Chapters the pride before the fall
Sunset shimmer walked into school that morning wearing a bright smile from ear to ear, it had been two months since the Dazzlings had been stopped and left powerless by her, Twilight and their friends and honestly, things were looking up.
After what had happened everyone had completely forgotten about Sunset's psychotic breakdown before where she'd used Twilight's crown to turn herself into an uncontrollable demon and tried to enslave the whole school. Many of them smiled and greeted Sunset as she walked by. "Hey Vinyl." Sunset said as she opened her locker next to the girl with the electric blue hair and purple shades.
When Vinyl gave no reply Sunset tapped her shoulder, Vinyl removed her earbuds and Sunset giggled "Principal Celestia confiscate your headphones again?" Vinyls nodded.
She was a girl do very few words but ask the right questions and the quiet DJ could be a colourful conversationist.
"You know that might happen a lot less if you could pay a little more attention to where you were going?" Sunset said giving Vinyl a smirk, raising an eyebrow. Vinyl chuckled then pointed as a note fell out of Sunset's locker onto her boot. SunsetShimmer picked up the note and opened it reading it quietly in her mind, then passing it on to Vinyl.
"I think Octy forgot which locker is yours again." She said with the same mischieviously smirk, Vinyl blushed taking the note and tucking it away into her math book. "Don't worry I didn't read all of It." Sunset re-assured her friend. "But seriously how long are you two gonna play the secret Romeo and Juliet game?"
The DJ just hugged her books rubbing the back of her neck nervously with a shy smile.
Sunset just rolled her eyes. "Fine just put a sticker on your locker or something cuz honestly one of these days someone's gonna catch you if Octy keeps putting the notes in my locker by accident."
Vinyl nodded and ran off to class at the sound of the bell. Sunset giggled watching the DJ run as fast as her feet would carry her down the hall, around the corner and out of sight. With a sigh Sunset shut her lock, stuffing her books into her backpack and saying. "One if these days those two are gonna have some serious explaining to do, thank god Pinkie doesn't know there little secret'd be on the front page if the school paper." Sunset chuckled slightly at her own joke as she walked in yeh opposite direction of Vinyl to her science class.
Sunset sat down next to her lab partner and leaned in to get a better look at the notes for the day. "So what's on the agenda today professor Octavia?" She asked the A plus student slash budding Cellist Octavia Melody.
"Oh good morning Sunset." Octavia replied looking up from the notes. "Well it's rather simple really, we're just comparing how wood burns compared to paper, magnesium and iron filings."
Sunset gave another chuckle "geez you think the teacher's mom never told him not to play with fire, have we do up anything without the Bunsen burners this week?"
Octavia smiled "not to my recollection." She retorted. "So how was your weekend?" She asked holding a match over the spout of the burner and turning on the gass, a small flame flashed on tend Octavia dropped the match onto a heat mat watching as it quickly suffocated the flame.
"Meh pretty good, had another slumber party at Pinkie's, AJ and I had a little fun making her sister think the barn was haunted." Sunset couldn't stop herself and chuckled wiping a tear from her eye as they watered. "I honestly felt sorry for the poor kid, she fell back into the heybail and AppleJack spent the entire afternoon picking it out of her hair."
Octavia allowed herself to give a small chuckle, normally she would not have given the expectations set for her but if Sunset could break people's expectations, then why not she from time to time. "How's Vinyl? I heard a rumour going around she wasn't comming in today because of a doctor's appointment."
"Oh no she's here, I bumped into her earlier." Sunset replied "maybe she's going later or something or maybe she large addy went I dunno." They both put on their safety goggles and tied their hair back so it wouldn't catch fire. "By the way you mixed up our lockers again Octy." Octavia blushed.
"Oh shoot!" She said quietly.
"Relax no one saw, and it only read the first sentence, then I gave it to Vinyl." Sunset giggled as Octavia let oth a sigh of relief "I also told Vinyl to put a sticker on her locker so you won't forget."
"Thank you Sunset." Octavia said "and thanks for not telling everyone after um.. What happened." She said still blushing a nervous smile on her face.
"No problem, I mean it is kinda cuz of me you two met." She giggled "we'll maybe Pinkie since she's the one who suggested we play 7 minutes of heaven crossed with spin the bottle." Sunset began uncontrollably giggling childishly again. "I-I swe-he-hear, the look on your face when hahahahaaaaa, when the bottle landed on you and Vinyl hahhaa."
"Shhh not so loud!" Octavia said quietly.
"Ok ok sorry." Sunset shimmer said regaining her composure "phew but you gotta admit you did look pretty funny." Octavia rolled her eyes.
"Alright perhaps I over reacted slightly."
"Slightly? You hid behind Bon Bon and I swear I heard you cry out for your mother." Sunset said laughing again
"W-we'll at least I didn't panick and bang my head on the coat rack like Bon Bin did when it landed on her and Lyra." Octavia snapped back.
"Ooo yeah, man I think that was the weirdest way for us to find out... I still can't believe the two of your knew before I did." Sunset said
"We'll naturally." Octavia replied "Vinyl tend I had known Bon Bon long before we'd started hanging out. And again sorry about what I said"
Sunset shimmer waved her hand "water under the bridge I mean come on you were drunk."
"Um that's not what I meant." Octavia said with a pause "and just wheat Possessed Bon Bon's father to give her that bottle of wine I'll never know." Octavia said rubbing her temples "my head is still pounding."
"Still?" Sunset asked "that slumber party was over a week ago."
"Yes but if you recall we all drank so much that according to Vinyl I had started cussing like a sailor and Bon Bin had apparently become something Lyra referred to as." Octavia used her fingers for air quotes "Bombed Bon."
"H-hey I was nervous ok?!" Bon Bon yelled from the work table next to them where she and Lyra were sitting "it was my first time I jesting alcahol."
"I think that goes for all of us Bonnie." Sunset said smiling having not realized Lyra and Bon Bon were right next to them. "Sorry guess we just got carried away telling old stories."
"It's fine." Bon Bin replied calming down. "Let's just, try not to bring it up too much ok? It's kind of embarrassing. And don't even get me started on how my mom reacted."
The rest of science class passed by almost uneventfully, all going we'll.. That is until Trixie had somehow managed to cause a small explosion using only the magnesium, paper and iron filings and having to be sent to the nurses office to repeat her third digress burns on her left hand.
"Ooh tough luck." Bon Bon said.
"Yes quite." Octavia replied "especially sin e that's her writing hand."
"Oh crap don't we have english next?" Sunset asked and she, Lyra, Octavia and Bon Bon all shared concerned looks.
The bell rang and the students all departed to relax during their free period before their next class, Octavia ducking out into the girls bathroom and Lyra stopping with Bon Bon as she opened her locker to drop off her science books and pick up her english books.
It was then Sunset ran into one of her friends. "Hey Sunseeet!" A familiar and cheery voice sang out as Sunst was pulled into a Big bearhug by a surprisingly strong girl with curly pink hair like Cotten candy.
"Hey Pinkie pie." Sunset replied "uh Pinkie?" She choked out as Pinkie's grip tightened. "Kinda hard to breath."
"Wow Pinkie heal girl." Dash joked as she pulled pinkie off of Sunset, Pinkie pretended to be a dog holding her hands out infront of her like paws.
"Arf Arf."
"Now that is just plain wierd." Applejack said staring at pinkie with an eyebrow raised. "Sometimes ah think y'all take so e jokes just a toe too far Pinkiepie."
"Meh what're you gonna do?" Pinkie asked before giggling childishly and pulling a pencil out of her hair which had jumped out of sunset's grip as she'd surprise attacked her. "Here you go." She said giving the pencil back to Susnet.
"Thanks Pinkie." Sunset said smiling putting the pencil into her jacket pocket. "So how have you girls been?"
"Awesome, same as always." Rainbowdash replied first.
"Pretty good, still haven't managed to get all the hey outta Applebloom's hair bless her." AJ said as she started chuckling "sh-she's actually convinced she's turnin into a scarecrow." Pinkie Rainbow and Sunset chuckled with her the thought was just so silly.
"Hmhmhm ah the naive minds of little sisters." Sunset said her hands on her chest as if what applejack had said had touched her heart somewhat.
"I wish I had a little sister." Pinkie said.
"Wowowow Pinkie I think one of you is quite a handful already," Rainbowdash joked. "We don't need another one."
"Hmm probably right." Pinkie said "sometimes there is such a thing as too much fun hmhm." Sunset rolled her eyes smiling.
"Yeah sure Pinkie, so you guys psyched about the big field trip tomorrow." Sunset asked.
"You bet yer leather jacket ah am." Applejack said giving a fist pump for effect.
"Hyper my boots fine but hands off the jacket." Sunset joked.
