Darkest Sunsetby pork984ChaptersDarkest hour.Fluttering heartsThose Raspberry EyesDepths of the MindDarkest hour.Sunset woke up in a cold sweat. She was hyperventilating, still recovering from the terrible nightmare she had just awoken from. Her palms still sweaty and her hands shaking, she looked around the room, cyan eyes darting rapidly back and forth. Her breathing steadied as her mind came to the conclusion that it had only been a dream. "Wow, what a dream." She thought as she grasped her head in pain."Was it just a simple dream though? It just seemed so... real." She thought as she slowly threw her legs over the side of her bed. They dangled from the bed as she cradled her head, sweat running down her forehead and into her clammy hands.They slid to her knees as she took in her surroundings. She hadn't been aware of the rain outside up until now. Sunset wobbled her way over to the window to look at the storm. The sheer speed of the rapidly advancing tar black clouds coating the sky made her gasp. She heard a light pitter-patter, which quickly advanced into a roar. Outside, people ran for cover and umbrellas shot up as the water broke loose. Puddles began began forming as the rainfall became stronger still. Roofs of cars dancing with spray as the early morning coffee rush dispersed. She rubbed her right eyes as she yawned. "I think I need to clear my head a little.” She started to rise, but then stopped cold in realization. “Could be the new magic be causing my nightmares?" Her train of thought was cut off by a short chime. “Crap!" She groaned. Sunset normally kept her phone in her pocket, in case of an emergency (and for convenience), but she had thrown her jacket under her bed while changing last night. Her eyes shifted to look at her wooden floor as she looked at the darkness peering out from under her bed. She rolled her eyes at her misfortune. “Great. Out of all the possible places, I just had to pick the hardest to reach. Perfect.” She walked to the edge of her bed. A tangerine hand stretched out for balance as she bent down to grab the device. Her eyes scanned back and forth as she hunted for the phone. The wind picked up, and what had been the steady thrum of water turned into an absolute downpour of the liquid. A wall of rain moved over the wood and the drops were striking down upon the roof. So much rain was falling that the sound didn't even sound like the plinking of rain. It all blurred into one monotonous sound, not unlike that of an airplane. Thunder shook the house down to the foundation, with lightning flashing in the distance. As the lighting flashed, so did the screen of Sunset’s phone. “Aha! There it is!” She cried out in joy. The phone vibrated again, pushing the messages up to 66, alongside 1 missed call from Fluttershy. As Sunset struggled to reach for her phone the rain outside seemed to increase in its battering. The moment her fingers touched the glass screen, the light it emitted cut off and the raging winds began to die down. She grabbed the phone and pressed the power button. She hopped back onto her bed as she repeatedly pressed the button. Finally, a blinking battery outline with a bit of red in it started flashing. “Huh. I guess it’s dead. I could have sworn it was at 70% last night…” She raised a brow as she examined the screen to see if anything was wrong with it. “I guess it’s just a dead battery. Stupid cheap Stablesung phones.” She jumped off the bed and hunted for the cord. She bounced in place, waiting for the phone to light up. At last! The phone’s screen sprung to life. She saw immediately how spammed her phone message box was. She swiped to the left and punched in her passcode. She yawned again as her eyes scanned the screen. They were all messages from her friends. They ranged from “Darling, please hurry on over to Fluttershy’s place. I’m afraid there’s some simply dreadful news that just can’t be sent over the phone.” To “Plz zoom over to Flutter’s house ASAP. There’s some super-unfun news that the girls and I need to tell you.” They ranged in style, but the message was clear: Something awful had happened, and she needed to get to Fluttershy’s right away. She was so overwhelmed by the barrage of frightening messages that she didn't even notice the one dot in the corner: MISSED CALL (1): FLUTTERSHY. She threw on her teal tank top, leather jacket, jeans, and boots and flew out the door. Sunset knew she had to hurry. Those texts were no joke. Frazzled beyond belief, she rode her motorcycle down the wet pavement. A police car in the other lane sped up, it’s bumper level with her bike. "We have a one eighty-seven... I repeat: we have a one eighty-seven, over." The police radio blared as Sunset strained to listen to it. "Subject appears to be a young female, 15 to 20 years of age, requesting backup immediately, over.” "Copy that, I’m on my way, over.” The cop responded. “What’s the address, over?” “Address is." The broadcaster hesitated for a moment, and the crinkling of paper was heard."3445, Cotton Cottage Lane.." The words hit Sunset like a moving train. 