Music And Loveby NightmareAngelChaptersChapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 6Chapter 7Chapter 8Chapter 10Chapter 11Chapter 13Chapter 14Chapter 16Chapter 17Chapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 5Chapter 9Chapter 12Chapter 15Chapter 3Dan sat at the kitchen table, writing out song lyrics. "Just like Twilight." Sunset giggled from the doorway, making him jump. She was wearing shorts and a thin tank top with her silky hair in a high ponytail. "What're you doing up so late?" she asks him, reaching into the fridge and pulling out a can of whip cream. "Just writing a new song." He mutters. She fills her mouth with the cream and offers the can to Dan. He accepts with a small smile and does the same. As he hands it back his fingers brush against hers and a small blush rises up her cheeks. Suddenly she grins and presses down the button, spraying Dan with cream. He gasps and runs around the island, grabbing another can and spraying her back. They both laugh and begin to fight with it. In the end they're both covered in cream and have gone through around 32 cans. "I better go get cleaned up." Sunset tells him. "Do you uh, wanna go out tomorrow night?" she asks him, blushing again. 'Adorable' Dan thinks to himself. He nods eagerly, grinning. "I'd love to." He says. She smiles at him. "Great! I'll see you tomorrow." She kisses his cheek before skipping upstairs. He grabs a mop and begins to mop up, unable to stop smiling. Chapter 4Dan pulled at his tie nervously, the single rose in his shaking slightly with his hand. The door swung open and an older man with a frown on his face stood there. "So, you must be the boy taking out my Sunset." He grunts. "Oh Zeb don't be like that. Come on in deary." The woman behind him, Sunsets mother, invites him in. He steps inside the house carefully and Sunsets mother squeals. "Oh he brought her a rose! Isn't that the sweetest thing!" She says, pulling him further into the house. "Mooooom!" Sunset whines, walking cautiously down the stairs. Dan gasps when he sees her. She's in a elegant black dress with two earrings and a pair of low heels, her hair tumbling in waves around her shoulders. "You uh, you look great." Dan manages to get out. She giggles. "Thanks, you don't look too bad yourself." she grins as she reaches the bottom step. "Look Sunset he bought you a rose!" her mother squeals, lifting his arm up as though he's incapable of doing so himself. "Thank you." She says, taking it from him. She walks into the kitchen and pulls out a thin vase, filling it with water and placing the red flower inside. "Why're you all dressed up?" A male voice asks. "Because, Starry, I'm going on a date." Her brothers laughs loudly and makes his way into the hall. "You're taking Sunset out?" He asks, speaking to Dan. Dan nods nervously, begging his body not to blush and give away how nervous he is. "Good luck with that." he sniggers. "Shut up Starry, you're going to wreck her confidence." A young girl says from the top of the stairs. Dan guesses she's about nine. "Thanks Flossy." Sunset laughs. "Please can I take a picture?" Her mother begs, a camera already in hand. 'Where the buck did that come from.' Dan wonders. The next minute is a chaotic mess of people shoving and shouting before Dan is shoved out of the door into the cool night. "Sorry about that, mom is obsessed with taking photos. We have to stop her every time she gets the camera out." She laughs quietly at something, probably a memory. Dan leads her to his car and she gets in gratefully. "As amazing as this car is, it isn't nearly as cool as Vinyls." She says, running a hand along the smooth leather of the seats. "The school DJ has a better car than me?! Figures." He laughs as he starts the engine. "Lazaroti's is okay, right?" He asks her nervously. She smiles and nods. "I love it there, it's where we went for my parents anniversary last year." She tells him. He smiles at her. Suddenly he takes his eyes off the road and his gaze lock with hers. A loud beep pulls him back to reality and he realizes he was driving on the wrong site of the road in his daze. As he quickly makes his way to the right side of the road he receives a lot of rude and gestures, making him blush. "I guess you were entranced by my beauty." She jokes, flicking her hair back with a laugh. Dan smiled at her nervously. 'She doesn't even know how right she is.' Chapter 6"This is going to be wicked!" Kyle said excitedly, peering out of the window as they approached the beach. "I haven't been to the beach since I was little." Will tells the group. Woody pulls the van up at the beach side and they all hop out and move onto the beach which is empty except for the eight girls and a dog setting up towels and a large parasol. Pinkie and Maud walk off along the beach to try find some rocks, Applejack and Rainbow Dash set up a volleyball net and Fluttershy goes to the rock pool. "Hey Dan, this is Princess Twilight Sparkle, one of my best friends." Sunset says, introducing the singer to the purple princess who shakes his hand. "Hello Princess Twilight Sparkle." He laughs. "Just Twilight is fine." she smiles. "Well then hello just Twilight. And hey Sunset." He pulls her into a hug and kisses her cheek lightly, making her blush softly. "Forgetting someone?" A male voice asks. Dan looks away from Sunset but sees no one. "How could we ever forget you Spike?" Sunset laughs and picks up the purple and green dog. She hands him a dog biscuit from a bag which he happily munches on. Will sets up a blanket and lies down next to Twilight and Rarity, a pair of sunglasses shading his eyes. "You want to go for a swim?" Sunset asks. He nods shyly and she laughs, shrugging off her shirt and shorts to reveal the swimsuit she's wearing underneath. Dan takes his off his jeans, shoes and socks leaving him in dark blue shorts and and light blue shirt. He leaves his clothes with Will, as does Kyle who has decided to swim with them. Woody has joined has joined his cousins on a search for rocks. "Uhm Dan, shirt." Sunset points out with a laugh. "Dan never takes his shirt off." Kyle says, rubbing sun cream onto his shoulder. "Oh, right, okay. Well then let's go." She says, pulling her hair into a ponytail. The three start to walk down the beach when Dan is tackled into the sand. "Sweetie Belle!" Rarity screeches from her towel. "Apple Bloom what the hay are you doing?! Get up and apologizes!" Applejack shouts. "Hey Scoots, wanna play volleyball?" Rainbow calls from besides AJ. As the weight is removed from Dans back he sits up and starts brushing the sand off his tongue frantically. "Sorry Dan, we were just trying to get to the water and couldn't stop when we saw you." Scootaloo says, brushing the sand off of his face. "Yeah, we were having a race." Sweetie Belle adds, handing him a bottle of water and a towel. They all look at him nervously. He smiles at them, unable to stay angry at any kid for long. "It's okay, it was just a mistake." He says and he grabs Kyles hand and pulls himself up. "You guys coming into the water?" He asks them. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom nod eagerly but Scootaloo excuses herself to play volleyball with Rainbow Dash, Applejack and now also Pinkie Pie. "Don't worry kid, you can be on my team." Rainbow says as Dan, Sunset, Kyle, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom make their way the the icy water. Sunset squeals when she gets in, making Kyle laugh. He runs up behind Dan, shoving him into the water. Dan sinks under the waves for a moment before emerging, wet and angry. "Kyle. Why the Celestias name did you do that?!" he asks, trying not to curse or get violent in front of the two younger ones. "I was trying to wash the sand off you." Kyle grins. After a moment Dan can't help but laugh. "What will I do with you?" he says, dragging his friend deeper into the water. Sunset joins them and the three begin to have a water fight, laughing and squealing as they're hit by wave after wave of the freezing salt water. A shrill scream jolts them out of their game. "Apple Bloom what's wrong?" Sunset answers. The girl is screaming and crying, running towards them. "Sweetie Belle!" She yells, pointing further out into the ocean. The see her head bop out of the water before sinking back down underneath. Without thinking Dan swims deeper into the sea, trying to grab hold of her. As soon as he grabs a hold of her arm he tug her above the surface, struggling against the now vicious waves. He slings her onto his back and swims quickly to the shallower areas, occasionally dipping under his self. As soon as he's able to stand up he runs across the sand towards Rarity, Twilight and Will to get her a towel. He sets her down beside her sister and she starts coughing, water coming out of her mouth, her usually curly pink and purple hair flattened against her face. "Sweetie Belle are you okay?!" Rarity squeals, wrapping a towel around the shuddering child while Twilight wrings the water out of her hair. Sweetie Belle nods, unable to look up. "But darling whatever were you doing?!" she asks. "She was trying to get our ball back but she got swept up in the waves." Apple Bloom answers. Suddenly Rarity throws her arms around Dans neck. "You saved my sister. How can I ever repay you?!" she says. Dan blushes and runs a hand through his hair awkwardly. "You don't have to repay me, I couldn't just leave her." He says. She smiles at him gratefully. "Well thank you anyway, you're a hero." She says, kissing his cheek before returning to her sister, making Dan blush even harder. "You better not be leaving me for her." Sunset jokes, walking up behind him. He grins at her. "Never." Author's Note Bit longer than my others, hope y'all