"I don't get it though Shimmer, you dress up like a biker but you don't even have your licence yet." Rainbow said.
"You don't have to have a motor bike to wear a biker jacket Dash." Sunset replied "besides I like this jacket, and I'm getting my license next week, I even saved up enough money to buy a bike."
"That is so cool!" Pinkie said.
"We'll no better time to decide then our field trip to the automotive factory tomorrow." Applejack said. "Way I hear it this company is the only one in town, responsible for assemblin and distributin cars and motorbikes of all kinds all over town and even the next town over."
"That is seriously awesome." Rainbowdash added. "When I get my licence I'm gonna get a car though, then we can all go cruisin down the highway."
"Yeah we can carpool during Sumer vacay and hang out at the beach." Pinkiepie chimed in.
"Yeah that sounds fun." Sunset replied.
"Now hang on there sugar cube, Rainbow doesn't get her licence for another year or so, and ah reckon it'll take her a while, so how's this I'll se if ah can get mah brother Big Mac to drive us up in the family pickup." Applejack suggested.
"Hmm that would be better then taking the bus." Sunset said.
"And safer then all of us trying to pile one Sunset's bike." Pinkie said making all of the. Laugh.
"Alrighty then ah'll ask Big Mac tonight after school once all mah chores are done." Applejack said slapping Rainbow a high five.
"Awesome this summer is gonna rock." Rainbowdash said as all four of them exchanged high fives.
The next morning Sunset shimmer was e last to climb onto the bus her class was taking to the automobile assembly plant for their class field trip, she spotted Vinyl and Octavia sitting just infront of Lyra and Bon Bon, Snips and Snails arguing in the back with Trixie, her arm in to cast under nurse Redheart's orders, trying to cover her ears as the two gave her a splitting headache, kindly Sunset gave her a set of earplugs she kept in her backpack for just such emergencies as she passed the silver haired girl and Trixie smiled, putting them in as quickly as possible as Sunset sat with her friends next to pinkie pie I the back, opposite where snips and snails were.
"Morning sunset." Pinkiepie said from next to her, Sunset looking back at her from the window.
"Oh hey Pinkie." She chuckled. "So you girls excited for the fieldtrip?"
"Sure are." Applejack nodded tipping her hat.
"You bet." Rainbow added.
"Ofcourse." Rarity said Fluttershy just nodding next to her.
"I was so us cited I couldn't even get to sleep last night!" Pinkie yelled excitedly.
"How is that different form any other day Pinkie?" Sunset joked and all six of them laughed. "I mean maybe you just couldn't sleep cuz you had too much sugar, have you girls seen what miss cotton candy here keeps in her fridge?"
"Oh my yes, Pinkie whatever do you need that much whipped cream for?" Rarity asked.
"That's for me to know and Sunset to find out." Pinkie said.
"Wha?" Sunset tilted her head in confusion, the others just giggled among themselves.
"Oh Pinkiepie your jokes are simply terrible sometimes." Rarity said waving her hand at Pinkie.
"Yeah like." Rainbowdash struggled to hold in her chuckles "like that one time, on AJ's birthday when you hahahaha oh god my sides hurt!"
"What?" Sunset shimmer asked looking back at Rainbowdash.
"N-no I ca-ha-han't haha, you tell em AJ!" Rainbowdash said gesturing to the farm girl sitting next to her.
Applejack rolled her eyes. "She dressed up in mah ganny smiths old saloon girl costume she wore for Halloween when she was mah age an we'll, plum fell of stage right ontop of me."
"Oh.. My, I remember that." Fluttershy said her face slightly pink with embarrassment.
"Oh yes, that was quite... Um... Awkward." Rarity said also blushing smiling nervously.
"Maaaaybe we shouldn't talk about it." Sunset shimmer said sharing the same nervous blush as Rarity. The five other girls nodded and after a little elbow nudging from AJ Rainbowdash finally stopped laughing. "So RD and AJ fill you two in on the plan for next week during summer vacation?" Sunset asked rarity and Fluttershy.
"Oh my yes it sounds delightful." Rarity said "I can't wait to see your new bike Sunset darling I'm sure you'll look."
"AWESOME!" Dash interrupted.
"Yes hmhmhm quite." Rarity said snickering a bit. "And I've personally handmade some designer swimsuits for all of us."
"Oh wow thanks Rarity." Sunset said. "You really didn't have to, I was just gonna buy one from the beach store when we got there."
"None sense darling." Rarity said. "I knew full well you didn't own a swimsuit therefore I took it upon myself to fashion you one, then once I started I couldn't stop, so I went with the flow and before I know it I'd created a whole line, six new swimsuits each one designed after one of us."
"Well shoot Rarity how do y'all manage to do that? Ah mean it's almost like y'all were born to do it."
"Oh I know." Rarity replied. "It's almost as if it just comes naturally." Sunset rolled her eyes giggling as she looked out the window at the passing landscape, if only they knew.
A few hours later they arrived at the factory assembly plant and all the students exited the bus, getting organised into pairs and standing in a line a instructed by the attendant that greeted them, Pinkie and Sunset stood at the back, Applejack tend Rainbowdash infront of them and finally Rarity and Fluttershy infront of them, at the front of the line it came no surprise to Sunset the four students she saw and how they were paired up.
Vinyl stood next to Octavia following close behind Lyra as she stood next to Bin Bon, they were all instructed to hold their tour buddy's hand for the duration so no one got lost.
This have the four the perfect excuse to hold hands without arising suspicions.
"If you'd like to follow me this way we'll start the tour." A man by the name of Flam said twisting his mustache in his hand with a. Friendly smile.
"Alright class stick together now." Miss Cherilee said as she lead the class with Mr Flam into the factory.
"Now this company wasn't always the esteemed business you know today." Mr Flam began as they walked through the foyer and down a hall, the walls if which were adorned with pictures and a few framed care parts, just small ones though such as hood ornaments and fancy side mirros. "This company was actually founded after a wealthy incester decided to indulge one of my brother's whacky inventions." Flam continued. "We started this company together, myself and my beloved brother Flim, god rest his soul." He removed his hat as they passed a bust of Flim, he looked exactly like Flam but without the mustache, a plaque underneath read. 'Lest we forget the creative little cook who started all this.'
"Oh my, mr Flam are you alright?" Miss Cherilee asked putting a hand on his shoulder.
"You're very kind miss but I'm fine, I made piece with my brothers passing long ago, but that's not why we're here no, we're here to revel in the wonders my brother's clever little creations went on to become, a few years ago when I suspect all of you were just little tots or twinkles in your mother's eyes my brother Flim was in his garage working on an old junker he'd dragged home form the junk yard." He said as he began to tell a story. Many of the students whispered to each other so as not to be rude but they weren't really paying attention either. "And that's how today the FlimFlam auto motives company became the titan of industry it is today."
The class stopped as they came to a large door with a warning dangerous equipment sign on it. "Truly amazing, quite the astounding piece of history isn't it class?" Miss Cherilee asked.
The class nodded each one smiling, all except for two students in hoodies Sunset was sure weren't behind her and Pinkie just a moment ago. "No kiddos we're about to enter the heart of the company, the assembly line, be careful and please for your own safety follow the red line painted on the floor." The class nodded and they proceeded it of large room, loud noises nearly defended them as they watched the large heavy machinery putting together a car piece by piece. Mr Flam didn't even say anything as he felt what the kids saw was explination enough for what went on in here, as they crossed a walkway that acted like a bridged over the assembly line, Sunset and Pinkie both felt a hand on their shoulders.
The students in the hoodies covered their mouths and ass the rest if the class continued on un-noticed, the hooded figures pulled Pinkie and Sunset apart and with Sunset watching one of them pushed Pinkie over the side, she dangled over the assembly line and screamed "HEEEELP!"
The figures ran letting go of Sunset shimmer who ran over to pinkie. "Hang on!" Sunset reached over the side for Pinkie but she couldn't quite reach. The rest of the class turned back as they heard Pinkie cry out again. "Don't worry Pinkie I got you, just hang on,"
"P-Pinkie promise?" She asked looking. Genipuinly scare.
"Pinkie promise." Sunset said as she reached for her.
"Oh my Mr Flam do something." Miss Cherilee said starting to panic.
"Shut down the assembly line!" Mr Flam called to a man in the operating room, her hurried to begin the shutdown sequence but it would take time. "You two come with me we need to get those girls out of there." He said pointing to two of his workers who followed him back tot he bridged, Chierilee staying behind to watch the rest of the class.
"All... Most... There." Sunset said trying her hardest to reach down to Pinkie, but just as she was a hair's distance form her, Mr Flam grabbed her and pulled her back. "Huh?! Wait no! Let me go! She needs help!"