3445 Cotton Cottage Lane was the house she was barreling towards. Fluttershy’s house. Sunset shuddered and sped up. She was extremely worried now, and tears were blurring her vision. As she pulled up against the sidewalk, she saw the plethora of police cars in the driveway. "No, no, no, no, NO, NO!!" Sunset cried out to herself as she barreled towards the front door and hurdled the yellow tape. She was quickly intercepted by an officer patrolling the area. "Excuse me miss, I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to leave. This is a crime scene." The officer said. "Please leave the premises for a few hours until we can get this whole mess cleaned up." The officer laid a hand upon Sunset’s shoulder. Sunset saw quick flashes of the house and other officers before he retracted his hand." Please. This is my friend’s house. Please, what’s going on?" She begged. “I’m afraid I’m not at liberty to discuss the details with civilians. Now please, step back.” The officer firmly stated. "This is a crime scene." He held a hand out to signal her to stay back. Sunset was getting frustrated, she had to know if Fluttershy was okay. “I hope he knows what’s going on. I’m risking so much by using my power in public.” Sunset’s eyes lit up a bright white, and the officer’s thoughts flashed before her eyes. My car was racing in the rain as I approached the crime scene. I was the first to approach the scene of the call. This meant my threat was entirely unknown. The rain splashed against my sleek car as I approached the address. Holy shit! The door had dents in it, and the window was smashed in, a lamp with kittens on the shade sticking through the pastel drapes. "This is officer Phillips responding to a distress call on 3445 Cotton Cottage Road, signs of a struggle, may need backup.” I said as I pulled up at the humble looking cottage on the aptly-named street. I reached into my holster and loaded my gun immediately upon exiting the vehicle. I knew there had been some kind of struggle and wanted to be on guard. My hot breath visible in the cold air as the rain was now pelting my uniform, staining it a dark midnight blue. My hand shook slightly as he was approached the ajar front door. Whoever broke in, they were able to just waltz out the door. "This is the police! We are entering the building."He called out into the darkness as he crept into the smashed adobe, his shadow elongated on the wall, following him around the house. The rain cast an ominous gloom in the house."If anyone is here, show yourself.” His free hand shone a flashlight around the room, landing on a lifeless corpse. The body had pink hair and sickeningly pale yellow skin. A bullet lay near her head, blood spilling from a wound in the other side of the girl’s skull, forming a puddle around her body. Her lifeless teal eyes stared blankly at the ceiling. Her left hand clutched a phone. Shattered glass formed a pattern around her body. But the most startling thing about her was her mouth, open wide in a silent scream that no one had heard. Sunset jerked her hand away in shock. The officer staring at her with a mixture of shock and concern for her glowing eyes. He looked like he had just seen a ghost. But Sunset didn’t register any of that. One thought echoed around her head, draining all the life out of her. Fluttershy was dead? Author's Note when writing is like this it is Sunset seeing into the memories of others. Fluttering heartsIt wasn't even a couple seconds after Sunset had seen the horrible truth that she felt eyes on her neck. She turned around, tears in her eyes, mirroring those of her remaining friends. Sunset could feel the tear dam bursting. She was pulled into a hug as she and Rarity cried on each other's shoulders. She gazed around at all of her saddened friends. Rainbow Dash was the only one who seemed to be missing. That This made little to no sense. Rainbow and Fluttershy were friends since pre-K. Why wouldn’t Rainbow be the first to find out? "Oh Darling,” she sniffled. “ I- I can't believe it. I just… can't." Rarity’s body trembled. Sunset felt Rarity’s sadness in their embrace, but pulled away before she could glimpse into more of her mind. Sunset’s lower lip trembled. She closed her eyes and tried to bite down the tears. "I don't want to believe it." Sunset said as she started to feel the hot tears streaming down her cheeks. "I- I just can’t believe it. Who would want to hurt her? She was always so k-kind to everyone, she wouldn’t hurt a fly! She- she was the nicest girl I’ve ever known. And now… she’s gone." Sunset looked down at her feet, silently weeping. She felt like her heart had been hit with an asthma attack and was trying to punch out of her chest. Officer Phillips who was still dumbfounded by what he had seen happen to Sunsets eyes was observing the group, having given up on shunning the friends. "She seemed okie-dokie-lokie last time I t-talked to her." Pinkie said as her knees buckled. Her hair was slowly losing it’s volume, becoming less poofy than usual. Pinkie