My Love May Live
My Love May Live
I'm on my way right now, did you want me to stop and pick something up?
No thanks, I've got the snacks if you bring the books.
It's a deal.
Sunset Shimmer smiled as her phone slipped easily into her jacket pocket and she turned her attention back to the sidewalk. Her book bag swung heavily against her back from the strap slung over her shoulder as she marched smoothly through the Crystal City away from the bus stop. It was a crisp clear day, the perfect kind of day for a long walk to visit one of her best friends, and a perfect Friday to bring an end to a really great week in general. She had been earning plenty of tips at work, Adagio was getting to make more friends, and her grades were holding steady at CHS.
All in all, she wasn't sure what else she could ask for at this point in her life.
Her boots skidded to a halt on the pavement when movement caught her attention just out of the corner of her eye. There, between two small restaurants, she could just barely make out a person huddled in the shadows of the alley. It was a fairly warm day out, so there was no danger of this person freezing, but Sunset could still do her part to show them where the homeless shelter was. It was entirely possible they didn't know about it.
Her bootsteps echoed down the mostly-empty alley as she moved to approach the figure. "Hey, are you okay in there?" Sunset Shimmer drew closer with a disarming smile, though the figure took no notice of her. "Are you hurt? Or do you need some place to go?"
The figure's head raised slightly. Its pitch-black, shoulder length hair seemed to flutter in the wind, though Sunset could barely feel any wind in this alley. "It's okay, you don't need to worry. I don't want to turn you in anywhere, I just want to make sure you know there's a place you can go." Sunset rubbed the back of her neck nervously. "I kind of like to make it a point to help people wherever I can. Got some things to make up for... you know how it goes."
The silence grew thicker by the moment, until Sunset felt like she couldn't take any more. "Well... that's all I wanted to tell you, I guess. If you want to find it I'm sure you can ask anybody... who..." She trailed off slowly as the figure began to move.
Its head turned toward her as it lifted itself from the pavement. Its shimmering hair slid around its sickly pale flesh as it rose, flesh which framed a set of pulsing, yet somehow focused black pools that peered straight at her face. A cold chill gripped her heart as the black pool of its mouth spread into a wide ear-to-ear smile, at least if the creature had ears in the first place. Its body couldn't even stand upright properly, its joints twisting back and forth and side-to-side, like it wasn't quite sure how humans were supposed to look.
"Y-you... you're not from here..." Sunset Shimmer took a few steps back when the creature took a step towards her. "Hey, I didn't mean to bother you..." The creature's mouth opened in delight, and a light buzzing sound like a swarm of bees filled the alleyway. "J-just... I'll leave you alone, alright? This doesn't need to be a big deal."
Sunset whirled to rush towards the alley entrance at the fastest walk she could manage. She was almost to the sunlight when it felt like a rope wrapped tightly around her chest and hauled her backwards once again. The books spilled across the alley from her dropped back as she screamed and raked her fingers across the alley floor, desperately trying to stop herself from sliding all the way back, but there wasn't even anything to grab onto.
She finally came to a stop amid the sound of her screams and the furious pounding of her heart. She thought for a moment she could get up and run away before she raised her eyes and saw the creature hovering right above her head. The darkness that peered at her seemed to blink with strange white light before it moved in towards her.
***
Twilight Sparkle set the bowl of nachos down on the coffee table in her living room before smoothing down her skirt and adjusting her glasses. "Okay, I've got everything we're going to need. Now I just need the friend." She cast a glance over at the clock on the shelf beside the TV. They had arranged their study time for five PM, and it was already five after. Which was strange, Sunset Shimmer was always so punctual and responsible. She hoped she hadn't stopped to get anything after all.
"Oh!" Twilight gasped when she looked out the front Window and spotted Sunset Shimmer just making her way across the lawn towards her front door. Just a little late, nothing to get all worked up over, Twilight scolded herself with a shake of her head before moving to pull the door open and greet her best friend.
"Hey!" Twilight Sparkle pulled the door open with a bright smile as Sunset Approached. Her friend was moving a bit stiffly, and Twilight noticed now that she didn't have her books with her. Not only that, now that she was looking closer, her jeans and leather jacket were scratched up and stained with dirt and grime. "Sunset? Where are your books?" Twilight looked into her eyes worriedly, and was greeted with a blank, almost confused look. "Are you okay?"