"Calm down now missy." Mr Flam said holding Sunset back as she watched the workers walk over to where Pinkie was still in danger. "Your friend'll be fine but we can't risk you getting hurt too."
One of the workers reached down, but as he did Pinkie lost her grip and fell down, the assembly line stopped... But it Was too late.
Sunset struggled out of Mr Flam's grip and ran to the side, looking over it to see Pinkie, covered in bruises and scratches a few of which were bleeding, she laid unconscious in the damaged roof of an incomplete car.
The world froze for a moment.. Sunset started tearing up as she slowly backed away from the side, she dropped to her knees hugging herself, whispering as she had a nervous breakdown. "No, no not now, not again, no no no no." She sobbed quietly, Mr Foam walking over to her slowly, putting a hand on her shoulder to comfort her as he knelt down beside her.
A few hours later, Sunset was sitting outside Pinkie s hospital room. A nurse walked out standing infront if her. "Hey." She said with a smile. "You ok?" Sunset nodded quietly wiping a tear from her eye. "Sh-she's awake now if you'd like to see her... Just don't be too energetic ok? She needs to take it easy."
"'Sniff' ok." Sunset said drying her eyes and standing up, slowly walking into Pinkiepie's hospital room.
She looked at the girl laying in the bed, an IV needle showing she was on morphine for the pain. Rarity was hugging Fluttershy to try keep her calm, Applejack sat beside Pinkie holding her hand. Pinkie smiled as she saw Sunset shimmer. "H... Hey there... Sunset." She said weakly.
Sunset gave a weak forced smile of her own, it was hard for her to try be happy,but she had to at least a little.. For Pinkie's sake. "Hey Pinkie." She said softly. "How are you holding up?"
"Oh... Pretty good." She said. "Doctors said... I'll be right as rain... In to few days.. Then I can go home."
"That's great." Sunset responded.
"We... Still on for... The beach?" Pinkie asked.
Sunset paused for a moment then said. "Yeah Pinkie... Though you may have to take it easy ok?"
"Ok." Pinkie said smiling.
Then AJ added. "Say uh, Sunset? Mind If'n ah talk to ya outside?"
"Um sure." Sunset said.
"Be right back Pinkie." Applejack said, and Rainbowdash who had been sitting in the corner took Applejack's place at Pinkie's side as AJ and Sunset stepped out of the hospital room. "Listen sugar cube." AJ said putting her hands on Sunset's shoulders. "Ah appreciate y'all bein a strong li'l soldier but, ya gotta know... The doc sez the fall completely paralysed Pinkie from the waist down... She's gonna be in a wheelchair when she gets out an.l. Chances are she ain't commin outta it any time son."
Sunset began to tear up again. "W-what?!" She whispered so Pinkie wouldn't hear.
"It don't mean we can't still try cheerin her up as you said back in there but... She ain't gonna be the same Pinkie anymore."
"Oh god... This is all my fault." Sunset said and AJ hugged her.
"No it ain't, now y'all know that's just applesauce." Applejack replied trying to calm her down. "Ya did the best ya could."
"Which still wasn't enough." Rainbowdash said stepping out of the room angrily.
"Dash now ya'll stop that ya hear? Poor girls in bits an pieces as it is." Applejack said in a. Mixture of harshness and tenderness as she was feeling conflicted between scolding Rainbow and comforting Sunset.
"Well it's true, and some things just don't add up in my head, Pinkie and Sunset were at the back of the line and I didn't see anyone else with them. So how did Pinkie even end up dangling over the edge?" Rainbowdash asked.
"She probably lost her balance an fell."
"Bullshit!" Rainbow yelled.
"Dash! Watch her language!" AJ snapped.
"You know what I think?!" Dash asked tears in her eyes a look of rage on her face. "I think Sunset pushed her over the edge!"
"W-wha?! N-no Rainbow I didn't I swear, I wouldn't!" Sunset replied
"Then how else could she have fell?! Huh?!" Rainbowdash asked getting uncomfortably close to Sunset shimmer poking her chest with her finger accusingly.
"Now Dash that's enough!" AJ said sternly.
"Th-there were these two girls in hoodies, I don't know where they came form b-but they!" Sunset tried to explain.
"Don't lie!" Rainbowdash yelled "I can't stand liars! Just get lost will ya?! Get out of here and don't come near Pinkie or any of us again!"
"Rainbow!" Applejack yelled.
"Hey guys." A weak little voice called out and all three of them stopped dead in there tracks, Applejack looking sad, Rainbowdash heartbroken, and Sunset about to come apart at the seems. It was Pinkie, Rarity held the door open for her so she could see them. "D-don't fight... It's not... Sunset's fault."
At that moment... SunsetShimmer couldn't take it anymore... SHE felt her heart shatter into a million tiny pieces and she turned and ran crying her eyes out. "Sunset!" Rarity called after her. "Wait."
"Ooo now y'all have really done it this time Rainbowdash." Applejack said harshly at her.
Sunset ran outside and kept running, it was raining. Cats and dogs so she was freezing and soaking wet by the time she'd gotten home, only to find someone had changed the locks. "Huh?" She dried her tears and looked up, a note was pinned to the door, she took it in her hands and read it. "Dear miss Shimmer, we regret to inform you that due to the warranted search of your house that upon discovery of several questionable substances you are hereby evicted, furthermore a hearing will be held in court in three days to determine your sanity and or to recognise and if needed prescribe physical and psychological treatment if you have indeed become heavily addicted to." She stopped reading banging her head on the door. "No no not now, I can't deal with this now." She said new tears forming I her eyes, she pulled aya hugging herself. "Where am I gonna sleep tonight?" She thought to herself for a moment. "Bon Bon." She said "she might be willing to let me stay, just for one night."
And wi that Sunset ran as fast as she could, the letter tucked away under her jacket to protect it from the rain as she bolted down the street towards Bon Bon's house.
It's all downhill from here
Bon Bon got up from the sofa, pausing the program she was watching as she heard a knock in the door. She opened the door to see Sunset Shimmer, shivering from the cold, sopping wet from her head down to her toe. "Oh my." Bon Bon said.
"H-hey B-Bon Bon c-can I c-c-come in ?" Sunset asked.
"Oh o-ofcourse. Come in sweetie you're hands are like ice." She said guiding Sunset into the living room. "You stay here I'm gonna get you a blanket, then go run you a nice hot bath.
"Th-th-thanks Bon Bon." Sunset replied with a small smile. "Y-you're to k-k-kind."
"Nonesense." Bon Bon replied. "Now you sit down and just relax." Sunset smiled and Bon. Bon draped a blanket over her, running upstairs to run her a bath. Sunset looked around the house, Bon Bon's parents were out for the night so Bon. Bon was home alone. On the walls were numerous pictures of Bon Bon and her family, one or two with Lyra in them, Sunset smiled, then frowned as she looked back down at the letter in her hands.
"Where the heck did they find " Sunset sighed hugging her knees. "I can't believe this... Sigh what am I suppose to do?" She asked no one in particular.
"Hey you ok?" Bon Bon asked from the bottom of the stairs, in her state of deep thought Sunset had forgotten where she was and as a result turned sharply hiding the letter behind her as she saw Bon Bon.
"Y-yeah, I'm fine." She said but. Bon Bon wasn't convinced.
"What's that letter about?" She asked noticing it behind Sunset's back, as Sunset hid the letter Bon Bon looked concerned. "Hey it's ok, we're friends right?" Bon Bon asked. "If what's in that letter is upsetting you maybe talking about it will make you feel better."
"I... I appreciate the thought Bon Bon but please... Just don't."
Bon Bon looked sad for a moment, almost disappointed, but respected her friend's decision. "Ok." She said. "We'll your bath's all ready, go ahead upstairs and just leave your clothes on my bed I'll put them through the wash and you can stay here tonight, my parents won't mind."
"Thanks Bon Bon." Sunset said smiling and headed upstairs, getting undressed and climbing into the bath.
A relaxed sigh escaped her mouth as Sunset relaxed into the warm soothing water. "Ahhhh much better," she said starting to relax, all her worries melting away, she cleaned up and exited the bathroom, wrapped in a towel while using another to dry her hair, feeling clean and refreshed. "Thanks Bon Bon that bath really." Sunset stopped in her tracks as she saw Bon. Bon holding the letter from her jacket.
"S-Sunset?" Bon Bon said feeling confused and a little worried.
"B-Bon Bon I can explain I-it's not true I swear, I came home earlier and the locks had been changed and at note was on my door, I promise what it says isn't true." Sunset panicked as she tried to explain.
Bon Bon stayed quiet looking at the letter, then back at Sunset. "I... I believe you."
"R-really?" Sunset asked.