was hyperventilating so hard Sunset was worried she was going to lose consciousness. Pinkie finally opened her eyes, puffy and red from her pain. Sunset felt like a part of her was missing now. Twilight, despite her shorter relationship with Fluttershy, just couldn't stop crying. The whole group was just a huge sniveling mess of crying and snot. Sunset shifted her eyes to see a CSI and an ambulance worker carrying a limp yellow body in a cadaver bag towards an ambulance. A pale hand was limply hanging out from the HRP. A quiet gasp emanated from the 5 friends. Sunset knew it was over. Flutters was gone, and she never even got to say goodbye. All she wanted right now was to hunt down the person who did this. Sunset froze. She looked down at her hands and started to tremble. She pulled her necklace out from underneath her shirt and looked at it. Sunset felt her tears resurge as she pulled away from her friends and ran towards the ambulance, a determined glint in her eye. Maybe there was time, maybe if she could just touch her, get one last glimpse at her most recent memories, she could see. See who did this. Time crawled to a standstill as several officers moved in to stop her from passing the yellow tape. “No.” It was too late, the officers moved in and proceeded to herd her away from the scene. Sunset caught their annoyance before they let go of her. “Miss, we understand, we really do, all of us have lost someone, but we can’t risk you compromising the evidence needed to arrest the criminal who did this.” “If you just let me touch her, you wouldn’t need-” “We’ve been bending the rules letting you and your friends stay here as long as you have. You need to calm down. Now. Or else your friend here won’t be the only wounded one.” “You’re supposed to serve the people! You can’t do this! That’s my friend, I need to just say goodbye, PLEASE!” She wept. "Stop resisting or I will take you in for obstruction of justice." Officer Phillips said as he knelt down by her. "You’re being unreasonable. You can see your friend at the funeral, say your goodbyes then. Right now we need to take her into the coroner’s lab.” “You don’t understand, by then it’ll be too late-” “Miss.” She knew that struggling was pointless. “Ok. You're right.” She softly admitted. “It’s just, she is- was one of my best friends. I… I just want to avenge her.” She said, tears now falling freely. The officers were supporting her and helping her towards a nearby picnic bench. “I just wanted to see her. I just- I just wanted to see her…” Applejack and Rarity drifted towards her, only to halted by the officers. “We’re sorry, but right now, she needs her space.” They apologized. Sunset was sitting on a bench the girls had slaved over for Fluttershy’s birthday. They figured a nice handmade bench to sit and look at her backyard duck pond. She had been absolutely thrilled and spent much of her time at the bench. Everywhere she looked there was some memory of Fluttershy and her all-encompassing kindness. It was just too much to bear. Sunset sighed. “I’m sorry, officers. I just- I- She- and now-” “It’s alright, Miss. We understand. This is a very hard time for you and your friends. However, that was still Obstruction of Justice. We can let it slide this time, but you need to clear your head. I’ll help you all get home, but you need no stay away from the crime scene. There'll be justice, I promise.” The officer removed his hat and held it to his chest. Sunset didn’t want to think anymore. This was all so overwhelming, she just wanted to curl up into a ball and cry. "Excuse us, can we please see Sunset now? We all need each other for comfort." Pinkie butted in with a weak smile. Her hair was like limp noodles, to match her similar demeanor. Not even Pinkie could find a positive to this situation. Suddenly, the girls all let out a small gasp. Their necklaces were flashing. ~ "Stop! Come Back!" Rainbow was screaming as she held a her side, a large gash ripped through her flesh. She had been having tea with Fluttershy when it had come. She chased it all over town, but even her own super speed was no match for the slippery shadow. Rainbow could feel herself getting weaker and weaker. She couldn't run anymore, Her medallion blinking as if sending out a distress signal. Clutched in Rainbow’s hand was Fluttershy's necklace. Her clothes were stained crimson, soaked in her own blood. She had sustained two stab wounds. She was the only one who knew what happened. She was the only one who knew who did it. No time to call the others; it was catch them now or let them get away. And they were not getting away. She lost her traction running through a puddle and slipped. Her body was trembling from over-exertion and blood loss. She had to end this now. Rainbow drug herself out of the puddle and over to a wall that she rested on as she examined her wounds. "Oh fuck." she said as she angrily kicked the ground, only to yelp in pain. The wounds were much deeper than she had previously assumed, and she had let the killer get