don't mind, I just couldn't help myself! Chapter 7"It's beautiful out here." Sunset whispers, staring at the stars above. Dan smiles at her. "It is." The water splashes over their bare toes as the walk along the soft sand, their fingers intertwined. They walk in silence for a few moments. Not an awkward silence, the kind of silence that lets you think in a blissful peace while you enjoy the company of another. Without even realizing, Dan begins to hum. Sunset giggles at him slightly. The sounds of Dans humming, the waves of the sea and the far away laughter of her friends created a chaotic harmony that filled her ears. "Oh look at that!" Sunset shouts, pointing in the distance. A small rabbit is sat in the middle of the beach. She begins to run towards it, slipping and sliding on the sand. She trips, pulling Dan down with her, both of them laughing as they fall to the ground. "You okay?" Dan asks, sitting up and shaking the sand out of his quiff. She grins at him. "Of course." Instead of sitting up she lies on her back, staring at the moon. Dan smiles down at her, noting the way the light reflecting from the moon shines against her smooth skin and lights up her eyes. Without thinking he leans down kisses her softly, his heart hammering in his chest. She gently wraps her arms around his neck, closing her eyes and letting herself get lost in it. "Hey guys, food's ready." Kyle yells through the megaphone the guys for some reason had in their vans. Dan groans. "Do we have to go?" He asks Sunset. "Well are you hungry?" I loud rumbling comes from Dans stomach, answering the question for him. He blushes furiously and Sunset giggles. She gets up from the sand and brushes herself off. She pulls him into another kiss before running across the sand, leaving Dan to chase after her. Chapter 8"Aaaand this is my room." Sunset finishes her tour of the house by leading Dan into her bedroom. There are books stacked neatly on shelves and a few pictures of Sunset with her friends and family and her bed neatly made and pushed against the back wall. The thick cream carpet is soft under his toes. A large wardrobe stands in one of the corners. "I don't know why but I expected... More" Dan says, making her laugh. His eyes are drawn to a photograph different to the rest. This one is a picture of two ponies, the pony counterparts of Sunset Shimmer and Principal Celestia. "She's a princess over there. And I was her prized pupil. But my greed for knowledge and power got the best of me." Sunset tells him when she notices him staring at the picture. He smiles down at her. "But you're not like that anymore." Before she can say anything he tackles her to her bed, making her scream slightly. Her heart beats faster. 'Thank Celestia I'm home alone.' Sunset thinks to herself. Dan pulls her into a kiss, pressing into her. Sunset is a little taken aback by the sudden passion but accepts it, wrapping her arms around his neck. His hand slips under her shirt and rests lightly on her waist. A quiet, yearning moan escapes Sunsets lips without her meaning to. She flushes bright red but Dan just chuckles and pulls away slightly. "Eager." he mutters. Sunset takes the opportunity to pull his shirt off swiftly, making his already red skin darker. She laughs at this. He pulls her shirt off, ruffling her hair in the process. He notices the she has a tattoo on her shoulder, her cutie mark. But he doesn't have time to think about it as Sunset flips him over, leaving her on top. Her hair falls into his face as she begins to kiss him again. Dan wraps his arms around her and begins to fumble with the clasp on her bra when the door swings open. "Sunset can you-" Sunset and Dan leap away from each other, both turning bright red. "Sunset you naughty naughty girl." Starry laughs from the doorway. Sunsets older brother slowly makes his way in, grabbing Sunsets shirt from the floor and balling it up in his hand. "I can't even begin to imagine how long you'll be grounded for this one." He tells her. Sunset glares at him. "What do I have to do." She says through gritted teeth. "You have to be my slave. For a month." he says. With a deep sigh she nods. "And you have to buy me as much ice cream as I want, whenever I want for the next month." Flossy makes her request from the doorway. But Sunset knows that no matter how childish the request may be the younger sister won't even take a seconds hesitation is telling their parents what had happened. "Fine." She says grabbing her shirt. She pulls it on and runs a hand through her hair just as the door downstairs slams closed. "Sunset we're home." her mother calls upstairs. Starry jolts his head towards Dan before waltzing out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Without a word Sunset grabs his shirt and pushes him toward the window. He awkwardly climbs out, trying to pull on his shirt as he slides to the grass. "Starry, please move you shoes from the middle of the hallway!" Her mother shouts. Sunset stands stock still in the middle of her room. She knows that those shoes aren't her brothers but Dans. "Sorry mom." He shouts. Sunsets door opens slightly and the two shoes fly into her room. With a sigh of relief she flops back onto her bed. Her brother wouldn't do anything to get her into trouble... given the right payment that is. Chapter 10Sunset runs through the hospital, looking desperately floor someone to help her. She slips and thuds to the floor, her large stomach taking most of the force. She groans in pain and is suddenly lifted off the floor. "Dan!" She sighs in relief and follows Dan through the hospital. He leads her into a room with a bed and three doctors. Before she knows what's happening she's laid on the bed with a bright light on her and the doctors stood around her. "Is it alive?" One mutters. The other two stay silent. Sunset looks up. "Is something wrong? What's happening? Why wouldn't it be alive?!" And tries to sit up but Dan carefully pushes her back down. She catches a glimpse of blood and freaks out. Trying desperately to get up, two nurses run in and join Dan in holding her down. Instead she starts screaming. "GIVE IT TO ME! TELL ME WHAT'S HAPPENING!" she yells, tears now streaming down her face. "Would you like to hold him?" Dan asks with a smile. Something about his smile seems off but she nods anyway, reaching out her now free arms. Everyone grins at her as the newborn is placed in them. She smiles down at it and clings on tight, expecting it to wriggle. But instead it stays still. "Congratulations miss Shimmer, it's a boy!" Once of the nurses tells her. She look nervously to his chest. "He isn't breathing. Dan why isn't he breathing?! Someone help him breathe!" She starts to yell again, panic rising up like bile. "He died when you slipped." Dan tells her calmly, stroking the small patch of matted hair on top of the newborns head. Sunset jolts awake, looking around the room that isn't hers. Various pictures on the wall, a bookshelf filled with neatly stacked books, a keyboard stood in the corner of the room, sheets of words scattered across the floor and among those sheets a boy slumped over, glasses sliding down his nose. He looks over to her and smiles, turning down his music. "Are you okay?" He asks her. Sunset nods and smiles back. "Will you lie with me?" She whispers. Without a word he gets up and lies on the bed, wrapping his arms protectively around her waist. "Loving can heal Loving can mend your soul And it's the only thing that I know I swear it will get easier Remember that with every piece of ya And it's the only thing we take with us when we die" Dan quietly sings in her ear along with the music coming from his iPod. She smiles softly, enjoying the moment, feeling safe with Dan. Author's Note The song Dan sings is Photograph by Ed Sheeran if anyone is wondering, thank you for baring with me while I try to get myself back in order, work out what I'm doing with my writing Chapter 11"Sunset, you need to buck up and do this guitar solo right, you're ruining the whole song!" Rainbow yells, running a stressed hand though her hair. "Now Rainbow, there ain't no need to take your stress out on Sunset." Applejack tweaks one of the strings on her bass before looking to the blue skinned girl. "I'm not taking my stress out on her! I'm just saying that she's messing us all up!" "I know but think about how she feels. You've been working us all too hard." "We need to work hard if we're going to win. This competition is a big deal to me." The two carry on like this while Fluttershy watches, half hiding behind her tambourine and Pinkie Pie gently taps on her drum, staring at the wall in thought. Rarity pulls Sunset to the side. "Darling, I think what Rainbow was trying to say was that you seem a bit... Well you're not yourself. You're not catching onto things as quickly as you used to and your playing seems very, oh what's the word I'm looking for? Lax! You seem very lax. Do you want to tell me what's wrong?" She places a comforting hand on her friends shoulder. Sunset shakes her head. "Sorry, I just haven't been getting as much sleep as usual. And I'm getting a headache stuck in here. I think I'm going to go for a walk, I'll be back in a bit." And before anyone can protest, Sunset runs out of the room. She doesn't stop until she's outside where she places a hand on the wall, keeping herself upright, her breathing heavy. "You okay sweetheart?" someone asks as he slides next to Sunset. "Not really. Who're you?" she asks cautiously. "I'm Greymere Mendez. Come on sweetheart, I have something that'll cheer you up." He slips an arm around her waist and pulls her with him. "Where are you taking me?" She asks nervously. He points towards the abandoned bike shed. "A bit cliche but it