"Yes." Bon Bon said. "We'll about the drugs at least... But... Everyone at school heard from. RD about what happened in the hospital, some parts we're mostly sceptical about but... A lot of us are worried about your mental state Sunset."
"W-wha?" Sunset now looked a little frightened.
"Look... I just want you to know... What happened to Pinkie... It wasn't your fault." Bon Bon said putting a hand on Sunset's shoulder. Sunset sighed now feeling depressed again.
"Thanks for letting me stay Bon Bon, don't worry I'll find somewhere else to stay tomorrow."
"You gonna be ok?" Bon Bon asked.
"Yeah." Sunset replied. "H-hey um if it's alright with you I'm gona turn in for the night."
"Sure." Bon Bon relied with a comforting smile. "There's a set of Jamie's on my bed for you, I'll bunk on the sofa." Sunset smiled, feeling she didn't deserve the kindness Bon Bon offered her, she was always so generous. Sunset often wondered if there was a scrap of anything other then sweet tender kindness in Bon Bon.
Sunset shimmer soon changed into a spare set of Jammies Bon Bon had given her, they were a bit small showing off her stomach as Bon. Bon was a size or two smaller then sunset but she appreciated the gesture so she didn't complain. The PJ's were blue with yellow candy stripes going diagonally across them, Sunset giggled thinking they were kind of cute.
She got into bed, snuggling down under the covers, Bon Bon's bed was soft and warm. "Goodnight." Bon Bon said her hand on the light switch.
"Night." Sunset replied closing her eyes, Bon Bon turned off the light and closed the door, leaving Sunset to get some rest.
The next day after breakfast, Sunset and Bon Bon walked to school together. A few people whispered as she passed by. "Hey isn't that Sunset Shimmer?" One girl asked. "I heard she pushed Pinkie off a bridge." A guy added "Oh my that's terrible." Another girl whispered but Sunset still heard it.
"Did you hear? They say she's gone coo co and is dosing up to try cope." Sunset turned to the source of the latest whisper and is hurt to see it was none other then Flash sentry, her Ex.
"I-I'm not crazy!" Sunset yelled at him a little hurt but not helping her case, everyone now stared at her.
"It's ok Sunset just calm down." Bon Bon said.
"Don't get to close. Bon Bon. " Lyra said pulling her away.
"Huh?! Lyra!" Bon Bon said a little shocked, but then Lyra was the highly suggest able type.
"The whole school knows Bonnie she's lost it!" Lyra said. Then over the intercom as the whispers got out of hand becoming rather loud murmurs among the mass of students, vice principal. Luna's voice rang out on the intercom.
"Would miss Sunset Shimmer please report to Principal Celestia's office?" The announcement ended there and Sunset awkwardly made her way to the principal's office, hiding her face in shame behind the collar of her jacket as she attempted to pull it over herself to hide form the accusing stares of the student body.
"Y-you wanted to see me Principal Celestia?" She asked stepping into the office, the principal gestured to the seat infront of her.
"Yes please sit down Sunset." As Sunset nervously sat down Celestia spoke again. "Are you alright? You seem, nervous."
"U-uh I-I... I'm sorta confused at the moment." Sunset admitted, Celestia wrote something down, a glint of disappointment in her eye dispute the calm look she kept on her face.
"And, how have you been?... After the incident I mean, I understand you've been evicted from your house. "
"H-who?" Sunset was cut off as Celestia continued.
"The police told me.... Now please, how have you been'?"
"I... I'm.... Scared. " Sunset replied hugging her knees, Celestia gave that same sort of sad, disappointed glint as she wrote something else down.
"And where are you currently staying?"
"Um.. I... " this time. Sunset didn't really have an answer. "Bon Bon let me stay at her place last night but.. I don't know where I'm gonna sleep tonight." Celestia wrote soemthing down again, this made. Sunset nervous. "Um P-Principal Celestia ? W-what're you writing?" She asked.
"Nothing." The principal said calmly. Then Luna came in and Celestia handed her the paper she'd been writing on. "Now don't worry about staying anywhere, until we can get this whole mess straightened out you can stay in the gym."
"Sister!" Luna said her and Sunset giving her shocked and surprised looks. "It is against school policy to."
Luna was cut off by Celestia giving her a determined glare. "Luna, we will talk about this later, right now a student requires our support and I would sooner hand in my resignation then deny this girl the aid she clearly needs." Those words clicked in Sunsets head and she slowly got up backing away to the door.
'Help she needs ?' What's that mean? And what was Celestia writing earlier? These questions buzzed through. Sunset's head and she froze as her back pressed against the door and both. Principal and vice principal turned to face her. "My-you think I''my crazy." She muttered.
"No not at all Sunset." Celestia said trying to keep her calm, unfortunately Sunset didn't believe her.
She opened the door and ran down the hall bumping into multiple members of faculty and students, Luna and Celestia chasing after her, other teachers aided in the persuit as they watched their principal and vice principal chase after Sunset, in her panick and a split second decision sunset bolted left through the performing arts class, tripping over the leg to Professor Discord the drama teacher's desk.
Sunset was sent hurtling out of the window and she landed on her side clutching her leg. "Ahhh !" She gave a cry of pain as Celestia and Luna looked down at her out the window then hurried for the doors on the floor below them.
"Well, well, well what have we here ?" A familiar voice asked and Sunset looked up to see up an un identified figure wearing a navi blue hoodie and baggy purple tracksuit bottoms. "Looks like that was quite the nasty fall."
"Mhh y-you!" Sunset called out in pain. "You pushed.. Pinkie. NGHH !"
"Yeeeeah sorry about that, we meant to get both of you back for what you did to us buuut she was just so darn loud, we would've been caught." The figure said pulling her hood down to reveal herself as none other then Adagio. Dazzle. "Oh don't look so shocked." She said standing on Sunset's leg making it hurt even more, causing her to wince in pain. "Ooo my my I think it might be broken." She smirked. "How unfortunate... Well have fun Sunny, here.. This might help with the pain." She said slipping something into Sunset's pocket.
She was about to reach in and grab it but Adagio stopped her. "Ah ah ah, not quite yet, that is unless you want your little friend Vinyl to be next." Sunset put her hand down to her leg again clutching it in agony. "Good girl.. See you around Sunshine." Adagio cackled as she walked off and only after she was gone did Celestia and Luna, accompanied by several staff members including. nurse Redheart's finally rush over to her.
A few hours later Nurse Redheart was bandaging up Sunset's leg, a crutch leaning on the wall next to her as she laid on a gurney I. The Jesse office. "There we go." She said as she finished. "That was quite the nasty fall, now you take it easy or that legs only going to get worse."
"Thanks Nurse. Redheart." Sunset said.
"Your welcome dearie." She said smiling, then. Nurse Redheart notice a bulge in Sunset's breast pocket. "Hm? What 's this ?" She reached for the pocket but Sunset clasped her hand over it.
"I-it's nothing just." Sunset remembered what Adagio had said and decided it probably best to not mention who''don't given her the mysterious package just up incase. "J-just something a friend gave me."
Nurse Redheart gave a concerned look. "I think I should take a look, please dearie you can trust me." Sunset took a deep breath and slowly removed her hand, letting her reach in and pull out the package, Nurse Redheart looked concerned, then she sighed. "I'll be right back ok?" She said, those words sent a chill down Sunset's spine.
"O-ok." She said and watched as Nurse. Redheart walked out.
About no hour or so later Principal Celestia accompanied by two police officers came in. "Sunset Shimmer." She said in no concerned tone.
"Y-yes?" Sunset asked terrified.
"These officers just need to ask you some questions alright ?.. And so do I ?"
"Um o-ok." Sunset replied and Celestia and one of the police officers, a man by the name of Flatfoot sat down, the other officer standing outside as Flatfoot removed his hat.
"Sunset... Do you know what this is?" Celestia asked holding up the package?
"N-no." Sunset admitted, the question giving her the impression it wasn't a bag of sugar.
"Hm, that 's funny." Flatfoot said calmly yet sternly. "Cuz it was found by Nurse Redheart in your jacket."
"I'm-I've never seen it before I swear, a... a friend gave it to me." Sunset replied.
"Sunset... We know it's been hard on you... But you need to tell us what's wrong?" Principal. Celestia said.
Flatfoot explained the package Adagio had planted onSunset was full of a drug called Citalopram, an antidepressant that causes anxiety, paranoia and can be highly addictive, Sunset's eyes went wide and she looked terrified. Adagio had planned this, she'd probably done the same thing at her house and the reported it and the way she had been acting had probably only reinforced the idea she had been dosing herself with it.
"You're not in trouble." Flatfoot said "but we are going to have to take you into custody where pending a hearing you'll be given psychological treatment to help you get it out of your system and hopefully help you regain your sanity."
