Finally he sees his target. She walks with that same stupid swagger that would fill him with dread. That step that told him swirlies were coming. The same hair that told him that his day was ruined. Nye grit his teeth as Sunset walked by, laughing, an action he hadn’t known in quite some time.
The girl walked around the corner and he heard her say hello to someone. She even called them friend. I bet they’re even hugging right now. He gripped his locker’s lock tight as tears welled in his eyes. So many had abandoned him, not wanting to listen to his pain and annoyance at this bitch.
Most considered her good, forgave her for her crimes, and in two weeks she would get away scot-free. Nye finally swung the door open and looked to his heavy coat. He hesitated as his hand raised to grab it. It is only Sunset. Is that worth it? The years of humiliation responded with, Yes.
Sunset for her part was just exiting a short embrace with Fluttershy and held her at arms length. She felt words rise in her throat but immediately forced them down. Graduation. That is when you can tell her. “So how is my favorite shy girl doing?”
Fluttershy smiled behind her hair. “I’m fine. I would be doing better though if you thought I might finally be able to convince you to come to the shelter today.” She paused and stepped away. “Not that I’m going to argue if you don’t.”
Sunset put a hand to her chin and glanced to the side, as if deep in thought. “Well… if you make me some cookies afterwards, I might just be willing.”
Fluttershy felt her heart rise at Sunset’s words and laughter. That is when Fluttershy saw Nye round the corner, one hand in his jacket. For some reason she couldn’t take her eyes off of him as he stared directly at Sunset. She tried opening her mouth, but her mouth felt dry and the tightness in her chest made it hard to breath.
The gleam of the pistol made Fluttershy wince and Sunset started to turn as the nerd scowled. Fluttershy found her body moving on its own as she forced Sunset to finish her turn. In that action though, she covered all of her friend.
Bang. Bang, bang.
Nye dropped the gun as the two girls fell. It was only supposed to be Sunset. It was only supposed to be the one who had tormented him for so long. But now two two bodies were falling, and all he could do was run.
Sunset grimaced as her side lit up in pain. She could feel something lodged into her rib and it hurt like a bitch. She glanced down at the shaking body on top of her and saw three pools of red staining the green dress Fluttershy had been wearing that day. She felt her throat catch as she gently touched Fluttershy’s back. “I… I don’t understand.”
Fluttershy felt the gentle touch of her friend. It was all she could feel as it seemed the rest of her wasn’t wanting to work. She nuzzled her head into Sunset’s dress and whimpered. The hands moved to her head and she heard Sunset’s sweet voice. The words were hard to make out, but she could tell they were comforting.
“Sunset.”
“Shut up Fluttershy. Someone must have heard that and they’ll help.”
“Really? Hmm, well, if something is wrong, I know you’ll fix it. That is why I love you.”
Sunset felt her heart stop at the words. She had to be lying. Fluttershy asked for her attention a good bit and was the first to forgive her, but it wasn’t possible. It simply wasn’t possible. She pushed the thought to the side and clutched to her friend. “Yeah, yeah I’ll fix it. I promise.”
“Are you safe? I feel something warm against my face. I wouldn’t want me to have gotten hurt and failed to protect you.”
Sunset forced back her tears as she stroked Flutter’s head. “O-of course I am. Now just be quiet.” She turned her head over her shoulder and screamed, “Help!” Her side immediately made her pay for it as she crumpled over Fluttershy.
“That… that is good. A world without a Sunset would be quite sad, don’t you think?”
Sunset stared directly into those gentle, turquoise eyes and felt a tear fall from her face. It fell between them as people finally rushed into the corridor. The splash onto Flutter’s pupil confirmed what Sunset already knew, and people had to pry her away to take care of the bullet lodged into her side.
======+++++======
The sun shone bright in the sky as the five figures entered the clearing. The grass swayed in the calm breeze and Sunset glanced at each of her friends. They also were clad in black, just as she was. She almost managed a smile as Rainbow tugged lightly at her dress. In normal circumstances she would probably be trying to rip off such a large gown, but the lack of birds chirping reminded them all to not make a fuss for their friend.
Applejack lightly pushed on her back, but Sunset didn’t immediately move. From this position a tree still blocked her view. All she could see were the two rows of chairs. Some family and friends had made it and sat as well. She didn’t know if the small child that was Fluttershy’s baby brother was silent because of threat or because he knew what was happening, but either way she thanked him for it.
Finally, Sunset stepped forward with Applejack. The strong girl wrapped an arm around her and held her tight. She had been through this before and even had a new slender dress Rarity had made her when her grandmother had finally passed on. Now she wore it again, far sooner than she had ever hoped.
Each step came with a small wince of pain for Sunset. The medics had told her that she should wait until graduation to walk more than necessary, but she wasn’t about to disrespect her friend by not showing or just sitting in a chair. She would proudly walk straight backed and fulfill that strong image that Fluttershy had protected. Applejack held her in a firm grip as she knew that the stubborn girl could collapse at any moment.