away. "Fluttershy… I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry!" she yelled out, gaining the attention of the residents. Several lights flickered on from the inside of apartment complexes. Rainbow let out a weak call for help as she started to black out.That was when she heard a sliding door open to her right. She groaned and cringed from her pain as she slid her arom out to the door. Her eyes still clenched in pain, she wrapped her arms around the leg of her savior. Rainbow caught a gentle whiff of perfume from the blurry figure she had now arms around. She opened her eyes to try and see who it was even with her now blurred vision. She saw a dark purple boot and lavender tights with dark triangles on them. Her eyes slowly started to look up to what the boot was connected to. The stocking on the leg was a light purple with a lot of darker colored triangles on them. "I-it's you." The person said in a soft and surprised voice as Rainbow’s consciousness drifted away. "G-girls, Girls! Come out here and help me! She’s-” ~ Sunset was looking at the group’s neckwear before the blinking suddenly came to stop. She was thankful the cops had thought nothing of a few flashing necklaces. For all they knew, they were just some cheap, Bit Store plastic LED necklaces. Sunset’s eyes were still very watery in as she was stared down at her necklace. She scared enough as it was. She was could now add confused to the list thanks to the random light show her jewelry had just put on. Her friends were all sitting by her for comfort. She knew she had to go home and wait for the forensics to do their thing. It was the last thing Sunset wanted to do, but she knew she had to. "Come on, Sunny. We best do as they ask us." Applejack said as she wiped her eyes. "Ah don't think we’re very welcome as is." "Applejack is right... We should leave before they evict us." Rarity said as she was nervously scrapping her foot on the ground. As much as she didn't want to bail on Fluttershy and go home, she agreed with AJ. "You’re right, girls... as always.” She let out a weak smile.”We probably should go home... Do you girls think we should all stay together? None of use should be alone right now." Sunset said, nervously fingering her pendant. "Speaking of being alone.." Pinkie said, still sad. "Where’s Dashie?... Did she not get the news or something?" Pinkie sounded worried. "I was wondering the same thing." Sunset said as she gazed up from the crystal amulet. "Rainbow and Flutters have known each other since pre-K, plus she’s got super speed... I would think she would be the first to come." Sunset said as she slowly got up and looked at her friends. "I don't know as much about friendship as you guys, but that does seem very logical." Twilight said as she wiped her eyes. "They are very close..." Twilight said as she twirled her hair in distress. "I’m really worried about her." She concluded. "Well, I reckon she's still asleep... We should still mosey on over to her house and see how she’s doing though." Applejack said as she held a hand on Sunset’s shoulder. Without warning Sunset's eyes busted into a bright white light again. "Sugarcube, what’s wrong?" I asked, holding my friend's hand. "Nothing... I just.. It’s nothing..." Fluttershy mumbled as she turned away from me, pulling her hands out of the embrace. The calendar on her wall marked four days since the Camp Fundraiser. "Fluttershy, don't you lie to me.. I can tell something’s bothering ya. Now what’s troubling you?" I put my hand on her shoulder. "Alright. Applejack, someone... S-someone.." Fluttershy was shaking very badly. "Someone is following me." She let out in a panicked breath. "It’s alright, Flutters.” I patted her shoulder. “Do ya know who’s following ya?” "I don't know who it is... Please Applejack, Don’t tell the others, but… I’m... I'm scared." Fluttershy said, quivering in fear. "Ah promise. Are you okay? Are you having bad nightmares?" I gently prodded her "I can't tell the difference between life and nightmares anymore." Fluttershy said as she started to weep. Those Raspberry EyesRainbow’s eyes were heavy as she drifted in and out of consciousness. She could feel something wet being rubbed against her forehead, and was laying on what seemed to be a recliner. She could see a familiar yet blurred image before her. She finally managed to clear her vision to see the face of none other than Adagio Dazzle, tending to her with a wet cloth. Adagio's bright raspberry eyes were looking straight at Rainbow with concern. Her touch was surprisingly light. Sonata was standing back by Aria. Aria had a disgusted look on her face. "I know, I'm the last face you’d want to see." Adagio said with a note of disgust. Clearly she hadn't much time to debate what to do. "But don't worry, the feeling is mutual. I don't entirely appreciate your presence either." Adagio said with a smirk as she slowly removed the wet cloth from Rainbow’s forehead. "You're all patched up… though I wouldn't recommend going anywhere. Not with the damage you took." "I'm fine." Rainbow finally managed