"I-I'm not crazy!" Sunset insisted.
"Sunset please calm down. Celestia said recognising the panicky state which had gotten Sunset into this position in the first place her and the officer holding her down.
"N-no! Let me go! Let me go!" Sunset screamed panicking, trying desperately to escape, ye tried to avoid touching her injured leg but Sunset's thrashing didn't make it easy for them.
At that moment Nurse Redheart rushed in and as the Principal band Officer. Flatfoot restrained her, Redheart injected Sunset with a mild sedative.
"No! No!... No... No." Sunset said quietly, feeling all her strength being sapped out of her, and eventually.. She blacked out....
When she woke up Sunset was strapped to a bed being wheeled out of a large van towards a building, women in nurses outfits, one she recognised as Nurse Redheart, and men in lab coats at both her sides, one with a clipboard followed closely by Principal Celestia. "W-wha?" She said weakly as she slowly woke up "What's going on?"
Nurse Redheart gave her a concerned look like a worried aunt and placed a hand on her forehead "Shh it's alright sweetie." She said calmly "We're just taking you to a place where you can get some help, the people here are very nice and are going to help make you better ok?"
"Mhhh o-ok." Sunset said not quite able to think clearly yet, she watched as they stopped briefly in the main reception, and she watched as Principal Celestia filled out some paperwork.
"Alright is that all of it?" Celestia asked.
"Yes ma'am, don't worry she'll be we'll looked after here, I only hope we can help her, form what you've told us she's experienced severe trauma both self inflicted and otherwise." A man at the desk in lab coat said.
"I know, please try your best, that's all I can ask." Celestia said before turning to Sunset and Nurse Redheart who still stood beside her refusing to leave the gurney "how's she feeling?" Celestia asked Nurse Redheart as they stood over her, Sunset barely able to keep her eyes open.
"She's fine, still drowsiest from the sedative, thankfully it wasn't a lethal dose but still I fear I might've given her too much."
Celestia sighed. "Alright, can you speak with the doctors so I know what they have planned for her treatment? I want to have a moment alone with Sunset."
"Ofcourse miss." Nurse Redheart replied and walked over to a group of doctors looking of Sunset's case files.
"Sunset Shimmer?" Celestia said softly, Sunset had turned to face the wall. "Sunset please look at me." Sunset slowly turned to Celestia, she tried to get up but the restraints made it impossible. "You're going to be staying here for a while alright? These people are going to help you."
"What does that mean " Sunset asked some tears forming in her eyes. "Am I sick? What's wrong with me?" Celestia dried her tears.
"Nothing." She said "you're just.. Going through a very difficult phase and.. These doctors and nurses are just going to look after you and make sure you don't hurt yourself.. Then once you're all better you can come back to school and we'll see about getting you properly accommodated."
"Ok." Sunset said unsure if anything else would only make things worse.
"I'll even tell your friends you're here so they can come and visit alright?" Celestia said putting a hand on Sunset's forehead brushing her hair, which had become a tangle rats nest during her struggles, out of her eyes.
Sunset smiled at this. "Yeah." She said. "That's be nice."
"Alright then." Celestia said gently placing a Crutch, the same Crutch from the nurses office by Sunset on the gurney. "And remember what Nurse Redheart said, I want you to try take it easy and co-operate with the doctors while you're here alright?"
"Ok." Sunset said still wearing a brave smile, though inside she was ready to break down and start crying.
And Celestia could see it in her eyes.
A few minutes later Sunset laid on yeh gurney in the same place, watching as through the small window she could see Celestia arguing with the institute head about something, but what was a mystery as the room had been soundproofed so as not to rile up the patients when events such as this occurred. Whatever it was Celestia was so angry about, Nurse Redheart sympathised.
Meanwhile inside the warden's office. "This is a clinic meant to treat and help people!" Celestia cried in frustration "but you haven't even begun to attempt treating her and you want to lock her up and forget about her?!"
"We'll upon filling out the admittance forms you checked no on the permission to use anti psychotics medication." The Warden by the name of Headcase said showing Celestia the forms she had filled out on the way in. "And without medical treatment I'm afraid there are only a few, rather risky alternatives that could either have no effect or have catastrophic effects on the poor girl's already stable mental status."
"I refused the use of pills and medicines because that is what got her into this state!" Celestia snapped slamming her hands on his desk.
"Surely there are other treatments." Nurse Redheart interjected. "Therapy for example, indoctrination, perhaps an intervention with her friends and family."
"As far is our records, city council's records and this form your principal filled in." Headcase said gesturing to the forms again. "She has no family, and as far as friends go I fear from what I've seen she doesn't have many."
"But she still has some." Celestia said. "I know the students personally I could bring them here to try and help her."
"If that were an option miss Celestia you wouldn't have brought her to us... We'll see what we can do to help her using therapy but I tell you therapy only goes so far." And with that Celestia and Nurse Redheart left the office, passing Sunset in the reception area and Sunset watched them leave as a doctor pushed her gurney into the intensive care wing, accompanied by a nurse with a clipboard and Headcase. "Alright miss Shimmer just remain calm now." Headcase said his tone much softer and gentler then it was back in his office with Celestia. "We're going to start your treatment tomorrow but just for today we'll be taking it easy with a quick tour do you understand?" He asked with a false smile her wore to try coax patients into trusting him and the doctors.
"A-alright." Sunset said a little nervously.
"Very good, we'll start with the garden then, I think you'll like it very much." He said. "It's lovely this time of year, warm and full of the most beautiful flowers in bloom and if you'd like we can arrange for you to be given your own little patch to grow anything you'd like."
"That'd be nice." Sunset said slowly starting to regain her senses but with a mild headache as the sedative wore off.
"Now now." Headcase said wiping her forehead with his pocket ha key as he noticed her sweating and struggling. "The pain will wear off momentarily you're just adjusting now that the sedative is working it's way out of your system." He put the Hanley back in his pocket and Sunset turned to a window as they passed a glass hallway spanning through the garden. The bright colours hurt her eyes and made the headache worse but they were rather soothing to look at when compared to the cold sterile environment of the rest if the facility. "Now this is the game Room." Headcase said continuing with the tour. "Here you can draw, play bingo, do a puzzle or if you'd like one of e nurses can even play chess or checkers with you."
"Sounds like fun." Sunset said giving a weak chuckle which made the nurse beside her smile, then the smile faded as she read the reports on her files realising why Headcase was being so nice.
"The cantina is just down that hall on the left, there are bathrooms in every hallway just look for the pink doors and ofcourse there is a bathroom in your room." They came to a door and as Headcase opened it the doctor wheeled Sunset into the room leaving her in the corner still strapped to the gurney. The walls were padded in some areas and the window had bars on it, other then that though it looked like a normal bedroom, there was a door which Sunset assumed lead to the bathroom that Headcase had been talking about. "if you need anything simply push this button." Headcase said pointing to a button on the wall just beside where they had put Sunset's gurney. "And one of the Nurses or Doctors will be with you shortly to help you with anything you need alright?"
"Ok." Sunset replied. "Thank you."
"Alright." Headcase said. "I'm going to un strap you know, I want you to be a good girl for me and just stay still until I leave the room alright?"
"Alright." Sunset said and with a smile Headcase slowly undid the straps around her wrists, ankles and upper arms, her crutch fell on the floor and the nurse picked it up handing it to her. "Thank you." Sunset said hugging it on her chest as the nurse and Doctor followed Headcase outside, closing the door with a smile before tightly locking. It in three places.
Sunset slowly got up, standing on her good leg as she sat up and putting her crutch down before getting up and hobbling over to the window, her broken leg somewhat dangling an inch or two off the ground as she bent it slightly at the knee, she stared down at the bandages holding the splint to her thigh that went all the way down to her knee, then up at the sun out the window.
A bird sat on the branch of a tree just outside her window singing a happy tune as it snuggled down in it's neck we'll built nest.
Sunset smiled.. Then her mouth quivered and her emotional banks finally burst.. As she hugged herself with one arm, leaning on her crutch as she softly started sobbing to herself...
The next day Sunset woke up on her gurney with the sunrise, she gave a soft chuckle thinking it somewhat poetic. Then she returned to depression as she saw the shadows of the bars on her window on the wall infront of her stretched across the door to her room.
She slowly got up and hobbled into the bathroom, freshening up and brushing her teeth, when she came back however she heard the locks come undone and a nurse and a doctor with a clipboard walked in, 'all these clipboards what were they for?' She wondered 'always someone, always writing on a clipboard.'