works." they walk inside and they're immediately enveloped in smoke. He hands her two small pills. She places them both on her tongue, taking a deep breath before swallowing. "Now what?" She asks. He grins a wide, almost evil grin. "Now we wait." Chapter 13"Will please, I don't know what to do or who to turn to, I need help." Sunset begs, standing in the doorway to Wills house. "Fine, come in. But I don't know why you're coming to me." He moves to let her in and then leads her to his bedroom. "So what's the problem?" He asks her calmly, sitting on his bed and offering her a chair. "I've been talked into selling something and I don't know how to do it." she tells him, picking her words carefully. "Is it illegal?" "I think so." "Can't you just give the person the money and keep them? Hide them somewhere or slowly sell them?" "Will you're a genius!" she yells, jumping up and throwing her arms around his neck. "Thank you so much." She whispers. "Uhm, Will?" Woody says from the doorway, looking confused. Sunset pulls away and blushes. "Hey Woody, how're you?" She mumbles. "I found this in the hallway." He holds up Sunsets back pack, the zip slightly open. "Sunset you're a drug dealer?" "No, Woody you don't understand. Please don't tell anyone." She pleads. Woody drops the bag to the floor, looking disgusted. "I think you should go." He whispers. Sunset picks up the bag and slouches out. "I'm sorry Woody. I've let you all down." As soon as the door shuts behind her Woody and Will begin to talk in muffled voices. She wipes her eyes, trying not to give into her emotions and break down there and then. "I've let everybody down." She whispers to herself, making her way onto the hot street. Chapter 14Sunset takes a drag of the cigarette and a pain screams from her head. A knock at a door followed by a deep voice. "Good evening ma'am. I'm sorry to tell you this but we have received news that your daughter has been selling a host of illegal drugs. Would you mind if we came inside and had a look around?" It takes a moment for the words to process through her brain. "Shit." She whispers. She grabs her bag and pushes the window open, sliding out as gracefully as she can. As she thuds to the ground she hears her bedroom door swing open. She sets off running, trying to work out which of her friends is closest to her. She's not welcome at Will and Woodys anymore and probably not a Kyle or Dans either. Darting through alleys her heart rate picks up, leaving an uncomfortable hammering in her chest. She sees a dark figure in front of her and hears heavy footsteps behind her. Before she knows what is happened she is pinned against against the cold brick wall, and a face roughly pressed against hers. She hears the footsteps getting louder and tenses up, knowing she wont be able to get away from the grasp of the man holding her to the wall. The foot steps run past the two figures and she looks at them, confused, as they continue to run through the alley. "Sorry about that, didn't have time to tell you what I was doing." the figure whispers before grabbing her hand and running back the way way Sunset came. "Dan?!" He smiles down at her. "Hiding in plain sight, my favourite thing." He laughs. "I was kidding, I've never done it before." He says, noticing the shock that temporarily takes over her features. "I doubted it." She laughs. She laces his fingers through his and they walk to his house together. Sunset pulls another bottle of vodka out of her bag and offers it to Dan who just holds up his half full bottle. They're both sat on the floor, leaning against the door, extremely tipsy. "Have you ever seen an Aztec Warrior do the chicken dance?" Sunset asks, staring at the wall. Dan dissolves into a fit of giggles. She stands up on her knees and begins to do her impression of it, making him laugh harder. She stumbles and lands into his lap, laughing with him. She pulls him down and kisses him, pulling at his shirt. He lifts her up, carrying her to the bed. Her heart is still thumping in her chest and her breathing becomes quick and shallow. She pushes him off her, feeling nauseous. She opens the window, leaning out. The room begins to spin around her, making her feel even more sick. Dan puts a hand on his shoulder. "Sunset are you okay?" He asks her. She can't come up with an answer so he grabs his phone. "Please, don't call them." She mumbles. "Sunset I have to, you're not well." "Please, you can't, you don't understand. Please don't call them." She begs, desperately grabbing at the phone. As he calls for an ambulance she makes one last grab for the phone, stumbling forward before her world goes black. Chapter 16Sunset drops her phone to the floor, hands weak and shaking. "You should be careful with your stuff." Greymere smirks, running a finger across her cheek. She wriggles uncomfortably, desperate to get away from him but with no where to go. "What're you doing here." She hisses at him. "Oh I just came to get my money." He says, dipping his hand into her backpack and pulling out her purse. "And to tell you I'm the one who called the cops. I can't have you getting away with breaking the law now can I? I mean you're a good friend, I don't want you getting in any kind of trouble." He chuckles. "You dick." She uses all her energy to spit at him, hitting his cheek. His face turns sour as he turns to glare at her. "You really are as stupid as you look." He growls. He leans forward, raising his hands. "Oh so what, you're going to strangle me?" She whispers. A sick smile spreads across his lips. "So much worse." he carefully cups her cheeks, pressing his soft lips to hers. She tries to push him off but she feels like a weight is holding her arms down. The heart monitor beside her flat lines and Greymere pulls away. "Too bad, I'll miss you." He laughs to himself before grabbing Sunsets bag and running out, faking panic to call for the nurses. Chapter 17"Thank you all so much for being here tonight!" Ed Sheeran yells from the stage, met by screams and cheers from the crowd. Dan paces back and forth, trying to calm his nerves. "Ready Dan?" Kyle asks, placing a hand on his friends shoulder. Dan nods nervously, shoving his hands in his hoodie pockets. "My last song tonight will be photograph. Thank you all so much for listening!" Ed shouts before launching into his last song. Dan feels a smooth piece of paper in his pocket and pulls it out, carefully unfolding it. His favourite photo of him, Sunset, Kyle and Rarity, just a few days before Sunset was put in hospital. Sunset is laughing at Pinkie who's balancing cookies on top of her head. Kyle is pulling a goofy face and Dan is staring at Sunset, a small smile tugging at his lips. White creases run along the picture where it has been folded. He lifts his head up, listening to the music, a thousand memories playing on his mind. Kyle looks at the picture over Dans shoulder and laughs. "I love that picture." He sighs happily. "Me too." Dan chuckles. Ed suddenly walks past them and smiles. "Break a leg." he grins. Dan smiles back and takes a deep breath, shoving the picture back in his pocket. The crowds begin to cheer and the four guys walk out onto the stage. Dan takes his place behind the microphone, pulling up so it's the right height. "Hi, we're Bastille. This first song is called Oblivion. I hope you enjoy it." He smiles and waits for the music to begin, ready to sink into the song. Chapter 1Dan woke up and quickly pulled on his clothes from the day before, running his fingers quickly through his hair as he brushed his teeth. He bolted down stairs to meet his blue skinned best friend, Kyle. The two made their way down the road, heading towards Canterlot High where they would meet with their friends Woody and Will who made up their band, Bastille. They approached the school and slowed down outside the music room. Music could be heard from inside, female singing, three guitars, fast drums, a bass and... a tambourine? "We shine like rainbows, shine like rainbows!" They sing, six voices in total. They slowly end the song and begin laughing. "That was awesome." one girl shouts. They all begin to pack up their instruments. They file out of the room, passing the four boys without giving them a second glance. The last girl has red and yellow curled hair and a big grin on her face, not saying anything but not seeming detached from the group. Her eyes flicker up for a moment and meet Dans. His heart flutters in his chest. "Bacon hair." Kyle mutters, making them all laugh. She giggles silently, making Dan wonder if she heard them. "Who is she anyway?" Dan asks, trying to act casual as the four begin to set up in the music room. "Sunset Shimmer, she's in the year below us. Hangs around with Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie and when Princess Twilight Sparkle comes over from Equestria her too. She had a lot of trouble with magic last year, just before you came." Will informs him. Dan stares at him, confused. "Wait who's Princess Twilight Sparkle? And what's Equestria? And magic?!" Dan runs a hand through his hair, trying to get to grips with everything he has just been told. "Long story." Woody grins as they launch into their first song. Chapter 2Dan searched the cafeteria for his friends and saw Woody sat at a table with his sister in the year below them and a few of her friends. He made his way over, his tray loaded up with a veggie burger, apple juice and a slice of apple pie. "Hey Dan, this is AJ, Rainbow Dash, you know Pinkie, and Flash Sentry." Woody pointed out his younger cousin and her friends as Dan sat down beside the blue haired guitar player. He made a start on his food when a tray landed beside his. "Hey guys." Sunset Shimmer flashed a smile and sat next to Dan, making