to utter as she tried to stand up. Her efforts quickly rebounded with an intense surge of pain that shot through her body and gave her a crippling headache. "You were saying?"Aria said, rolling her eyes as she put her hood over her head and approached her leader. "Told you it would have been easier to put her down." Aria smiled as she slowly walked out of the room, somehow condescendingly swaying her hips. "Yeah Aria. What would that prove?.. That we haven't changed at all? That we’re nothing but a pack of savages who can't show a even a little bit of hospitality every once in awhile?!" Adagio's right eye twitched as she slowly turned back to Rainbow with a strained smile. Adagio and her crew really had changed if they took the time to patch her up. If you're hungry, we have a fridge full of fish, fish, and other fishy products. We like fish." Adagio rolled her eyes at the lack of any other food. “And before you ask, no, that's not cannibalism. We were Sirens in Equestria, not brainless bottom feeders.” "What the hell are you even doing?! I helped beat you at the Battle of the Bands!" Rainbow said with a groan of pain. She heald her hand down by the patched wound. "Don't push your luck, sweetheart. The less you mention of that, the more likelihood you have of not pissing me off. I know how to let things go. I'm not as much of a vengeance seeker as many would think. " Adagio said as she took a seat near Rainbow. "On the other hand, I can be quite the deadly viper if you manage to get on my ‘unpleasant side’. Mentioning that night is a great way to go from my good side to my prey." "Right.. Got it." Rainbow cringed again as she sat up straighter. "Adagio.... Don't get me wrong, I’m really grateful to not be dead... I just wasn't expecting you of all people, to save me." Rainbow gave a smile to the sea devil as she took a deep breath. Her stomach was still throbbing in pain. That was when the memory came to her. "I was chasing something... I-it killed my friend… I have to-!" Rainbow screamed out as she tried to stand up. "I need to stop it… It was just too fast!" "I know, I know... I saw it too. Tried to kill Sonata here as well. It just didn't know that Aria and I were around. We managed to chase it away with almost no harm done to Sonata." "Did you manage to see who it was? What they looked like? Did it come in after me?" Rainbow said, feeling guilty for the hurt caused to this pack of Sirens. "After we got you in here, it came in with... so much force. All the lights went out when it came. Like it didn't want to be seen. Whatever it was.. It was powerful." Adagio sad as she brushed her bangs from her eyes. There was a small cut below her left eye. Rainbow felt bad for them. They wouldn't have been attacked if they hadn't come to help her. She just wished they would have caught a glimpse of the culprit or something. "Adagio, listen ... I'm sorry your kindness towards me has caused this much strife amongst you and your.. F-friends." Rainbow realized that like herself Adagio was only helping her friends. They just had conflicting views. "They're more like my sisters." Adagio said with a smile as she twirled a pointed finger in her hair. "I would do anything for my family... I'm sure that’s something our species must share.” ~ Sunset rolled over in bed, cyan eyes looking over at her pink friend who was curled up in a ball not far from her. Sunset was glad all of her friends were here. She wasn't sure she could handle this stress all by herself. She let out a long sigh as thunder began to boom in the distance. It had been storming off and on all week. She kept thinking back to Applejack’s memory. Why wouldn't that have been something Applejack would feel the need to tell them? She was beginning to wonder if any of her other friends were going through things they weren't letting on about. She let her eyes drift over to AJ. Maybe if she could just see a little more she would know. She just wanted to know what happened to Fluttershy. Sunset slowly moved her hand over to the farmer. She was an inch away when Pinkie rolled over, onto her hand. Sunset’s eyes lit up the moment they touched. "Fluttershy, why are you avoiding me?!" Pinkie said in her trademark high pitched voice. "Please, just leave me alone. You wouldn't understand if I told you. I can handle this on my own." Fluttershy said as she crossed her arms a walking away from Pinkie. "Fluttershy, you said you were going to help me today! Fluttershy. Wait!" Pinkie yelled out as Fluttershy just kept walking. Pinkie opened her phone up, and the date was immediately presented to be the same date that Applejack had talked to Fluttershy. Pinkie opened up the phone and began to talk to AJ. The text read. "Applejack, you really need to help me find out what is wrong with Fluttershy.. She’s being so distant.. I'm really scared." ~ Sunset quickly pulled away as she saw just a bunch of random details that were getting her nowhere. She wanted answers, not a bunch of thoughts that were leading her to the same dead end. What the hell was