"Good morning kiss Shimmer." The nurse said kindly. "Did you sleep well?" Then she noticed the nurse holding what looked like a set of scrubs, you know those greeny blue pyjama like things training doctors and nurses wear or kinda like those gowns patients wear before surgery. "Um g-good morning." Sunset replied finally. "Y-yeah I slept.. Fine.. Um what're those for?"
"Oh well we couldn't give you your new clothes until we knew your correct size. The nurse explained calmly "these are just for you to wear while you're here, you can't very we'll wear those same clothes on your back every day." He said with a soft chuckle.
"Um I-if it's ok I.. I'd rather keep my jacket and." Sunset was cut off by the nurse.
"Oh no don't worry you'll still have your clothes, we'll just wash them for you, catalogue them so we know they're yours and then they'll be put into your wardrobe over there to wear during one of our outings, the doctors sometimes find it helps to organise small trips in which patients in small groups will be taken to a park or a pantomime to make them laugh or cheer them up a bit."
"O-oh." Sunset said "th-that's ok.. I.. I guess."
"Would you like some help?" The nurse asked kindly. At which Sunset blushed.
"Um n-no thanks!" Her face went about as red as a tomato "I-I can manage."
"Not with that leg." The doctor said. "I highly advise accepting help form one of our nurses." Then the nurse interjected at the doctor's rather harsh tone.
"It's alright doctor I think I know the problem, I'll go get one of the female nurses for you alright?" Sunset smiled nervously and nodded appreciative that the nurse understood why she'd been so nervous.
"Alright I'll be outside waiting for you, when you're changed we'll take you to start your treatment." The doctor said as the nurse left the scrubs on Sunset's Gurney and they both exited the room, closing the door behind them. Sunset breathed a sigh of relief and sat on the gurney, noticing for the first time the area where it was had a rail along the ceiling with a curtain dangling from it, this was probably incase a doctor walked in while a patient requiring assistance was being changed or aided in a private matter, suppositories for example.
The disturb it thoughts of what other reasons the curtain might be there for disturbed Sunset so she paid it no more mind, a few of them were even so preposterous they almost made her laugh.... Almost.
A few minutes later she sat Im a wheelchair, crutch laid across her lap, pushed by the male nurse from before, the female nurse who and helped her change walking away to process and wash her clothes. The doctor with the clipboard walking beside them, sunset kept her eyes locked on him as he turned to her momentarily,wrote something down then began to speak
"I believe the first treatment we should explore is a light approach, we'll start with a few mental exercises to determine your level of mental trauma and adjust further treatment accordingly, is that ok?"
"Y-yes that sounds fine." Sunset replied trying to stay clam, in truth that frightened her a little. Then her eyes went wide as she swore one of the nurses she saw pass her was none other then Sonata dusk, who smirked and winked at her as she walked into a Doctor's office.
"Everything alright miss Shimmer?" The doctor asked noticing her staring at the door.
"Y-yeah." Sunset replied. "Sorry just.. Seeing things I guess." She instantly regretted those words as the doctor gave a hmmm and a wrote something else down. 'Great going Sunset.' She mentally scolded herself. 'You're in a mental hospital and you just told them you think you're hallucinating, that'll get you out of here quicker.' She thought sarcastically.
The nurse wheeled her into a small rock with a desk with an office chair behind it, a computor and a filing cabinet next to a bookshelf filled with medical journals and healthcare handbooks. The doctor sat down in the chair and as the nurse stepped outside he took out a small stack of paper, placing the clipboard down and pressing the tip of his pen to one of the forms clipped onto it. "Alright miss Shimmer I'm going to show you four ink blots and I want you to tell me what you see."
"O-oh alright." Sunset said nervously, the do for held up the first one and Sunset raised an eyebrow as she tilted her head slightly. "Uuh that one kinda looks like." She said thinking of how to phrase what she thought she was seeing. "A woman sitting ontop of a man's chest with her hands over his eyes." The doctor wrote something down and held up a second ink blot "umm." Sunset squinted slightly unsure what she was looking at, for food measure the doctor turned the ink blot upside down. "Oh that kinda looks like a skull." She said now able to make something out of the obscure ink blot.
"Alright very good miss Shimmer." He said writing something else down. "And this one?"
Sunset looked at the third blot "hmm that kind of looked like chains." She said and as the doctor gave a simple hmm and wrote something else down he held up the finale blot, sunset froze. "Uuuum." Her heart started pounding.
"What is it miss Shimmer? What do you see?" Her asked.
"Uhh I.. I see." Sunset stared at the blot her eyes wide open in terror, staring back at her in the malformed blob of smeared ink she saw all three of the Dazzlings, laughing, she swore she could even hear them laughing. "Th-three laughing girls." She said scaredly afraid to reveal the specifics of what she was seeing "c-can you put that one down please?" She asked
The doctor looked confused for a moment, then concerned as he put the ink blot down and wrote something on his clipboard. "Alright miss Shimmer you can return to your room now or if you'd like you can go to the game room, I'll just need to confer with the Warden before we commence with proper treatment."
"O-ok." Sunset said. "We'll um thanks." She said as the nurse wheeled her out of his office, as the door shut blocking her form view the doctor rubbed his temples. "Sigh she's a lost cause." He said and picked up the phone on the desk "Miss Harshwhinney please redirect me to the Warden." He asked the receptionist on yeh other end of the line.
Meanwhile in the currently empty staff lounge, three familiar figures disguised as nurses were conversing in private.
"Did you do it?" The first asked her orange curly hair pinned back in a bun making it seem smaller but didn't hide the fluffy curly mess we'll enough to disguise her form anyone who knew her.
"Yep, switched out the ink blots for Sonata's paintings just like you planned Dagi." The second replied, her purple pigtails with green highlights hanging behind her shoulders on either side of her head.
"Excellent, for once Sonata's aweful painting paid off." Adagio Dazzle replied with a Smirk. "With any luck the doctors will think she's completely insane and keep her here, subjecting her to all kinds of traumatic 'treatments'" the Dazzljng gave a wicked chuckle.
"Remind me why are we doing this?" Sonata asked "I mean if it's just for revenge why not just lock her in to car trunk and push her over a cliff? Or steal her clothes and leave her in yeh girls locker room, or post embarrassing posters around the school with some joke about how her hair looks like bacon?" The two Dazzlings beside her grunt sped rubbing their temples.
"For the love of! Sigh ok listen carefully this time Sonata." Aria said explaining the plan to Sinata for the fifth time. "We made a deal with Tirek that if he gave us back our amulets we'd help him gather up enough magic from this world for him to escape Tartarus so he can conquer equestria."
"But what Tirek doesn't know." Adagio added. "Is that we have been secretly holding most of the power we've been sending him for ourselves so that we can conquer this world, then take equestria and rule both worlds ourselves."
"Oooooh." Sonata said. "I still don't get it why are we targeting sunset so much then?"
"Because, though others like this pathetic waste." She said gesturing to the weak unconscious doctor behind her who she'd sapped of almost all his energy. "Sunset has a powerful soul filed with powerful magic, equestrian magic, it will take more then what we normally do to manipulate and extract her power, we need to break her first. And once we have her power nothing will be able to stop us." The three laughed evilly unaware through all three of their gems, a pair of sinister yellow eyes was watching.
"Sooo... They think they can betray me? Hmmmm." Tirek said in a deep breathy rasp of a voice clenching his fist as in his other hand he held the viewing or. He used to see through their amulets. "I will show them who the puppets are, when I cut their strings." He waved his hand over the globe and saw Sunset doing a tricky puzzle with the nurse next to her. "Hmmmmm.l in this one I sense great power... But also... Great.. Paaaaaain." He smirked his sharp teeth glinting in yeh light of tartarus's infernal flames that burned bright in the deeper pits he had been sent to after being banished by Twilight. "Pain caused.. By those three treacherous harpies.... Interesting." He chuckled.
As Sunset was about halfway through her puzzle the doctor, accompanied by Headcase walked up to her. "Oh um hello sir, is.. Everything alright?" She asked noticing the Solomon look on his face.... And then he smiled... But this wasn't like before.. This smile was cold.. Practiced.
"Yes miss Shimmer it's just time to begin your treatment is all." He said.
"Oh um ok." She said.
"Shall I follow you with her to the." The nurse was cut off by Headcase.
"That won't be necessary myself and Doctor Confidence can take it for here Nurse Warmhug, you can return to you duties now." Warmhug nodded and left.. Without another word, then Headcase turned to Sunset. "Can you try and walk for me? Where we're gong isn't accessible via wheelchair."
"Oh.. Um alright." Sunset said slowly climbing back up to her feet, supporting herself on her crutch as she followed Headcase, Doctor Confidence making sure to keep his pace walking behind her blocking off any means of escape. As they walked through numerous hallways and up a rather tall stairs case with, as Headcase had mentioned, no wheelchair accessibility Sunset required help about halfway up which Doctor Confidence happily supplied.
