her, as she shook in fear before the pain could even register. She felt herself being dragged down into the depths, as the pressure around her grew and grew. Her wounds were already to much to bear. The water had utterly filled her lungs, and the overwhelming boiling heat of it all completely weakened her.
Sunset could hardly move, and her magic withered. The limbs were pulling her further and further away from freedom, and she had no strength left in her.
Her mind, the only thing still functional, raced towards her mistakes. Her arrogance. Her gluttony for power and knowledge. Her disrespect. She had earned anything that was given to her in all of those years as Celestia's student. She didn't deserve anything.
The only thing she really deserved, was this.
Their was that word again. Deserve. Who was she to think she was entitled to anything? What gave her the right to demand such things, especially from a Princess? Nothing, that's what. She had wronged. Oh, how wrong she was.
She only wanted to make things right. She was sorry for being so arrogant, sorry for being demanding, sorry for being a thief.
Sorry for being like her mother.
As her limp body sunk faster, she made out the distinct sound of something splashing into the burning ocean that held her. Her burning eyes couldn't make out its shape, only that is was heading straight for her...
“Sunset!” She heard, somehow from behind her. Her vision began to return, as a strange wooden door came into view.
Sunset Shimmer quickly shook her head, trying to understand what had just transpired.
“Are you alright!?” The voice called again, as the owner came into view.
It was Twilight Sparkle.
Her head throbbing, Sunset fell to the ground. “Wh-What is that...?”
The purple alicorn looked behind her, carefully. “One of Sombra's old traps. A door to your worst fear,” She turned back to Sunset, helping her up. “Will you be alright?”
Sunset checked her hooves, and saw no damage whatsoever. Whatever she had experienced, if was nothing more than a fever dream. “Y-Yeah, just a little shaken up.”
“What did you see? If you don't mind me asking.”
“...What I deserve.”
Author's Note
Okay folks. Just got back from an interview and whipped this up as fast as I could. Once my schedule starts to relax, I'll be able to spend a little more time on these.
