The darkness within: The Demons return.

Sunset had made her way home safely enough, she had dried her tears with the sleeve of her coat. Getting to her abandoned factory she opened the door headed inside then closed the door locking it tight. Setting her backpack down by the door she knelt down next to it opened it up took out her homework set that down on the ground rezipped her backpack closed and picked up her homework. She headed over to a crate that she used as a makeshift desk in front of the crate was a plastic five gallon bucket which was used as a chair. Sitting on the uncomfortable thing made her really appreciate the soft chairs that she had at CHS. Setting her homework down on the crate she looked to her right and picked up an old oil lamp that she had found three days prior to finding the building she was in now. Taking out a cigarette lighter she had gotten from one of the students at CHS she used it to light the lamp. Thinking to herself as she started her homework.

“I need to find something within this building that I can pawn at the local pawn shop to buy a blanket and mattress.”

An hour went by, then two, within three hours she had completed her homework standing up she stretched cracking her back and neck back into place. Looking around the factory she found her guitar sitting up against a nearby wall. It was shaped in a upside down V and had six strings one of which was broken. It’s whammy bar was bent out of place and the neck itself was cracked down the center. Looking at it she muttered to herself as she reached out a amber colored hand strumming the strings of it a few times.

“I really don’t want to give this up, but I need the money to get a mattress and a sleeping bag. Luna’s hooves this sucks that I have to give this up.”

She recalled finding it in a dumpster outside of school three weeks before Twilight showed and ruined her plans for conquering Equestria. Feeling the metal strings vibrate beneath her fingertips she recalled vividly asking the the music teacher for it and to her surprise she was actually given the guitar by the teacher. Picking it up it felt cold to her skin she closed her eyes letting out another soft sigh as she headed for the door. The storm had stopped raging Sunset was grateful for that being lost in a snowstorm wouldn’t have been any fun at all. It didn’t take her long to find the pawn shop looking at the sign she was grateful to see that they were still open. She opened the door and headed inside the shop.

“Hello I would like to sell my guitar if I may?” Sunset replied to the shop owner placing the guitar onto the glass counter top. “I am hopeful to have someone take a look at it and see how much I can get for it.”

The shopkeeper lowered his glasses to her letting out a snort before he headed over to her location. Looking at the guitar then at her he raised his glasses back up then sternly replied to her with.

“Two fifty is what I am prepared to pay you for this.”

With a confused look on her face Sunset looked back from her guitar then to the shopkeeper as she replied to him.

“Two dollars and fifty cents or, did you mean that you would pay two hundred and fifty?”

“I meant that I would…”

A loud angry voice to the right interrupted the shopkeeper before he could finish his sentence.

“Father! Stop fooling around with this person and leave her alone can’t you see the pain in her eyes!?”

Both Sunset and the shopkeeper turned to see a girl standing to the right of the shopkeeper. She had a very bemused look on her face. Her skin was around her neck she had blue headphones connected to a Mp3 player. Her hair was Moderate cobalt blue with brilliant cyan streaks running through her hair. She had on a white shirt with the same colors as her hair running up and down the sleeves of her shirt. On the bottom of her shirt Sunset saw a eighth note she had on purple pants with pink lightning bolts on them. Walking up to the counter and giving her father a dirty look she motioned with her hand for her father to leave the immediate area. Her father made a hasty retreat to the back of the store while the young woman looked over Sunsets guitar.

“Hey aren’t you D-J Pon 3?” Sunset inquired with a half raised eyebrow.

Not looking up from what she was doing the blue haired girl replied to her by nodding her head.

“What are you doing here?”

Again the blue haired girl didn’t look up to Sunset when she replied to her.

“I work here with my father and I live upstairs in the apartments above the shop.” She flipped the guitar over looking at the back of it “alright I am done looking at this now, would you like to know how much I am willing to pay for this?”

“What oh, yes thank you D-J Pon 3.” Sunset replied with a slight smile on her face.

“Call me Vinyl only those that I D-J for call me ‘D-J Pon 3’ so please just call me Vinyl. Now I am willing to pay you...hmmm oh, heck I’ll give you eighty dollars for this guitar. How does that sound to you Sunset?”