They walked her into an office where Sunset was asked to lay down, it was kind of dark and the only thing she could really make out was a peculiar looking chair. "Um so.. What kind of treatment are you going to give me?" Sunset asked as Headcase took her crutch away upon helping her I to the chair.
"The only treatment I think would help in the slightest." He said and Sunset gasped as he and Doctor Confidence strapped her wrists and ankles tightly to the chair. She struggled but it was no use, the thick leather straps were too tight. "You see miss Shimmer your ink blot examination reveals deeply burries trauma aswell as sociopathic tendencies laying dormant within you, therefor we are resorting to drastic measures." He explained as Doctor Confidence attached two straps with wires coming out of them to Sunset's upper arms, the felt sort of heavy and cold, almost like they were made of metal.
"The wires in these armbands." Doctor Confidence began to explain. "Are highly conductive, we are going to attempt to hopefully settle the electrical imbalance caused by too many electrical impulses in your brain through electro shock therapy." Sunset's eyes went wide.
"W-what?!" She cried out before a metal headband was place around her head,wires also sticking out of it, terror sweat ran down Sunset's brow as she felt the cold ring being placed around her head and as Headcase turned to her for a moment, pausing before he threw the switch Sunset screamed out in thong as she felt the voltage course through her. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" Headcase the. Stopped allowing Sunset a moment or two to breath before throwing the switch again causing her to spasm as again she cried out in agony.
This went on for several hours, outside the three Dazzlings listened intently to her screams. "Just listen to that girls, all her pain, all her power... Will soon be our."
"I dunno Adagio." Aria said. "This plan seems kinda fishy."
"Fishy?" Sonata sniffed the air "no I'm pretty sure I smell bacon."
"Ugh go back to sleep Sonata." Aria said rubbing the space between her eyes.
The therapy went on for several hours until eventually Headcase turned off the power and he and Doctor Confidence I strapped Sunset, she fought at first panicking. "NO! NO! LET ME GO! STAY AWAY FROM. ME!" She cried out in terror.
"Patient actually seems to have become less docile." Doctor Confidence said.m"we should restrain her."
"Let me handle it Confidence. Sunset? Sunset look at me." He said trying to keep her still as he held her wrists. "You need to calm down do you hear me?" Sunset continued to fight and Headcase sighed. "It's not working she's too upset."
"We'll have to end the treatment for now and try again tomorrow." At this Sunset's eyes widened as continued to panic and struggle.
"NO! NO! NOT AGAIN! PLEASE ANYTHING BUT THAT AGAIN!" She screamed. Eventually they were finally able to drag her to her room and lock her in, but not before she'd managed the break free twice, the first time getting slightly further then the second time before her leg gave out and she landed flat on her stomach almost tripping three doctors.
Headcase and Confidence stood outside her room talking. "It's no good, the treatments may work but what do we do in the meantime?"
"Have her restrained I suppose." Headcase said. "That's the best we can do to protect her and everyone else form her violent outbursts." As Sunset shimmer overhead them, she curled up in her Gurney, hugging her pillow, tears pouring form her eyes as she gritted her teeth trying to muffle her whimpers.
Through the comming months Sunset's reluctant towards her 'therapy' worsened, I between sessions doctors tried a multitude of methods, a lot of them quack doctor remedies that only seemed to make thing worse, her outbursts becoming more and kore violent, the strain of which didn't do her leg any favours, not that the doctors cared, it just made her easier to catch whenever she tried to make a bolt for it.
Then one day.
Sunset was shivering in the corner, not from the cold despite it being winter, from fear, terror of what might be awaiting her today when she was pulled out of those doors. The a familiar face.. The only one she trusted anymore, nurse Warmhug. "Hey Sunny, you ok today?" He asked kneeling down beside her. Sunset nodded with a quivering smile as she continued to shiver. "That's great." Warmhug said putting a hand on her shoulder to try comfort her. "We have a nice surprise for you today, a few of your friends came to visit. Won't that be fun?"
At this Sunset's smile became slightly stronger, she hadn't seen her friends since they came to visit her on her birthday, they weren't aloud to visit much because of school but it was nearing the Christmas holidays now so Principal Celestia had given them special permission to visit Sunset thinking it might help her a bit.
After how she'd heard from Applejack she'd been quote 'shakin like a leaf the entire time, lookin over her shoulder as if someone were out to get her.' Celestia had become increasingly worried.
"Alright come on, up." Warmhug said softly helping Sunset up into a wheelchair and pushing her towards the visitors centre on the other end of the facility, Sunset always felt lost relaxed in the visitors centre because it was far away from all the treatment rooms, a small room with benches where patients and their friends and family from the outside could sit and interact with each other.
"Ah there you are darling." Rarity said as she saw Sunset being wheeled over to where she and AJ were sitting. "How have you been?"
"Oh y-you know.. Pretty good." Sunset lied, she'd not been able to sleep for at least two nights.
"We'll glad to hear it." Applejack said. "How's the leg?"
"All fixed up." She said "still kinda wobbly though, don't think I'll be walking for at least another week or so."
"Well you keep at it." Rarity said supportively "I'm sure you'll be standing tall in no time at all." She gave a giggle "oh good gracious that rhymed." All three of them laugh, even Sunset giving a soft chuckle.
"Didn't the others wanna come with you?" Sunset asked. Rarity and Applejack exchanged looks.
"We'll uh, you see sugar cube." Applejack said trying to think of. Away to let her down gently. "Well y'all know Flutershy,mash couldn't even bring herself to visit the last time."
"I know." Sunset said "I did like the card she made though,mi keep it in my windowsill."
"Aaw I'm sure she'll be delighted to hear that." Rarity replied. "Anyway as for the others.. Well Bon Bon is busy with work, she got a part time job working for a sweets shop down the street form school, Rainbowdash unfortunately has managed to convince Lyra that you belong in here and has been growing ever more so isolated since Pinkie came out of the hospital... She wears a fake smile around Pinkie to avoid upsetting her but I can tell she's hiding something inside."
Sunset looked depressed. "It's all my fault."
"No it ain't." Applejack said. "If rainbow wants to be Stuborn let her but don't y'all fear one cotton pickin minute think her to blame fear this."
"Thanks Applejack." Sunset said a little cheered up by it.
"Anytime sugar cube." Applejack said smiling, "Octavia and Vinyl wanted to come but last minute they both got called out of town for a big music convention where they're representin the school."
"Oh wow that's amazing." Sunset said. "And uh.... How's Pinkie?" She asked the room was silent for a moment.
"She's fine dear." Rarity said "Well she is and she isn't." Applejack poked Rarity I the ribs with her elbow.
"What she means is, Pinkie's ben havin a bit a trouble adjustin to her little predicament but she's gettin along, heck she even got a set of fancy leg braces so'z she can walk again, not really built for bouncing around though."
Sunset chuckled. "That's Pinkie, can't keep a good girl down."
"We'll we better go, see ya soon sugar cube, y'all take care ya hear?" AJ said getting up.
"Yes darling and please if you ever just need to talk or anything I'm only a phone all away." Rarity added.
"Thanks guys, I hope you'll come by and visit again." Sunset said hopefully.
"Oh ofcourse darling, we're dropping by when we break up for the holidays." Rarity said which made Sunset smile.
"Bon Bon's even fixin ya up some of her home made taffy." Applejack added.
"Oh wow." Sunset said. "Oh wait." She said getting depressed again. "The rules don't allow outside food unless it's been checked or is a trusted brand, you know people sneaking in stuff and all, they probably won't even let Bon Bin bring it in With her."
"We'll Tarantino if that don't beat all, it ain't fair, y'all don't belong here locked up like some looney bird, heck ah know that."
"I think half of Canterlot high knows that, but the other half apparently holds sway here Applejack." Rarity said as they both turned to leave. Sunset was taken back to her room and soon it became dark, she watched the snow fall gently outside her window before closing her eyes to go to sleep.
Then something odd happened... Something that should have been impossible. Sunset woke up to the sound of lightning, she looked around in the dark and saw a tall dark figure in a suit, carrying a walking stick standing in the corner. "Good evening Sunset Shimmer." Man man said calmly, a long black raincoat draped over his shoulders. "Quite the unusual storm we're having." He said pointing towards the window and Sunset noticed as she turned to look, It was raining.
"H-who are you?" Sunset asked frightened. "Another Doctor?"
"No." The man replied never raising his voice, his face hidden in the dark. "But I am here to help you."
"H-how?" Sunset asked. The man slowly raised his hand up to his face still hidden in the shadows.