Fluttershy so scared of? Sunset was getting frustrated, and fast. She just wanted justice for her fallen friend. She just wanted to be sure that what she was doing would help. If her new abilities could actually help. Then again, how could what she learned be relevant in the eyes of the law? How would she explain knowing so much? She had so many thoughts, she didn't know exactly what to do anymore. The only thing she was certain about was that she needed to help. She needed to find out just what had caused this much chaos? “Don’t worry, guys… I will figure this out… I promise.” Sunset said to herself in a soft and shaky voice. “I swear to Celestia this will not go cold.” Sunset flinched as she felt a soft hand grab her shoulder. It was Twilight, wide awake and sitting next to her. “I can’t imagine what you’re going through right now. I haven’t lost anyone so close to me before. We are all hurting and we all want to make that difference.” Twilight adjusted her glasses and pajama top. Twilight was very tearful as she spoke. Fluttershy’s death was taking it’s toll on the whole group. “I myself want justice for her; all of us do. On the other hand, I trust in the authorities to do what they do best.” Twilight smiled and wiped her own eyes. “Do you remember at the camp when you reassured me that I was stronger than Midnight?” Twilight rubbed Sunsets shoulder reassuringly. “Of course I remember, Twilight. How could I forget?” She smiled back at her friend with watery eyes. “We have magic, and sure it isn't that great... But it can be.” Sunset said as she was now cross legged on the bed. “I want to help… Fluttershy was my friend, one of the first to accept I was reformed, even after all the harm I caused her, and she meant so much to me. Having her gone is hurting so much.” “You're strong, Sunset. You're talented and very smart.” Twilight used her hand to move her hanging hair out of her own face, her eyes now gleaming in the moonlight casting through the window. “You're not weak, and you can make it through this. We are here for you, and I mean it when I say I can speak for our sleeping friends. You all showed me that this world we live in isn't so terrible. I came from a school where no one cared about anything but winning, reputation, and themselves.” She shook her head. “Even when someone won something at Crystal Prep, no one was happy unless it was them who was winning.” “I’m glad I could help you out. I really wish I could have been there for Fluttershy though... I’ve seen some things that have caused me to really question my life here.” Sunset placed her face in the palms of her hands. “I need to do this, Twilight. I need to find out who did this to her.” Twilight looked like she was about to give a huge speech about the magic of friendship or something, but instead she gave out some very inspirational words. “You can continue to dig and dig to try and find answers. Sometimes you will find what you are looking for, and there will be times you will find yourself in a deeper hole than you were presented with. If you continue to dig, you may end up driving yourself insane before you find any justice. Sometimes you may find those answers were closer to the surface and you overlooked them. Watch where you dig, Sunset. You matter so much so many… Don't slip away from us.” Twilight swung her legs down to the side of the bed as she slowly got up. “Thanks, Twilight… I really appreciate it. This means a lot to me.” Sunset said as she felt her phone began to vibrate within her pocket. She flinched at its sudden vibration. She slowly removed it from her soft pajama pocket to see the number was unknown. She raised a brow as she hovered her thumb over the ignore button. The phone continued to vibrate as she debated whether or not to click it. She slowly moved her thumb over to answer as she gently pressed down her finger. She shifted it up to her ear as she listened. “Hello?” “Sunset, is it you?” Rainbow said on the other end. “Rainbow...? What? Why? Where are you? Why weren’t you at Fluttershy's? Are you ok?” Sunsets said as she rose to her feet. She felt a familiar concern begin to swell inside her. “Sunset… I was there.” Rainbow responded as she fought to keep the pain out of her voice. “I was there when she was attacked. I tried to help her, I really did… But the creatures, they... they were everywhere.” “There was more than one?” Sunset said, nearly dropping her phone from shock upon hearing the news. “I couldn’t see their faces… I hardly even remember what happened.” Rainbow’s voice started to sound crackly as Sunset picked up another voice saying “Run.” on the line. The voice was deep and hard to distinguish. She hoped it was just static from a bad connection. “Where are you?” Sunset asked in a worried tone. W-whose phone are you using?” Sunset stood up and began to pace. “Don’t worry.” Rainbow paused for a second, as if she was making eye contact with someone. “I’m with... friends. I’m still a little hurt, so I can’t come see you.” Rainbow started to get choked up. “I will say, Sunny, I’m