his heart flutter again. A yellow hand snaked across and snatched up the apple from Sunsets tray. "Hey!" She shouted as the blue haired guitar player laughed. She lent across Dan to snatch back her apple and her hair floated into his hair. The smell was a mix of vanilla and cupcake frosting. It was like stepping into Mr and Mrs Cakes cafe on Cupcake Friday. It was the kind of smell you would bottle up and get addicted to. As she pulled back her hair slid across his face like a sheet of satin and her laugh filled his ears, more beautiful than any song he ever heard. His already red skin darkened and his heart beat impossibly faster. "You alright mate?" Flash asked while Woody sniggered. Woody beckoned for Dan to follow him a short way away from the table. "You want to come to mine tomorrow night?" Woody asked. Dan just blinked at him, confused. Woody rolled his eyes. "Pinkie is having a sleepover and Sunset will be there." Woody had moved in with his cousins Pinkie, Maud, Marble and Limestone after his parents moved to a different city last summer. Dan stared at his friend and stuttered. "I uh, don't know what you mean. Why would that make me want to go. You're crazy." Woody laughed. "I have never seen you like this over a girl before, it's way obvious you have a crush." He laughed. Suddenly Pinkies head appeared beside them, a massive grin on her face. "You like Sunset?! This is so exciting!" Pinkie shook Dan before skipping off. "Don't worry, she won't tell your secret." Woody laughed, joining his cousin and friends at their table. Chapter 5"So you used to use the serving spoon instead of a normal spoon?!" Sunset laughed. Dan nodded, grinning from ear to ear. "Yup. Every day. I couldn't even fit it in my mouth!" Dan told her, making her laugh even more. "That is the most adorable thing ever." She tells him, taking his hand. "Thank you for tonight." She whispers. Dan smiles and quickly pays the bill. As they get to the car he lowers the hood so the wind can blow through their hair as he slowly drives. The soft music he puts of drifts out of the stereo, and Sunset puts her head back and closes her eyes, letting it wash over her. "Do you mind if I park at mine and walk you home?" Dan asks her as the stars fill the sky over head. She just puts her thumbs up, not wanting to interrupt the song. He parks outside and waits till the song has finished before turning the engine off. As they walk clouds fill the skies and rain begins to pour on the unsuspecting victims below. "Come on, I know a short cut." Sunset yells over the rain as she rips her shoes off. Dan hands her his jacket to keep her warm before tearing off his own shoes and socks. They leap over a fence and begin to run through the now muddy park. 'Oh shit.' Dan thinks to himself as he feels himself falling. In a last ditch attempt to stay upright he grabs hold of Sunset but instead brings her down with him. The two land in the mud. Dan expects her to start yelling but instead she just laughs. "You goofball." She says as they awkwardly stand up. Instead of running they now just walk through the mud hand in hand, the rain flattening their hair to their heads. As they reach Sunsets door the rain starts to clear up. "Typical." Dan mutters, making her giggle. "Thank you again for tonight." she whispers, wrapping her arms around his neck. She leans forward when the door swings open. "In now please Sunset." Her father says, glaring at Dan. "But daddyyyyyy." Sunset whines. "Now." he repeats. She sighs and removes Dans jacket, handing it back to him. "See you on Monday." She says before walking into the warm house. "Goodbye." Her father says, giving him a fake smile before slamming the door in his face. "Charming." Dan mutters as he makes his way back to his own home. His phone vibrates with a message. Sorry about him, he's over protective xx it reads. Before he can reply he gets another text. Hope we can go out again sometime soon x and with that Dan smiles the whole way home. Chapter 9A loud knock at the door pulls Sunset away from her maths homework "Last day as my slave, little sis!" Starry says from the door with an evil grin before waltzing back out. "What're you planning Starry?" Sunset mutters before grabbing a book from under her bed. Dear Princess Twilight Sparkle she writes. My brother is an asshole. That is all. Yours, Sunset Shimmer. She doesn't even get a chance to open up her maths book again before the book is glowing and vibrating. Dear Sunset Want to trade? Shining can be great but sometimes he just does the most annoying things. Once when I was younger mother asked him to keep an eye on me. He lifted me into a tree to keep me out of his way so he could play some geek game. Yours, Twilight Sparkle. Sunset laughs and snaps the book closed, hiding it back under her bed. She gets comfortable and opens her maths book when her mother calls for her. "Aaaaaaaaagh! Whaaaaaaaat?!" she rolls out of bed and whimpers into the floor before dragging herself up and padding into the hallway. Rainbow Dash and Applejack make their way into her room. "Oh shit." she slams her face into the wall beside her door, annoyed that she had completely forgotten she had invited the girls over for a writing session. "Language Miss Shimmer." Starry says. Sunset turns around to see her brother stood there, his hands behind his back and a sweet smile on his face. "What do you want." she says with a sigh. "Our dear darling mother asked me to polish the silver wear ready for when granny and grandpa come over. She wants it done in an hour. Oh and my shoes need cleaning, you have half an hour." He hands her a box full of the silver wear and his muddy football trainers along with some polish and a cloth. The clock strikes midnight and Sunset sighs in relief. She is finally free from her brother. She finally opens up her maths book when a yawn escapes her mouth. "Are you fucking kidding me." She mutters. With a sigh she lays down and instead just thinks about the maths problems she has to solve. Her mind begins to wander and lands on a small bottle. A small bottle of pills hidden in the bottom of her sock draw, full of Ritalin prescribed to her years ago to keep her awake during class. She scrambles out of bed and looks for the bottle. Two small pills lie in the bottom and she shakes them out into her hand. With a deep nervous breath she pops them in her mouth and swallows before scrambling back into bed to complete her work. Chapter 12Sunset sits in the corner of the shed, staring at Greymere. "You used me." she hisses. He raises an eyebrow. "Did I now? I didn't sit you in my lap, I didn't take your clothes off and I didn't do anything you didn't want." "You gave me the pills." "I didn't tell you to take them. You could've walked away, said no. But you didn't. I'm not at fault here." Sunset wraps her arms around her knees and cries quietly. A loud knocking on the door shocks her and they both stare at it for a moment. "Sunset? Sunset are you in there?" Dan yells through the door. Sunset slowly stands up and opens the door. "Hey Dan." she mumbles. He throws his arms around her, holding her close. "Oh my god I was so worried about you! The girls said you walked out and never came back. What're you doing here?!" "I was just talking to a friend. Go wait for me by your car, I'll be there in two minutes okay?" Dan nods and walks away, looking relieved but sad. Sunset notices tear stains running down his cheeks and is filled with guilt. "Looks like you'll have to tell him." Greymere grins. Sunset turns and glares at him. "Or I will." He adds seriously. "Really? Why would you do that?" "I don't like cheaters." he shrugs. "Is there any way I can stop you." She begs. He thinks for a moment then smirks. "There is but you're not going to like it." "Please, I'll do anything." He pulls out a small crate filled with plastic sachets. "Sell all of these, give me the money and you're free." He tells her. Sunset takes a deep breath. She tries to work out the pros and cons but her mind is numb so she just nods and tips them all into her bag. "You have two weeks." He tells her, seeing her out with a smile that ones seemed sweet but now made her feel sick. Chapter 15Dan was working on a new song when his mobile buzzed, letting him know a new text had come through. The name Sunset Shimmer flashed up on the screen and made him smile. He unlocked his phone quickly, his heart somewhat jittery with excitement. I'm really sorry Dan but it's over. That was the moment Dan felt his heart drop. Pushing his notepad and pen to the floor he tried to come up with a coherent thought. What had happened? What had he done wrong? What could he do to rectify whatever mistake he must have made? Thoughts swirled around his head, each one crashing into each other like angry waves during a storm. His shaking hands managed to form a text back. What did I do wrong? He sat in silence, unable to breathe. The girl who had made his life more than bearable. I hate to do this, I really do, but my heart is failing and I want to end it before I die. I don't want you to have to go through the pain. I'm sorry, I love you xxx That was the moment his heart shattered. His breathing interrupted the silence, unsteady to match his heartbeat. The girl who had made his smile bigger and brighter. He curled up in a ball on top of his head and without realizing he began to sing. "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are grey. You'll never know dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away." His voice broke and he began to sob. Uncontrollable sobs that made his body shake and his heart ache. They continued for hours until Dan felt exhausted. And before he had time to think he fell into sweet unconsciousness.