"Shhhhh... Best not to let anyone know you're up.. Or they might think you're talking to yourself." Sunset gave a confused look. "I know why you're here miss Shimmer... A grave injustice indeed." He said as he began pacing up and down the room, never once stepping close to the light but every so often turning to face Sunset. "You get blamed for a friend getting hurt, then an old nuisance harasses you, planting evidence in your home and then I you, threatening to hurt those you care about if you don't stay quiet and let them convince everyone you've lost your marbles.... A mind is a terrible thing to waste... And these treatments... They're driving you mad aren't they?"
Sunset hugged her knees looking away for him for a moment. "Th-they're painful... They don't make sense."
"Yesssss." The man said almost in a whisper of a hiss. "They're not really helping..l they think you're already beyond help, they don't want to help you..... But I do... I'm here to offer you a deal."
"W-what kind of deal ?" Sunset asked.
"Oh just an ordinary deal." The man said. "Actually." He paused for a moment. "Strike that... This is the deal." He reached. Into his pocket and pulled out a contract. "Of a life time." He held it out to her. Hesitantly Sunset took the contract and opened it up speed reading it as the man explained the basics of it. "It's pretty straight forward, I'll help clear up this mess about you being crazy, you get to walk out of here free as a bird your record clean and then we work together on bringing those who wronged you to justice. And all I ask in return is that in a year or so I can call on you for a little job... So... Do we have a deal?"
Sunset pondered for a moment, this deal was too good, there had to be a catch but if there was she didn't find it fast enough, as she looked up and said "I don't have a pe-AH !" She was cut off as her finger slipped and she slice her thumb on the corner, the paper cut leaving a blood splatter right on the signature space.
"Oh that'll do just fine." He said taking the contract back and tucking it away into his pocket. "Now you better get some rest... Got a busy day tomorrow." Sunset swore at that moment the man's eyes glowed yellow and he gave a grin full of sharp pointy teeth, her heart stopped, this man was a demon a monster a...
"GAH !" Before she could think on it anymore... Sunset woke up. "Phew... Just a dream." She said laying back down. "Maybe I am going crazy.... Hm?" Then as she placed her hand on her forehead, she noticed a small paper cut, almost healed over on her thumb. "Was it a dream?" She asked herself. "Mono it couldn't have been real... I mean if it did happen... At what point did I fall asleep?" She asked trying to remember just when she'd gone back to bed.
Just then Headcase walked into Sunset's room a smile on his face. "We'll miss Shimmer, get dressed you're free to go." He said and he and the two doctors behind him gave a small clap.
"Huh?" Sunset said looking confused.
"According to your evaluations from yesterday the therapy was a complete success, you are now one hundred percent sane, and blood tests reveal that none of use drugs found in your home or on your person were ever in your system." He said eyeing a clip board. "Which is very odd." 'Not to me.' Sunset thought.
"Thanks Mr... Uh Doctor? Headcase?" It had occurred to Sunset until now she hadn't known weather considering all the doctors if Warden Headcase had a doctorate or not.
"Not at all my dear." Headcase said. "Now hurry your friends are outside with a surprise for you." Again Sunset gave him a look of confusion, then after changing into her normal clothes, she stepped out, out into the sun, at first blinded but then welcomed by it's warm soothing glow. And as Sunset lowered her hand as the glare of the light subsided, she saw her friends AppleJack and Fluttershy standing next to the apple family station wagon, on a trailer hooked to the back of.. Was a black sturdy built motorcycle.
Sunset smiled as she saw her friends and as she saw the bike she was left speechless. "Surprise sugar cube." Applejack said happily, putting a shoulder on Sunset's shoulder. "Thought it'd be a nice way of sayin welcome back, why don't ya hop on an see how it feels?"
"Huh?" Sunset looked to AJ As she and Fluttershy gently pushed Sunset towards the bike. "I'm very grateful Applejack, Fluttershy really." She said. "But I don't have my license yet remember?"
"We'll um." Fluttershy gave a soft giggle. "that's not entirely true."
"We all chipped in on the bike." AJ said. "But li'l Applebloom an Big Mac wanted to help out too, we'd already bought the bike though, so Applebloom opened up her piggy bank and she an Big Mac chipped in, we claimed the form you'd filled out before all this mess back there happened." She said pointing to the hospital behind them. "And gotcha this."
Fluttershy held a small laminated card infront of Sunset, who stared at it wide eyed, she slowly raised her hands and Flytterhsy placed it into her palms, a look of joy on Sunset's face, tears of joy welling up in her eyes, she wiped them away and hugged both of them. "Oh thank you guys so much." She said pulling them Into a tight group hug. "You guys are the best."
"Alright alright, now come on." Applejack said. "Let's get a Picture of ya on yer new bike to text to Rarity to show pinkie before we go see her." Sunset climbed onto the bike as Big Mac and AJ helped her unload it from the trailer, Flutterhsy then pulled out her phone which was protected by a pink rubber case with green butterflies on it and took a photo which she then text to Rarity. "So whatcha think Sugar cube?" Applejack asked.
Sunset gripped the handles, noting the flame decals and her cutie mark custom painted onto the fuel tanks. "I love it." And with that, the apples, Granny, Big Mac and AJ drove in the station wagon with Fluttershy who filmed Sunset as she drove along side them on her bike. "WOOOOOHOOOOO!" She called out at the top of her lungs, bringing a smile to all their faces.
About an hours journey they pulled up outside sweet apple acres where Pinkie sat with Rarity outside on the porch in her wheelchair, a blanket over her legs. Sunset stood up and with AJ at her side, slowly walked over to Pinkie.
She smiled nervously, Pinkie smiled back a look of great joy in her eyes, for pinkie this was nothing new she always had that kind of look, but this was different cuz this was truly an occasion worth celebration. Rarity smiled to Sunset also. "Hmhm we saw the picture and video Fluttershy texted me on the way over, my my all that time coupes up hasn't made you the slightest bit rusty has it? You certainly seemed to be having fun."
Sunset chuckled "what can I say? It was the heat of the moment, I was just so happy to feel the wind in my he pair and the sun on my face." Then Sunset turned back to Pinkie. "Pinkie... I'm so Tory about what happened." She said kneeling down to be eye level with her. "I promise, I'm going to find who did this and make sure they're punished."
"Wow now Sunset you need to take it back a step." Pinkie said smiling earning a confused 'huh?' From Sunset. "I don't care about find g the people that did this to me... RIght now all I care about, is my friend is finally back." She said hugging her, Sunset was still for a moment, conflicted between how happy she was to be back and her confusion for why pinkie didn't want justice for what happened, it wasn't fair, it wasn't right.... 'But then', she thought smiling and wrapping her arms around Pinkie to hug her, 'that's Pinkiepie... She never did like to hold a grudge.'
"Come on now, let's head on inside an have ourselves a hootenanny of a hoedown." Applejack said with a fist pump.
"Yeah!" Pinkie cheered. "That's the spirit applejack."
"Yes jolly good idea." Rarity added. "Sunset?"
"Yeah." Sunset said standing up and looking down to see the joy in Pinkie's eyes again, feeling her heart melt. "Sounds good to me." Fluttershy opened the door letting everyone else go in first and as they all went inside, Applebloom came running to greet them and they all had a big welcome home party for Sunset with games and laughter and joy.
Over the passing year things went almost back to normal.
Sunset was welcomed back to the school with open arms.. We'll.. Mostly, Rainbowdash still thought Sunset was to blame for Pinkie's injury and had managed to convince a small group the same, over time she had grown increasingly distant from the others, up until the point they barely saw hide more hair of her except for at school where she barely talked to them.
This worried Sunset aswell as Rarity and Applejack, Fluttershy tried her best to avoid the matter, and knowing her tender and fragile nature Sunset and the others were happy to allow it if only to keep Fluttershy form falling to pieces. As for Pinkie... Well Rainbow didn't avoid everybody, she still talked to Pinkie, but only when the others weren't around, when they were the conversations would become brief and Rainbow would always glare at Sunset before she left, a cold icy stare that whispered of the wind.
I despise you.
Nearing the end of their school term Sunset had gotten into the hobby of riding her bike through town and the wide open areas nearby, her bike was sturdy so every so often she'd be a bit daring and try jump the ramp that had been left by some performers on yeh edge of town, the thrill she got that brief moment she soared throughout the air, Sunset swore it was almost like having wings.
That night as Sunset went home to her temporary residence while her house was still being restored by authorities putting everything back where it was and such, she thought she noticed something as she passed the school statue, she stared at it for a moment but whatever it was must've been in her imagination because it wasn't there now. She turned her head as the lights changed and continued on her way. Sunset dropped into bed, smiling and utterly exhausted.
'today's been a Good day' she thought as she gently closed her eyes and went to sleep...