Sunset was a bit shocked to hear that Vinyl knew her name all she could do was nod her reply to her. Vinyl headed over to the cash register pressed a few buttons on it and took out the money handing it to Sunset. Taking the money and putting it into her pocket she turned to leave the shop stopping when she heard Vinyl call out to her.

“Hey just a minute.”

Sunset turned around to see Vinyl holding out her hand in her hand was an extra thirty dollars.

“I...I don’t understand Vinyl why are you giving me this extra money? I mean you have already paid me for my guitar so why offer more than what you said you would pay for it?”

“Because I know what it is like to be in your situation. Now please take this before I come to my senses.”

Reluctantly Sunset took the money thanking her again and headed out of the store Vinyl's father came out from the back of the store with a grim look to his face.

“Just what the hell is wrong with you? That girl’s guitar isn’t worth more than two dollars and you fucking know it girl! And now you go and give her more money how the hell are we supposed to keep this place open if you keep doing shit like this?”

Vinyl grinned while she picked up the guitar carrying it to the back of the shop she replied to her father as she set it carefully down on her repair desk.

“Father, do you remember five years ago when WE lived on the streets? It was shortly after mother passed away?”

Vinyls father followed her into the back of the shop nearly beet red with anger.

“What the fuck does that have to do with the stunt you just fucking pulled here today Vinyl!?”

Taking off her headphones she set them down next to Sunsets guitar then replied to sternly to her father.

“How tired and hungry did we both look before someone actually gave us a helping hand?”

“I don’t see what that has to do with what you just did young lady!” Her father spat back in anger.

“That girl as you dare to call her happens to be a good friend of my guitar student Rainbow Dash.”

Vinyls father threw his arms up into the air screaming in rage at her Vinyl remained steadfast fully standing up to her father.

“WHO THE FUCK CARES IF THAT LITTLE SHIT, IS A FRIEND OF YOUR FUCKING LAME ASS STUDENT YOU STUPID CHILD!?”

Letting out a sigh Vinyl placed her hands over her headphones raised them up to her ears replying to her father before she covered her ears with them.

“First father Rainbow Dash is not lame. Second Sunset is living on the streets in fact she is actually living ten blocks from here. Third if you go and harass her I will make sure the police know about this. Fourth my next D-J gig will pay for the money that I have given to her and more so why don’t you go back to pretending you're a good father and not some damn drunk. Who threw away his whole fucking life because he lost his wife due to his foolishness. Now if you'll excuse me I have a work of art to work on and fully repair.”

With that Vinyl put her headphones over her ears turned the music up and turned away from her father. Her father stormed out of the back of the shop swearing like a drunken sailor. Vinyl swallowed hard letting a few tears slip past her eyes. She didn’t want her father to see her cry and had made a promise to herself that she wouldn’t let the world see that anyone had gotten to her emotionally. While she started to work on Sunsets guitar carefully taking the instrument apart she muttered to herself.

“Don’t worry I’ll have you looking like new in no time then I can return you to your rightful owner.”

Sunset in the meantime had made her way down the street to the local store purchased a instant inflatable air mattress and a mummy style sleeping bag. Heading home she stopped by the grocery store picked up a week's worth of dried goods for food and a rolling cart to carry the rest of her stuff in. Getting back to her place she set up the mattress and sleeping back on the wooden pallet then set the food inside a box nearby for safe keeping. Taking out her magic journal she wrote a short but, quick message to Twilight.

“Dear,

Twilight Sparkle.

Hello, I just wanted to let you know that everything is going well for me I have been working on being a good friend to the girls. They have all accepted me and I plan to help Applejack with her bake sale tomorrow. Well it is late here so, I need to get going. I’ll catch up with you again sometime tomorrow.

Sincerely your, friend

Sunset Shimmer."

She put away her pen and journal went to bed sleeping peacefully throughout the night. The next morning was just as chilly as the previous day had been the storm from the previous day had left much of the city covered in a thick blanket of ice and snow. Getting up Sunset cracked her back and neck back into place again like she had done the previous night after she had gotten her homework done. She ate a quick breakfast then headed to school getting there an hour later she headed inside the school. Stopped by her locker and was about to head to the cafeteria when she heard over the P.A. system Luna’s voice booming through the speakers.

“Sunset Shimmer report to the principal's office” Luna repeated herself “Sunset shimmer please report to the principal's office.”