Chapter 3Dan sat at the kitchen table, writing out song lyrics. "Just like Twilight." Sunset giggled from the doorway, making him jump. She was wearing shorts and a thin tank top with her silky hair in a high ponytail. "What're you doing up so late?" she asks him, reaching into the fridge and pulling out a can of whip cream. "Just writing a new song." He mutters. She fills her mouth with the cream and offers the can to Dan. He accepts with a small smile and does the same. As he hands it back his fingers brush against hers and a small blush rises up her cheeks. Suddenly she grins and presses down the button, spraying Dan with cream. He gasps and runs around the island, grabbing another can and spraying her back. They both laugh and begin to fight with it. In the end they're both covered in cream and have gone through around 32 cans. "I better go get cleaned up." Sunset tells him. "Do you uh, wanna go out tomorrow night?" she asks him, blushing again. 'Adorable' Dan thinks to himself. He nods eagerly, grinning. "I'd love to." He says. She smiles at him. "Great! I'll see you tomorrow." She kisses his cheek before skipping upstairs. He grabs a mop and begins to mop up, unable to stop smiling.
Chapter 4Dan pulled at his tie nervously, the single rose in his shaking slightly with his hand. The door swung open and an older man with a frown on his face stood there. "So, you must be the boy taking out my Sunset." He grunts. "Oh Zeb don't be like that. Come on in deary." The woman behind him, Sunsets mother, invites him in. He steps inside the house carefully and Sunsets mother squeals. "Oh he brought her a rose! Isn't that the sweetest thing!" She says, pulling him further into the house. "Mooooom!" Sunset whines, walking cautiously down the stairs. Dan gasps when he sees her. She's in a elegant black dress with two earrings and a pair of low heels, her hair tumbling in waves around her shoulders. "You uh, you look great." Dan manages to get out. She giggles. "Thanks, you don't look too bad yourself." she grins as she reaches the bottom step. "Look Sunset he bought you a rose!" her mother squeals, lifting his arm up as though he's incapable of doing so himself. "Thank you." She says, taking it from him. She walks into the kitchen and pulls out a thin vase, filling it with water and placing the red flower inside. "Why're you all dressed up?" A male voice asks. "Because, Starry, I'm going on a date." Her brothers laughs loudly and makes his way into the hall. "You're taking Sunset out?" He asks, speaking to Dan. Dan nods nervously, begging his body not to blush and give away how nervous he is. "Good luck with that." he sniggers. "Shut up Starry, you're going to wreck her confidence." A young girl says from the top of the stairs. Dan guesses she's about nine. "Thanks Flossy." Sunset laughs. "Please can I take a picture?" Her mother begs, a camera already in hand. 'Where the buck did that come from.' Dan wonders. The next minute is a chaotic mess of people shoving and shouting before Dan is shoved out of the door into the cool night. "Sorry about that, mom is obsessed with taking photos. We have to stop her every time she gets the camera out." She laughs quietly at something, probably a memory. Dan leads her to his car and she gets in gratefully. "As amazing as this car is, it isn't nearly as cool as Vinyls." She says, running a hand along the smooth leather of the seats. "The school DJ has a better car than me?! Figures." He laughs as he starts the engine. "Lazaroti's is okay, right?" He asks her nervously. She smiles and nods. "I love it there, it's where we went for my parents anniversary last year." She tells him. He smiles at her. Suddenly he takes his eyes off the road and his gaze lock with hers. A loud beep pulls him back to reality and he realizes he was driving on the wrong site of the road in his daze. As he quickly makes his way to the right side of the road he receives a lot of rude and gestures, making him blush. "I guess you were entranced by my beauty." She jokes, flicking her hair back with a laugh. Dan smiled at her nervously. 'She doesn't even know how right she is.'
Chapter 6"This is going to be wicked!" Kyle said excitedly, peering out of the window as they approached the beach. "I haven't been to the beach since I was little." Will tells the group. Woody pulls the van up at the beach side and they all hop out and move onto the beach which is empty except for the eight girls and a dog setting up towels and a large parasol. Pinkie and Maud walk off along the beach to try find some rocks, Applejack and Rainbow Dash set up a volleyball net and Fluttershy goes to the rock pool. "Hey Dan, this is Princess Twilight Sparkle, one of my best friends." Sunset says, introducing the singer to the purple princess who shakes his hand. "Hello Princess Twilight Sparkle." He laughs. "Just Twilight is fine." she smiles. "Well then hello just Twilight. And hey Sunset." He pulls her into a hug and kisses her cheek lightly, making her blush softly. "Forgetting someone?" A male voice asks. Dan looks away from Sunset but sees no one. "How could we ever forget you Spike?" Sunset laughs and picks up the purple and green dog. She hands him a dog biscuit from a bag which he happily munches on. Will sets up a blanket and lies down next to Twilight and Rarity, a pair of sunglasses shading his eyes. "You want to go for a swim?" Sunset asks. He nods shyly and she laughs, shrugging off her shirt and shorts to reveal the swimsuit she's wearing underneath. Dan takes his off his jeans, shoes and socks leaving him in dark blue shorts and and light blue shirt. He leaves his clothes with Will, as does Kyle who has decided to swim with them. Woody has joined has joined his cousins on a search for rocks. "Uhm Dan, shirt." Sunset points out with a laugh. "Dan never takes his shirt off." Kyle says, rubbing sun cream onto his shoulder. "Oh, right, okay. Well then let's go." She says, pulling her hair into a ponytail. The three start to walk down the beach when Dan is tackled into the sand. "Sweetie Belle!" Rarity screeches from her towel. "Apple Bloom what the hay are you doing?! Get up and apologizes!" Applejack shouts. "Hey Scoots, wanna play volleyball?" Rainbow calls from besides AJ. As the weight is removed from Dans back he sits up and starts brushing the sand off his tongue frantically. "Sorry Dan, we were just trying to get to the water and couldn't stop when we saw you." Scootaloo says, brushing the sand off of his face. "Yeah, we were having a race." Sweetie Belle adds, handing him a bottle of water and a towel. They all look at him nervously. He smiles at them, unable to stay angry at any kid for long. "It's okay, it was just a mistake." He says and he grabs Kyles hand and pulls himself up. "You guys coming into the water?" He asks them. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom nod eagerly but Scootaloo excuses herself to play volleyball with Rainbow Dash, Applejack and now also Pinkie Pie. "Don't worry kid, you can be on my team." Rainbow says as Dan, Sunset, Kyle, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom make their way the the icy water. Sunset squeals when she gets in, making Kyle laugh. He runs up behind Dan, shoving him into the water. Dan sinks under the waves for a moment before emerging, wet and angry. "Kyle. Why the Celestias name did you do that?!" he asks, trying not to curse or get violent in front of the two younger ones. "I was trying to wash the sand off you." Kyle grins. After a moment Dan can't help but laugh. "What will I do with you?" he says, dragging his friend deeper into the water. Sunset joins them and the three begin to have a water fight, laughing and squealing as they're hit by wave after wave of the freezing salt water. A shrill scream jolts them out of their game. "Apple Bloom what's wrong?" Sunset answers. The girl is screaming and crying, running towards them. "Sweetie Belle!" She yells, pointing further out into the ocean. The see her head bop out of the water before sinking back down underneath. Without thinking Dan swims deeper into the sea, trying to grab hold of her. As soon as he grabs a hold of her arm he tug her above the surface, struggling against the now vicious waves. He slings her onto his back and swims quickly to the shallower areas, occasionally dipping under his self. As soon as he's able to stand up he runs across the sand towards Rarity, Twilight and Will to get her a towel. He sets her down beside her sister and she starts coughing, water coming out of her mouth, her usually curly pink and purple hair flattened against her face. "Sweetie Belle are you okay?!" Rarity squeals, wrapping a towel around the shuddering child while Twilight wrings the water out of her hair. Sweetie Belle nods, unable to look up. "But darling whatever were you doing?!" she asks. "She was trying to get our ball back but she got swept up in the waves." Apple Bloom answers. Suddenly Rarity throws her arms around Dans neck. "You saved my sister. How can I ever repay you?!" she says. Dan blushes and runs a hand through his hair awkwardly. "You don't have to repay me, I couldn't just leave her." He says. She smiles at him gratefully. "Well thank you anyway, you're a hero." She says, kissing his cheek before returning to her sister, making Dan blush even harder. "You better not be leaving me for her." Sunset jokes, walking up behind him. He grins at her. "Never." Author's Note Bit longer than my others, hope y'all don't mind, I just couldn't help myself!