glad you weren’t there when I was…” The line suddenly went dead as Rainbow’s connection blanked out. Sunset frantically fumbled the phone in her hands as she struggled to try and dial back. When she did, the phone would give Herat error message saying that the number didn't exist. Twilight was looking at Sunset with a worried expression. AJ and Pinkie, who had woken during her conversation, were also casting worried glances. “What’s going on here, Sugarcube?” AJ said as she rubbed her tired eyes. “Rainbow… It’s Rainbow.” Sunset said as she collapsed onto her bed. “I was talking to her… And now I can’t even call her back!” Sunsets eyes remained locked on the ceiling as she clenched her phone tightly. She felt an anger rising inside her as her body temperature began to rise. “I just want to know what happened!” She sat up suddenly and threw her phone at the wall. It shattered upon impact. “You need to breathe.” Pinkie said as she hopped up on the bed. “If you work yourself up too much, you're going to hurt yourself and others with all that pent up anger.” “Pinkie is right. Fluttershy… she's gone. We can’t change that. Let all of that anger out, I’m sure you'll feel better.” Sunset heard the words her friends were speaking. She didn't care. Se knew what she had to do, she wasn't going to stop ‘till she used her every available means, including her new powers, to right the wrong that had been committed. Now she just had to find out where Rainbow was... Author's Note Will Sunset ever manage to get a proper length memory. She needs clues. Stay tuned in for the next chap. Depths of the MindSunset couldn’t shake the thoughts from her mind. Going through the empty halls of the school now just seemed like walking in a graveyard. The news had spread throughout the whole school and there was a deep, somber feeling in the air. Sunset was grasped the straps of her backpack with her fingers, tense and ready to snap. People were murmuring in hushed voices all around her. An old anger stirred deep inside her. Anger she hadn’t felt in years. She let out a long sigh as she reached her locker. She just couldn’t shake the events from the previous day. The way her friends told her to let the authorities handle it. How Rainbow was still nowhere to be seen. It just… it didn't make any sense! “Sugarcube?” Applejack said as she swung open her own locker. Her eyes were bleary and she looked as if she hadn't slept in a week. “You feeling alright today?I know it’s tough, but we gotta be strong.” She let out a sigh as she retrieved her books for the upcoming class. “Alright?! How can I be alright when one of my friends is missing, and the other one is dead~!” She griped her locker door and slammed it shut, nearly causing a dent. The aggression she was emitting was stronger than anything she had shown since her transformation. “I want so badly to change things, to feel like something I have done will make things better. I want to mend the things that maybe I can’t tend to properly.” She felt a hot tear begin to roll down her face. She had cried so much lately. The lack of any more tears to shed was becoming more apparent. She didn’t know if there was room for any more. “I just want to be there. I want to be able to help Fluttershy.” She said as she passed Applejack. She then proceeded to bump headfirst into Flash. She was about to say hello when her eyes flashed lit up in a bright, white light. “Whoa, whoa Fluttershy. Calm down~!” Flash said as he looked down at her. He then quickly knelt beside her. Fluttershy had collapsed to her knees, crying in the middle of the empty school hallway. “What the hell is wrong with you?” “Flash, I’m scared… They’re following me.” Fluttershy was a mess, Her pink hair looking frazzled and unkempt. “I don’t know who they are or what they want but they... just won't… STOP FOLLOWING ME~!” “Ok, ok.” Flash said, his hands trembling. “Come on, stand up. You're causing quite the scene down there.” Flash said as he reached out his hand for her to take. Fluttershy was shaky as she slowly took it. He stood up slowly as he helped her to her feet. “I can’t sleep… I can’t even have my privacy… I know I should talk to my friends about it… My parents should know as well… I just don’t want them to worry about me.” Fluttershy looked toward the ground as she was gripped her hands into fists in an uncharacteristically aggressive action. Fluttershy didn’t look like herself. Flash felt his phone start to vibrate. He quickly took it out of his pocket, swiping on the screen. The date was the day before she would be murdered. Flash looked back to where Fluttershy was, only to see she was gone. He looked around and saw she was down the hall. She seemed to be wandering. That was when he saw a wispy shadow go around the corner. Fluttershy turned to follow it. “Wait! Fluttershy~!” Flash shouted, his body filling with dread at the ominous looking shadow. “Fluttershy, don’t follow it~!” He was sprinting at full speed toward her. He turned the corner. He was met face to face with something he couldn't