Sunset Shimmer's mouth opened and closed a couple of times, but no sound came out. "Are you in shock? H-here, come in, sit down." Twilight took both of her hands and pulled her into the living room. Sunset Shimmer plopped down on the end of the couch while Twilight Sparkle sat beside her, clenching both hands tightly. "Sunset, what happened? Were you... did something bad happen to you? You can talk to me."
Sunset Shimmer didn't look at her for a few moments, then slowly her eyes turned towards her. Twilight gulped and squeezed her hands as their eyes met. "Yeah, focus on me..." Twilight gave her a comforting smile. "You can tell me what happened to you."
"You..." Sunset Shimmer's lips moved in a breathless whisper as her hand pulled away from Twilight's, moving unsteadily up to cup Twilight's cheek. Twilight felt her cheeks flush hotly at the intimate contact that didn't fade away quickly. In fact Sunset's other hand moved up to cup both cheeks as she stared into her eyes.
"S-Sunset, what're you doing?" Twilight tried to turn her head away, but Sunset's hands held her in place.
"You..." Sunset's next word was spoken louder as her eyes widened just slightly in delight. Her hands squeezed Twilight's face just a little bit harder as she leaned closer to Twilight. "You... you..."
"Sunset, please..." Twilight put her hands on Sunset's chest to try to hold her back, but her frail little arms couldn't do much. "W-we talked about this, remember? I'm not... not into girls..."
"You...!" Sunset's voice rose yet higher and she tried to pull Twilight closer to her, but Twilight threw her arms up in a half-panic.
"Stop it!" Twilight managed to knock Sunset Shimmer's arms off of her long enough to jump from the couch and back away from her friend. "If-if you're going to keep doing this I-I'm gonna have t-to a-ask you to l-l-leave!" Twilight stammered under the stress, but wouldn't let herself back down. It didn't matter if this was her first and best friend in the entire world, she wasn't going to be pushed into something she didn't want.
"You!" Sunset Shimmer stood from the couch herself, on legs that wobbled and swayed under her sudden weight.
"No! Not me! I d-don't know what's wrong with you, but you're going to have to go before I c-call... our friends!" Twilight's resolve wavered just slightly. She wouldn't call the cops on her, but she had friends she could call.
When Sunset Shimmer continued to take slow, halting steps towards her Twilight whirled to rush towards the kitchen where they kept the cordless phone. She had just stepped through the doorway when it felt like something wrapped around her ankles and yanked them backwards, sending her tumbling helplessly to the tiled floor with a yelp of shock and pain.
"Gah! What the...!?" Twilight looked down to see nothing wrapped around her legs, though she couldn't part her ankles no matter how she tried. Suddenly her body began to slide back into the living room, where Sunset was waiting with a wide, eager smile. Twilight's hands lashed out around her and managed to catch hold of the doorframe, onto which she clung for dear life even as her legs were yanked with enough force to hold her body clean off the ground.
"You!" Sunset's voice was filled with delight as she closed the distance between them, her hand reaching for Twilight.
"S-stop!" Twilight shook her head despite her heart racing and her breath heaving in panic. "Get away from me!"
Sunset's hand hovered closer to her, but before she could reach Twilight's stiffened leg a small purple form leapt between them with jaws opened wide. Young, but powerful canine jaws chomped down hard on Sunset's hand, which immediately jerked back. A loud, almost animalistic yelp of pain erupted from Sunset's throat as Twilight suddenly felt her body crash to the ground and her legs separate in front of her.
"Spike!" Twilight yelped.
Spike perched himself between Twilight and Sunset, growling sharply in warning. "Get outta here, Twilight! I won't let her hurt you!"
"Spike, I..." Twilight bit her lip. She didn't want to risk anything happening to her faithful pet, but Sunset would only remain distracted by the bite for so long. She was currently just staring at the blood that had begun spilling from the deeper punctures on her hand, as if she had no idea what was happening. "Just don't get hurt!"
Twilight forced her shaking limbs to get her to her feet and rush towards her front door as quickly as her legs could take her. She was almost there when she felt something close around her chest and yank her back, but almost immediately Spike lunged again and closed his jaws around Sunset Shimmer's ankle.
Suddenly Twilight was free again, and she used her freedom to throw her door open and run for the sidewalk as fast as she could. Her bare feet pounded the pavement as she sprinted like she never had in her entire life. Adrenaline truly was an amazing thing, but she didn't even have a mind to think about that as she ran through the city under the growing orange twilight. She just kept running until her legs almost unconsciously took her to the place she would feel safest right now...