Chapter 7"It's beautiful out here." Sunset whispers, staring at the stars above. Dan smiles at her. "It is." The water splashes over their bare toes as the walk along the soft sand, their fingers intertwined. They walk in silence for a few moments. Not an awkward silence, the kind of silence that lets you think in a blissful peace while you enjoy the company of another. Without even realizing, Dan begins to hum. Sunset giggles at him slightly. The sounds of Dans humming, the waves of the sea and the far away laughter of her friends created a chaotic harmony that filled her ears. "Oh look at that!" Sunset shouts, pointing in the distance. A small rabbit is sat in the middle of the beach. She begins to run towards it, slipping and sliding on the sand. She trips, pulling Dan down with her, both of them laughing as they fall to the ground. "You okay?" Dan asks, sitting up and shaking the sand out of his quiff. She grins at him. "Of course." Instead of sitting up she lies on her back, staring at the moon. Dan smiles down at her, noting the way the light reflecting from the moon shines against her smooth skin and lights up her eyes. Without thinking he leans down kisses her softly, his heart hammering in his chest. She gently wraps her arms around his neck, closing her eyes and letting herself get lost in it. "Hey guys, food's ready." Kyle yells through the megaphone the guys for some reason had in their vans. Dan groans. "Do we have to go?" He asks Sunset. "Well are you hungry?" I loud rumbling comes from Dans stomach, answering the question for him. He blushes furiously and Sunset giggles. She gets up from the sand and brushes herself off. She pulls him into another kiss before running across the sand, leaving Dan to chase after her.
Chapter 8"Aaaand this is my room." Sunset finishes her tour of the house by leading Dan into her bedroom. There are books stacked neatly on shelves and a few pictures of Sunset with her friends and family and her bed neatly made and pushed against the back wall. The thick cream carpet is soft under his toes. A large wardrobe stands in one of the corners. "I don't know why but I expected... More" Dan says, making her laugh. His eyes are drawn to a photograph different to the rest. This one is a picture of two ponies, the pony counterparts of Sunset Shimmer and Principal Celestia. "She's a princess over there. And I was her prized pupil. But my greed for knowledge and power got the best of me." Sunset tells him when she notices him staring at the picture. He smiles down at her. "But you're not like that anymore." Before she can say anything he tackles her to her bed, making her scream slightly. Her heart beats faster. 'Thank Celestia I'm home alone.' Sunset thinks to herself. Dan pulls her into a kiss, pressing into her. Sunset is a little taken aback by the sudden passion but accepts it, wrapping her arms around his neck. His hand slips under her shirt and rests lightly on her waist. A quiet, yearning moan escapes Sunsets lips without her meaning to. She flushes bright red but Dan just chuckles and pulls away slightly. "Eager." he mutters. Sunset takes the opportunity to pull his shirt off swiftly, making his already red skin darker. She laughs at this. He pulls her shirt off, ruffling her hair in the process. He notices the she has a tattoo on her shoulder, her cutie mark. But he doesn't have time to think about it as Sunset flips him over, leaving her on top. Her hair falls into his face as she begins to kiss him again. Dan wraps his arms around her and begins to fumble with the clasp on her bra when the door swings open. "Sunset can you-" Sunset and Dan leap away from each other, both turning bright red. "Sunset you naughty naughty girl." Starry laughs from the doorway. Sunsets older brother slowly makes his way in, grabbing Sunsets shirt from the floor and balling it up in his hand. "I can't even begin to imagine how long you'll be grounded for this one." He tells her. Sunset glares at him. "What do I have to do." She says through gritted teeth. "You have to be my slave. For a month." he says. With a deep sigh she nods. "And you have to buy me as much ice cream as I want, whenever I want for the next month." Flossy makes her request from the doorway. But Sunset knows that no matter how childish the request may be the younger sister won't even take a seconds hesitation is telling their parents what had happened. "Fine." She says grabbing her shirt. She pulls it on and runs a hand through her hair just as the door downstairs slams closed. "Sunset we're home." her mother calls upstairs. Starry jolts his head towards Dan before waltzing out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Without a word Sunset grabs his shirt and pushes him toward the window. He awkwardly climbs out, trying to pull on his shirt as he slides to the grass. "Starry, please move you shoes from the middle of the hallway!" Her mother shouts. Sunset stands stock still in the middle of her room. She knows that those shoes aren't her brothers but Dans. "Sorry mom." He shouts. Sunsets door opens slightly and the two shoes fly into her room. With a sigh of relief she flops back onto her bed. Her brother wouldn't do anything to get her into trouble... given the right payment that is.
Chapter 10Sunset runs through the hospital, looking desperately floor someone to help her. She slips and thuds to the floor, her large stomach taking most of the force. She groans in pain and is suddenly lifted off the floor. "Dan!" She sighs in relief and follows Dan through the hospital. He leads her into a room with a bed and three doctors. Before she knows what's happening she's laid on the bed with a bright light on her and the doctors stood around her. "Is it alive?" One mutters. The other two stay silent. Sunset looks up. "Is something wrong? What's happening? Why wouldn't it be alive?!" And tries to sit up but Dan carefully pushes her back down. She catches a glimpse of blood and freaks out. Trying desperately to get up, two nurses run in and join Dan in holding her down. Instead she starts screaming. "GIVE IT TO ME! TELL ME WHAT'S HAPPENING!" she yells, tears now streaming down her face. "Would you like to hold him?" Dan asks with a smile. Something about his smile seems off but she nods anyway, reaching out her now free arms. Everyone grins at her as the newborn is placed in them. She smiles down at it and clings on tight, expecting it to wriggle. But instead it stays still. "Congratulations miss Shimmer, it's a boy!" Once of the nurses tells her. She look nervously to his chest. "He isn't breathing. Dan why isn't he breathing?! Someone help him breathe!" She starts to yell again, panic rising up like bile. "He died when you slipped." Dan tells her calmly, stroking the small patch of matted hair on top of the newborns head. Sunset jolts awake, looking around the room that isn't hers. Various pictures on the wall, a bookshelf filled with neatly stacked books, a keyboard stood in the corner of the room, sheets of words scattered across the floor and among those sheets a boy slumped over, glasses sliding down his nose. He looks over to her and smiles, turning down his music. "Are you okay?" He asks her. Sunset nods and smiles back. "Will you lie with me?" She whispers. Without a word he gets up and lies on the bed, wrapping his arms protectively around her waist. "Loving can heal Loving can mend your soul And it's the only thing that I know I swear it will get easier Remember that with every piece of ya And it's the only thing we take with us when we die" Dan quietly sings in her ear along with the music coming from his iPod. She smiles softly, enjoying the moment, feeling safe with Dan. Author's Note The song Dan sings is Photograph by Ed Sheeran if anyone is wondering, thank you for baring with me while I try to get myself back in order, work out what I'm doing with my writing
Chapter 11"Sunset, you need to buck up and do this guitar solo right, you're ruining the whole song!" Rainbow yells, running a stressed hand though her hair. "Now Rainbow, there ain't no need to take your stress out on Sunset." Applejack tweaks one of the strings on her bass before looking to the blue skinned girl. "I'm not taking my stress out on her! I'm just saying that she's messing us all up!" "I know but think about how she feels. You've been working us all too hard." "We need to work hard if we're going to win. This competition is a big deal to me." The two carry on like this while Fluttershy watches, half hiding behind her tambourine and Pinkie Pie gently taps on her drum, staring at the wall in thought. Rarity pulls Sunset to the side. "Darling, I think what Rainbow was trying to say was that you seem a bit... Well you're not yourself. You're not catching onto things as quickly as you used to and your playing seems very, oh what's the word I'm looking for? Lax! You seem very lax. Do you want to tell me what's wrong?" She places a comforting hand on her friends shoulder. Sunset shakes her head. "Sorry, I just haven't been getting as much sleep as usual. And I'm getting a headache stuck in here. I think I'm going to go for a walk, I'll be back in a bit." And before anyone can protest, Sunset runs out of the room. She doesn't stop until she's outside where she places a hand on the wall, keeping herself upright, her breathing heavy. "You okay sweetheart?" someone asks as he slides next to Sunset. "Not really. Who're you?" she asks cautiously. "I'm Greymere Mendez. Come on sweetheart, I have something that'll cheer you up." He slips an arm around her waist and pulls her with him. "Where are you taking me?" She asks nervously. He points towards the abandoned bike shed. "A bit cliche but it works." they walk inside and they're immediately enveloped in smoke. He hands her two small pills. She places them both on her tongue, taking a deep breath before swallowing. "Now what?" She asks. He grins a wide, almost evil grin. "Now we wait."
