A Crooked Anon-a-miss

"SUNSET! YOU UP?!" Duke shouted as the went upstairs and saw Sunset coming out of the bathroom, he smiled but his smile faded when he saw a few cuts on her arm. "Did you...Cut yourself Sunset?" Oh no. What if she did!? "Sunset, did you or did you not cut yourself?"

It took a while for Sunset to answer him, yet when she did, her voice was shaking and full of fear, "Y-Yes. But it was an mistake! I wasn't thinking!" Duke didn't do anything, "Duke, I didn't mean to!"

"Sunset...You HAVE to stop! I've been through this! First people cut themselves, then the go insane and hear voices, after that they write regrets, and then before they know it, they end their life!" Duke sounded even more scared than Sunset did, "So please, stop!"

"It's not so simple Duke!" This time, Sunset was in anger and rage, "I don't know how you handle being a Crooked Man, but you have NO idea what this feels like!" Duke frowned, did she really just say that to him?! "You don't know how it feels to be like THIS!"

"YES I DO!" Duke's face showed nothing but anger, rage, madness, and the sign of the Crooked Man, "I'VE BEEN LIKE THIS BEFORE! And all you think is 'Oh he won't understand! He hasn't been through anything like this!' Well guess what!? I HAVE!"

Sunset looked at Duke's face and saw tears running down his face, oh no. Now she's really done it. "Duke...I'm sorry...." Duke looked at the teen and sighed, it wasn't her fault but his own. "I shouldn't have said that. You have been through this before. You had thoughts of being Crooked."

"No. It's not your fault." Duke couldn't look at her, "It's mine. I've been through this before and I can't help you like David helped me. I'm sorry."

Sunset looked at the window and went downstairs, Duke heard the front door open and shut, he didn't move. He didn't even hear the Crooked Man. No. No. NO! The Crooked Man didn't just tell her to leave did he!? What if he did!? Oh god no! It lied. HE lied! The Crooked Man broke what he had promised to Duke!

"Sunset..." Duke was quiet at first, but then ran after the teen, "SUNSET!"

You know I've been with Duke the whole time right? The Crooked Man asked Sunset, his voice was shaky and it didn't sound nice either. I've never been with someone else.

"But that explains nothing," Sunset began, "If you had been with Duke, start to end, then why me now? Why didn't you stay with him?"

It's not that simple dear Sunset, you see I have the right to end all life! Now that scared her, Including yours!

"Leave me ALONE!" Sunset put her hands on her ears, "I don't want you!"

So sad dear, but I'm staying!

"No...."

Sunset hadn't even thought of The Crooked Man ending lives, she always thought Duke had been born with him. Being twins with him, being siblings with him. Not...Not a killing side that couldn't be seen.

There is nothing

She couldn't be...

and there is nowhere

There was no way...

A big valley

Not a chance

Of darkness and despair-

That she could ever be...

There is

No!

Courage and there is

NO!

Fear

"I couldn't be..."

In between there is

OH! But you are!

No cloudy or clear-

"YOUR WRONG!"

A face that is

Am I?

Beautiful or

"Well...Um..."

Simple and plain

Well?

Looks for a

"Um...No?"

Hiding place within the rain-

So I'm right?

A mountain so tall

"No! Your not!"

It seems to touch the sky

But you just said that I was right by saying no

Just as a mass of

Was he?

Clouds appear in the eagles' eye-

Was he right?

No fires are burning

He was

Where rivers run

Wasn't he?

And the rise of early morning

He was right about her

Can't escape the sun-

"....Your right." It was finally admitted, Sunset heard the Crooked Man laugh in her head. He was right all along! They didn't care! They called her a secret stealer, saying she wasn't welcomed, and more! Everything was blamed on her! "I'm a Crooked Girl."

"I'm a Crooked Girl...."

Apple Bloom, Sweetie Bell, and Scootaloo were in shock, did they just hear Sunset right? Was this all their fault? Did they make this happen? Before anyone could say a word, they heard a voice speak to them.

"Your back!"

Turning around, slowly and carefully, the trio saw....Duke. He was back and looked nothing but pissed off at them.

"We can explain!" Sweetie Bell pleaded, "We just came to talk with her!"

"Sure you did! After all the damage you had happen." Duke did not sound so sweet and nice, "GO HOME!" Duke had his finger pointing away form Sunset and himself, as he watched the trio leave, he began running towards Sunset but couldn't reach her with his voice.

NO! Was in the Crooked Man's hands now, he had to stop whatever the Crooked Man would make Sunset do!

Maybe he was wrong, maybe he was right. But Sunset had to do this! The Crooked man knew what was best for her, no one else did. So he was the only she could trust!