Rarity was the next to join them as she joined on the other side of Sunset. They had just reached the edge of the nice white sheet that had been laid out. She forced a smile and looked up. “Nice weather. She would have loved it today.”
Sunset looked up as well and then back at Rarity who winced at the sight of the horrendous bags under Sunset’s eyes. “Yeah, I guess it is. I hope someone brought a picnic basket or something.”
Applejack glared at Rarity as Sunset just barely didn’t bend over from pain. “I don’t think weather should be the first thing on your mind, Sugar.”
Rarity bit into her lip and glanced down. “She wouldn’t want us to be crying today. You know that as well as anyone.”
Applejack glanced down and hugged Sunset tighter. This elicited a pained moan from the wounded girl and she muttered, “Sorry.”
“Maybe I should take over?” Rainbow slipped her arm between Sunset and Applejack and shooed the latter away. She then glanced back at Sunset and gently started pushing her forward. “Um, you’re looking alright for having been shot a week ago.”
Sunset glanced back at Rainbow and leaned more on Rarity. Rainbow stopped herself from saying more and merely looked away. Pinkie noticed the awkward glances and walked down the center aisle as they were half way along it. “I can take her from here.”
Sunset looked into Pinkie’s face and saw no smile. The girl’s hair was slicked back behind her ears and flat as a board. The same tear streaks that had stayed on her face reflected on Sunset’s and they both hugged each other in quiet understanding of the others pain. No small talk or jokes would make them feel better. Only the presence of others and time could heal their wounds.
Pinkie let out a slight grunt as Sunset and her walked forward and stopped in front of the wooden casket. It had a smooth, glossy finish, but Sunset doubted it was by lamination or anything such as that. She wouldn’t have liked it then. Her hand ran the smooth length before finally glancing within.
Fluttershy stared back with that same soft smile she had in the hallway. They had put her arms to her side and changed the bloodied dress with a beautiful white gown. She looked serene, and only the wide open eyes reminded her that her love was gone. She bit into her lip as she was filled with guilt, shame, and mostly regret. She plucked a flower from the wreath that surrounded Fluttershy’s head and rolled it in her hands while turning to the mourners.
“I… I can’t tell you how honored I am to be the one with the privilege to read her eulogy, even though I feel the most underqualified. Fluttershy… she was one of the first I ever abused. She was simply an easy target. So shy, so frail, so hopeful. A bully couldn’t have asked for more.” Sunset stopped and placed the flower in her hair. “But neither could a friend.”
“If someone had a problem or were hurt, you knew she would listen. Even if talking to others wasn’t her specialty, you knew every word was from the heart and meant so much to her. She never lied or meant anyone harm, not from what I knew.” She glanced back at Fluttershy and forced herself not cry, not yet.
“You were the best person anyone could want. You could take someone who was broken and make them brand new. She gave everything she could to all those who surrounded her and for that we will always be grateful and keep her in our memories.”
She bent over as Pinkie placed a hand on her shoulder. Sunset’s lips softly pecked Fluttershy’s cheek and she whispered, “I love you.” She rose and looked to Pinkie who had one hand curled into a fist. Tears fell down the pink girl’s face as she merely collapsed against Sunset.
“Please. She always thought you could get rid of anything you faced, so get rid of this. Don’t, don’t leave our friend like this.” Pinkie felt Sunset’s arms wrap around her and the two awkwardly shuffled to a pair of empty seats in the back.
The others slowly walked up and paid their own respects. Rainbow tried acting tough but had to be pried off when she clutched to the casket and cried into it. Applejack merely put her hat on the body as a parting gift and straightened the white gown while lamenting on how Fluttershy would have made a beautiful bride. Rarity smiled down at Fluttershy and tucked the pink hair behind her ear before crying softly. Each one in turn sat around Sunset and Pinkie and leaned against each of them in silence.
The sun was setting as Rainbow fell out of her chair and snapped them out of their stupor. Applejack glanced back at the fallen friend. “You okay?”
“No.” Rainbow jumped to her feet. “And I’m not going to be. Do you know how much this all sucks?” She watched as the other four stayed silent before she burst. “Say something already!”
Rarity’s gaze slowly moved to the noise. “Say what?”
Rainbow faltered. “I… I don’t know, just something. Maybe about how much this sucks, how much you miss her voice? Just, just something.”
Pinkie nuzzled back into Sunset. “It doesn’t matter. Nothing matters right now.”
“How about you Sunset?” Rainbow stomped over to in front of Sunset while her eyes stung. “Do you have anything more for her?”
Sunset bit into her cheek. “Pinkie was right. Fluttershy always thought I would solve the problems I faced. This... “ She stopped and stared into the tortured eyes looking down upon her that finally shed tear once more. “This is just another thing I need to fix.”
Applejack propped her head up at the defiant tone. “Sunset?”
She sucked in a tight breath. “I doubt it would work, but it was in the same part of the library that told me about the elements. One of Star Swirl’s journals. It… It proposed time traveling spell more potent than anything in existence. One that required little magic, but could go back as far as someone wanted.”
Pinkie looked up. “You could?”