Chapter 13"Will please, I don't know what to do or who to turn to, I need help." Sunset begs, standing in the doorway to Wills house. "Fine, come in. But I don't know why you're coming to me." He moves to let her in and then leads her to his bedroom. "So what's the problem?" He asks her calmly, sitting on his bed and offering her a chair. "I've been talked into selling something and I don't know how to do it." she tells him, picking her words carefully. "Is it illegal?" "I think so." "Can't you just give the person the money and keep them? Hide them somewhere or slowly sell them?" "Will you're a genius!" she yells, jumping up and throwing her arms around his neck. "Thank you so much." She whispers. "Uhm, Will?" Woody says from the doorway, looking confused. Sunset pulls away and blushes. "Hey Woody, how're you?" She mumbles. "I found this in the hallway." He holds up Sunsets back pack, the zip slightly open. "Sunset you're a drug dealer?" "No, Woody you don't understand. Please don't tell anyone." She pleads. Woody drops the bag to the floor, looking disgusted. "I think you should go." He whispers. Sunset picks up the bag and slouches out. "I'm sorry Woody. I've let you all down." As soon as the door shuts behind her Woody and Will begin to talk in muffled voices. She wipes her eyes, trying not to give into her emotions and break down there and then. "I've let everybody down." She whispers to herself, making her way onto the hot street.
Chapter 14Sunset takes a drag of the cigarette and a pain screams from her head. A knock at a door followed by a deep voice. "Good evening ma'am. I'm sorry to tell you this but we have received news that your daughter has been selling a host of illegal drugs. Would you mind if we came inside and had a look around?" It takes a moment for the words to process through her brain. "Shit." She whispers. She grabs her bag and pushes the window open, sliding out as gracefully as she can. As she thuds to the ground she hears her bedroom door swing open. She sets off running, trying to work out which of her friends is closest to her. She's not welcome at Will and Woodys anymore and probably not a Kyle or Dans either. Darting through alleys her heart rate picks up, leaving an uncomfortable hammering in her chest. She sees a dark figure in front of her and hears heavy footsteps behind her. Before she knows what is happened she is pinned against against the cold brick wall, and a face roughly pressed against hers. She hears the footsteps getting louder and tenses up, knowing she wont be able to get away from the grasp of the man holding her to the wall. The foot steps run past the two figures and she looks at them, confused, as they continue to run through the alley. "Sorry about that, didn't have time to tell you what I was doing." the figure whispers before grabbing her hand and running back the way way Sunset came. "Dan?!" He smiles down at her. "Hiding in plain sight, my favourite thing." He laughs. "I was kidding, I've never done it before." He says, noticing the shock that temporarily takes over her features. "I doubted it." She laughs. She laces his fingers through his and they walk to his house together. Sunset pulls another bottle of vodka out of her bag and offers it to Dan who just holds up his half full bottle. They're both sat on the floor, leaning against the door, extremely tipsy. "Have you ever seen an Aztec Warrior do the chicken dance?" Sunset asks, staring at the wall. Dan dissolves into a fit of giggles. She stands up on her knees and begins to do her impression of it, making him laugh harder. She stumbles and lands into his lap, laughing with him. She pulls him down and kisses him, pulling at his shirt. He lifts her up, carrying her to the bed. Her heart is still thumping in her chest and her breathing becomes quick and shallow. She pushes him off her, feeling nauseous. She opens the window, leaning out. The room begins to spin around her, making her feel even more sick. Dan puts a hand on his shoulder. "Sunset are you okay?" He asks her. She can't come up with an answer so he grabs his phone. "Please, don't call them." She mumbles. "Sunset I have to, you're not well." "Please, you can't, you don't understand. Please don't call them." She begs, desperately grabbing at the phone. As he calls for an ambulance she makes one last grab for the phone, stumbling forward before her world goes black.
Chapter 16Sunset drops her phone to the floor, hands weak and shaking. "You should be careful with your stuff." Greymere smirks, running a finger across her cheek. She wriggles uncomfortably, desperate to get away from him but with no where to go. "What're you doing here." She hisses at him. "Oh I just came to get my money." He says, dipping his hand into her backpack and pulling out her purse. "And to tell you I'm the one who called the cops. I can't have you getting away with breaking the law now can I? I mean you're a good friend, I don't want you getting in any kind of trouble." He chuckles. "You dick." She uses all her energy to spit at him, hitting his cheek. His face turns sour as he turns to glare at her. "You really are as stupid as you look." He growls. He leans forward, raising his hands. "Oh so what, you're going to strangle me?" She whispers. A sick smile spreads across his lips. "So much worse." he carefully cups her cheeks, pressing his soft lips to hers. She tries to push him off but she feels like a weight is holding her arms down. The heart monitor beside her flat lines and Greymere pulls away. "Too bad, I'll miss you." He laughs to himself before grabbing Sunsets bag and running out, faking panic to call for the nurses.
Chapter 17"Thank you all so much for being here tonight!" Ed Sheeran yells from the stage, met by screams and cheers from the crowd. Dan paces back and forth, trying to calm his nerves. "Ready Dan?" Kyle asks, placing a hand on his friends shoulder. Dan nods nervously, shoving his hands in his hoodie pockets. "My last song tonight will be photograph. Thank you all so much for listening!" Ed shouts before launching into his last song. Dan feels a smooth piece of paper in his pocket and pulls it out, carefully unfolding it. His favourite photo of him, Sunset, Kyle and Rarity, just a few days before Sunset was put in hospital. Sunset is laughing at Pinkie who's balancing cookies on top of her head. Kyle is pulling a goofy face and Dan is staring at Sunset, a small smile tugging at his lips. White creases run along the picture where it has been folded. He lifts his head up, listening to the music, a thousand memories playing on his mind. Kyle looks at the picture over Dans shoulder and laughs. "I love that picture." He sighs happily. "Me too." Dan chuckles. Ed suddenly walks past them and smiles. "Break a leg." he grins. Dan smiles back and takes a deep breath, shoving the picture back in his pocket. The crowds begin to cheer and the four guys walk out onto the stage. Dan takes his place behind the microphone, pulling up so it's the right height. "Hi, we're Bastille. This first song is called Oblivion. I hope you enjoy it." He smiles and waits for the music to begin, ready to sink into the song.
Chapter 1Dan woke up and quickly pulled on his clothes from the day before, running his fingers quickly through his hair as he brushed his teeth. He bolted down stairs to meet his blue skinned best friend, Kyle. The two made their way down the road, heading towards Canterlot High where they would meet with their friends Woody and Will who made up their band, Bastille. They approached the school and slowed down outside the music room. Music could be heard from inside, female singing, three guitars, fast drums, a bass and... a tambourine? "We shine like rainbows, shine like rainbows!" They sing, six voices in total. They slowly end the song and begin laughing. "That was awesome." one girl shouts. They all begin to pack up their instruments. They file out of the room, passing the four boys without giving them a second glance. The last girl has red and yellow curled hair and a big grin on her face, not saying anything but not seeming detached from the group. Her eyes flicker up for a moment and meet Dans. His heart flutters in his chest. "Bacon hair." Kyle mutters, making them all laugh. She giggles silently, making Dan wonder if she heard them. "Who is she anyway?" Dan asks, trying to act casual as the four begin to set up in the music room. "Sunset Shimmer, she's in the year below us. Hangs around with Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie and when Princess Twilight Sparkle comes over from Equestria her too. She had a lot of trouble with magic last year, just before you came." Will informs him. Dan stares at him, confused. "Wait who's Princess Twilight Sparkle? And what's Equestria? And magic?!" Dan runs a hand through his hair, trying to get to grips with everything he has just been told. "Long story." Woody grins as they launch into their first song.
Chapter 2Dan searched the cafeteria for his friends and saw Woody sat at a table with his sister in the year below them and a few of her friends. He made his way over, his tray loaded up with a veggie burger, apple juice and a slice of apple pie. "Hey Dan, this is AJ, Rainbow Dash, you know Pinkie, and Flash Sentry." Woody pointed out his younger cousin and her friends as Dan sat down beside the blue haired guitar player. He made a start on his food when a tray landed beside his. "Hey guys." Sunset Shimmer flashed a smile and sat next to Dan, making his heart flutter again. A yellow hand snaked across and snatched up the apple from Sunsets tray. "Hey!" She shouted as the blue haired guitar player laughed. She lent across Dan to snatch back her apple and her hair floated into his hair. The smell was a mix of vanilla and cupcake frosting. It was like stepping into Mr and Mrs Cakes cafe on Cupcake Friday. It was the kind of smell you would bottle up and get addicted to. As she pulled back her hair slid across his face like a sheet of satin and her laugh filled his ears, more beautiful than any song he ever heard. His already red skin darkened and his heart beat impossibly faster. "You alright mate?" Flash asked while Woody sniggered. Woody beckoned for Dan to follow him a short way away from the table. "You want to come to mine tomorrow night?" Woody asked. Dan just blinked at him, confused. Woody rolled his eyes. "Pinkie is having a sleepover and Sunset will be there." Woody had moved in with his cousins Pinkie, Maud, Marble and Limestone after his parents moved to a different city last summer. Dan stared at his friend and stuttered. "I uh, don't know what you mean. Why would that make me want to go. You're crazy." Woody laughed. "I have never seen you like this over a girl before, it's way obvious you have a crush." He laughed. Suddenly Pinkies head appeared beside them, a massive grin on her face. "You like Sunset?! This is so exciting!" Pinkie shook Dan before skipping off. "Don't worry, she won't tell your secret." Woody laughed, joining his cousin and friends at their table.
Chapter 5"So you used to use the serving spoon instead of a normal spoon?!" Sunset laughed. Dan nodded, grinning from ear to ear. "Yup. Every day. I couldn't even fit it in my mouth!" Dan told her, making her laugh even more. "That is the most adorable thing ever." She tells him, taking his hand. "Thank you for tonight." She whispers. Dan smiles and quickly pays the bill. As they get to the car he lowers the hood so the wind can blow through their hair as he slowly drives. The soft music he puts of drifts out of the stereo, and Sunset puts her head back and closes her eyes, letting it wash over her. "Do you mind if I park at mine and walk you home?" Dan asks her as the stars fill the sky over head. She just puts her thumbs up, not wanting to interrupt the song. He parks outside and waits till the song has finished before turning the engine off. As they walk clouds fill the skies and rain begins to pour on the unsuspecting victims below. "Come on, I know a short cut." Sunset yells over the rain as she rips her shoes off. Dan hands her his jacket to keep her warm before tearing off his own shoes and socks. They leap over a fence and begin to run through the now muddy park. 'Oh shit.' Dan thinks to himself as he feels himself falling. In a last ditch attempt to stay upright he grabs hold of Sunset but instead brings her down with him. The two land in the mud. Dan expects her to start yelling but instead she just laughs. "You goofball." She says as they awkwardly stand up. Instead of running they now just walk through the mud hand in hand, the rain flattening their hair to their heads. As they reach Sunsets door the rain starts to clear up. "Typical." Dan mutters, making her giggle. "Thank you again for tonight." she whispers, wrapping her arms around his neck. She leans forward when the door swings open. "In now please Sunset." Her father says, glaring at Dan. "But daddyyyyyy." Sunset whines. "Now." he repeats. She sighs and removes Dans jacket, handing it back to him. "See you on Monday." She says before walking into the warm house. "Goodbye." Her father says, giving him a fake smile before slamming the door in his face. "Charming." Dan mutters as he makes his way back to his own home. His phone vibrates with a message. Sorry about him, he's over protective xx it reads. Before he can reply he gets another text. Hope we can go out again sometime soon x and with that Dan smiles the whole way home.
Chapter 9A loud knock at the door pulls Sunset away from her maths homework "Last day as my slave, little sis!" Starry says from the door with an evil grin before waltzing back out. "What're you planning Starry?" Sunset mutters before grabbing a book from under her bed. Dear Princess Twilight Sparkle she writes. My brother is an asshole. That is all. Yours, Sunset Shimmer. She doesn't even get a chance to open up her maths book again before the book is glowing and vibrating. Dear Sunset Want to trade? Shining can be great but sometimes he just does the most annoying things. Once when I was younger mother asked him to keep an eye on me. He lifted me into a tree to keep me out of his way so he could play some geek game. Yours, Twilight Sparkle. Sunset laughs and snaps the book closed, hiding it back under her bed. She gets comfortable and opens her maths book when her mother calls for her. "Aaaaaaaaagh! Whaaaaaaaat?!" she rolls out of bed and whimpers into the floor before dragging herself up and padding into the hallway. Rainbow Dash and Applejack make their way into her room. "Oh shit." she slams her face into the wall beside her door, annoyed that she had completely forgotten she had invited the girls over for a writing session. "Language Miss Shimmer." Starry says. Sunset turns around to see her brother stood there, his hands behind his back and a sweet smile on his face. "What do you want." she says with a sigh. "Our dear darling mother asked me to polish the silver wear ready for when granny and grandpa come over. She wants it done in an hour. Oh and my shoes need cleaning, you have half an hour." He hands her a box full of the silver wear and his muddy football trainers along with some polish and a cloth. The clock strikes midnight and Sunset sighs in relief. She is finally free from her brother. She finally opens up her maths book when a yawn escapes her mouth. "Are you fucking kidding me." She mutters. With a sigh she lays down and instead just thinks about the maths problems she has to solve. Her mind begins to wander and lands on a small bottle. A small bottle of pills hidden in the bottom of her sock draw, full of Ritalin prescribed to her years ago to keep her awake during class. She scrambles out of bed and looks for the bottle. Two small pills lie in the bottom and she shakes them out into her hand. With a deep nervous breath she pops them in her mouth and swallows before scrambling back into bed to complete her work.
Chapter 12Sunset sits in the corner of the shed, staring at Greymere. "You used me." she hisses. He raises an eyebrow. "Did I now? I didn't sit you in my lap, I didn't take your clothes off and I didn't do anything you didn't want." "You gave me the pills." "I didn't tell you to take them. You could've walked away, said no. But you didn't. I'm not at fault here." Sunset wraps her arms around her knees and cries quietly. A loud knocking on the door shocks her and they both stare at it for a moment. "Sunset? Sunset are you in there?" Dan yells through the door. Sunset slowly stands up and opens the door. "Hey Dan." she mumbles. He throws his arms around her, holding her close. "Oh my god I was so worried about you! The girls said you walked out and never came back. What're you doing here?!" "I was just talking to a friend. Go wait for me by your car, I'll be there in two minutes okay?" Dan nods and walks away, looking relieved but sad. Sunset notices tear stains running down his cheeks and is filled with guilt. "Looks like you'll have to tell him." Greymere grins. Sunset turns and glares at him. "Or I will." He adds seriously. "Really? Why would you do that?" "I don't like cheaters." he shrugs. "Is there any way I can stop you." She begs. He thinks for a moment then smirks. "There is but you're not going to like it." "Please, I'll do anything." He pulls out a small crate filled with plastic sachets. "Sell all of these, give me the money and you're free." He tells her. Sunset takes a deep breath. She tries to work out the pros and cons but her mind is numb so she just nods and tips them all into her bag. "You have two weeks." He tells her, seeing her out with a smile that ones seemed sweet but now made her feel sick.
Chapter 15Dan was working on a new song when his mobile buzzed, letting him know a new text had come through. The name Sunset Shimmer flashed up on the screen and made him smile. He unlocked his phone quickly, his heart somewhat jittery with excitement. I'm really sorry Dan but it's over. That was the moment Dan felt his heart drop. Pushing his notepad and pen to the floor he tried to come up with a coherent thought. What had happened? What had he done wrong? What could he do to rectify whatever mistake he must have made? Thoughts swirled around his head, each one crashing into each other like angry waves during a storm. His shaking hands managed to form a text back. What did I do wrong? He sat in silence, unable to breathe. The girl who had made his life more than bearable. I hate to do this, I really do, but my heart is failing and I want to end it before I die. I don't want you to have to go through the pain. I'm sorry, I love you xxx That was the moment his heart shattered. His breathing interrupted the silence, unsteady to match his heartbeat. The girl who had made his smile bigger and brighter. He curled up in a ball on top of his head and without realizing he began to sing. "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are grey. You'll never know dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away." His voice broke and he began to sob. Uncontrollable sobs that made his body shake and his heart ache. They continued for hours until Dan felt exhausted. And before he had time to think he fell into sweet unconsciousness.