Sunset nodded. “I’ve been thinking about it since you said I had to do something. This is all I can think of. All we need to do now is grab our instruments and let me be on vocals. I’ll do the rest.”
It took a little more coaxing, but soon the other four left Sunset alone. The girl walked up to the casket once more and ran her hand over the flower emblem on the front. She had to make up for this mistake. She had hurt, manipulated, and shook people to their core. But never before had she killed someone. She shut her eyes and could only hope her theory was right, even if it came at a great cost.
Finally the others came and set up. None were smiling, as none of them were willing to build their hopes up. Slowly Rarity started, each note a sorrowful spike through the participants’ hearts. Rainbow slammed her first chord down as her knees threatened to buckle from how hard she struck at her guitar. The notes weren’t smooth, but they reflected the chaotic feelings that filled her.
Applejack soon joined in with a smooth tone filling the background and space. They were quiet, calm, but filled anyone who heard them with a weight that only silent depression had. Finally, Pinkie came in with her foot stomping on the ground every few moments and in time with the crash of her cymbals. Then she would grow silent for another few moments and do it all over again.
Sunset swallowed hard and let out a low, sweet tone. The words were a language none of the other four could understand as she worked the magic within her. Ears and wings slowly formed on their respective owners as the sound filled the air. No one noticed as the wind picked up and started encircling Sunset. They were too busy diving into their pain with each note. By the time they finished the song, Sunset was gone.
======+++++======
Fluttershy smiled behind her hair. “I’m fine. I would be doing better though if you thought I might finally be able to convince you to come to the shelter today.” She paused and stepped away. “Not that I’m going to argue if you don’t.”
Sunset put a hand to her chin and glanced to the side, as if deep in thought. “Well… if you make me some cookies afterwards, I might just be willing.”
Fluttershy felt her heart rise at Sunset’s words and laughter. That is when Fluttershy saw Nye round the corner, one hand in his jacket. For some reason she couldn’t take her eyes off of him as he stared directly at Sunset. She tried opening her mouth, but her mouth felt dry, cracked, and frozen.
The gleam of the pistol made Fluttershy wince and Sunset started to turn as the nerd scowled. Fluttershy found her body moving on its own as she forced Sunset to finish her turn. In that action though, she covered all of Sunset.
Bang. Bang, bang.
Fluttershy felt a sharp pain in her shoulder and her knees buckled as she let out a shrill cry of pain. She crumpled to the floor and felt tears stinging her eyes as Sunset stared beyond her.
An old woman in a black gown lay on the ground in a slowly growing pool of blood. Sunset was already rushing over and put her jacket over the woman. “Just, just stay right there ma’am. You… you’ll be fine.”
The old woman looked up and smiled at Sunset. She gripped into the yellow girl’s hand and almost laughed at the rough skin. “Sunset, I need to tell you something.”
Sunset stopped and looked back at the woman. “Ho, how do you know my name?”
“It, it doesn’t matter. I don’t have, nng, much time. Just… look. Look back at Fluttershy and think about what would have happened to her if I had not shown up.”
Sunset looked backwards and saw Fluttershy looking back. She was sobbing on the ground as blood escaped from the hole in her shoulder, but two crumbled bullets lay between her and the old woman. For a moment she saw all three within the shy girl and felt her heart almost stop. She rushed over to the young girl and started whispering words of comfort as she helped her up. Fluttershy was soon rushed to the nurses room with Sunset as people entered the hallway.
All that was left of the old woman was dust and a black gown.
Sunset and Fluttershy scared Nurse Redheart as they burst into her room. They were informed that the gunshot hadn’t hit anywhere important and a few stitches later the wound was closed and Fluttershy was sitting on the bed. The whole time Sunset had been quiet though and now she felt her hand be gently grabbed.
“Are you okay?”
Sunset let out a small chuckle as a tear ran down her face. “Shouldn’t I be asking you that? I mean you are the one who is waiting on the paramedics.”
Fluttershy squeezed the hand harder. “You haven’t been able to look at me since we got in here. Why?”
A shudder run through Sunset and she put her head between her legs. “Because… because I don’t deserve someone like you. I want to so badly but, but how do I make up the fact that I was so mean before and now that side of me almost…” She stopped and cleared her throat. “You could have died, you know?”
The shy girl glanced down. “I… I do, but I didn’t think about it then. I could only think about how you were going to die and how sad that would make me. How much it would hurt having you gone.”
Sunset’s mouth became dry as she turned to Fluttershy. “I shouldn’t even hope, but I have to try. I can’t risk almost losing you again before I know.” She swallowed hard and found no help there as she could barely force out the words. “I love you. Do you… love me?”
Fluttershy felt tears fall from her eyes. They weren’t from pain like before and filled her with warmth as all she could was try to hug Sunset. She immediately found herself pushed back on the bed with her shoulder in pain.
“Don’t be stupid. I can do this next part.” Sunset slowly lowered herself and felt at the last moment Fluttershy push herself up and connect with her lips. The kiss was salty and brief, but it was more then enough for the two as their time together came to a close because of the paramedics rushing in.