see clearly, phasing in and out of vision. It began to speak in a deep and hard to distinguish voice. “You can’t get rid of us.” Sunset’s eyes stopped glowing as the memory ran its course. Somehow, it seemed like the memory was being extracted from Flash and put into her. The sensation was excruciating for him, as it seemed the memory was being stripped from him while still in a conscious state. Sunset reared back and fell against the lockers behind her. She instantly went out cold. ~~~ Rainbow slowly opened her eyes as she felt subtle pain flowing through her. She wished badly to be with her friends right now. These sirens may be helping her, but she was still wary and uncertain if they had shared their true motives. She found she had a hard time trusting them completely. Really, though. Who could blame her? Last she saw them, they had taken over her entire school with mind control magic in a bid for world domination. “Well, well, well… You're finally awake.” The voice of Aria drifted into her ears. She was looming over the doorway that framed the room, Her dark purple eyes baring into her. “Not trying to be cruel, but I vouched for you to be left out there. Oh wait, yes I did.” Aria rolled her eyes as she recalled her leader's dumb decision to help out the brash Rainbow Dash. “Yeah, figured you were the cold hearted one.” Rainbow said as she sat up straight, violet eyes gazing back at the mulberry colored girl. “What, do think your words are intimidating?” She crossed her arms in defiance against the aggressor. “No, not really. On the other hand, they are extremely fun to say. You know, you and your friends took everything away from me.” Aria said in a steely voice. “You were attempting world domination. You know, something that's wrong and highly illegal. We had no choice but to stop you.” Rainbow rolled her eyes as well at the sirens tone. “I’ve got an idea! Maybe you both pipe down.” Adagio said, gliding into the room. Her hair gleamed in the light that came through the window. “However, Rainbow, I do believe I said not to get on my bad side. If you would kindly drop the subject and stop fighting with my sister, then we’ll have no issues. Aria, be a dear and, do leave the room.” Adagio looked at her fellow pack member as she gave a wide toothed smile. Aria left with a grunt. “Sorry… As I said, I am very thankful for what you have done for me. I just… need time to warm up to you guys. I think of all people you can understand my distrust toward you.” Rainbow gave a small smile as she attempted to stand. Adagio did not stop her but simply watched. “I would think all species differences and past aggressions would’ve been set aside when I saved you. I have seen you humans evolve into what you all are today. I was banished for thousands of years here. I have caused plenty of harm. The biggest thing I have learned about your species: you don’t let go.” Adagio blew her bang out of her eyesight. “Despite my kindness, you won't let go of what was and accept what is.” “Wow...that's a little harsh.” Rainbow replied She knew it was true, in a way. She even actually started to feel regret. Adagio and her pals weren’t ponies and they weren’t humans. They were their own species, driven by a power hungry instinct that they had no control over. An instinct that Rainbow and her friends punished them for. When she thought about it that way, it seemed pretty cruel. “Maybe I was a bit blunt. Though I felt the need to express it. I’m not the stone hearted sea dragon you may think I am. After all, not every ocean is cold.” Adagio watched as Rainbow stood up once again. “Seriously. Thank you again… I really do appreciate it.” Rainbow thought for a moment and then looked at the leading Siren. She held out a hand suddenly to her. “Friends?” ~~~ Sunset slowly opened her eyes to see she was in the nurse's office. Her cyan eyes darted around, looking at her surroundings. She was clammy and sweaty as she was laying in a cot. She was all alone for the moment. She still had the last viewed memory flashing in her mind. What the hell had Flash seen? She got the feeling that there was far more to this tragedy than even the cops could handle. She was certain of one thing: that there was more than one of these… things that were following Fluttershy. What kind of creature could wield mind erasing abilities? There weren't any Equestrians that she could recall. Sunset wasn’t feeling very good. Her stomach was queasy and sick feeling. When she moved to try and sit up she felt acid reflux rise up and burn her esophagus, creating a terrible taste in her mouth. Her eyes widened as she frantically scanned around for some kind of bucket, or even a trash can. She threw her head over the side of the cot. There! Her hair dangled in front of her face as she hurled it all out into the provided trash can. Her powers were on the friz as every nearby thought was broadcasting out to her from the office area. She was hearing things they weren’t saying. Her eyes were occasionally flashing with bright light. She didn't know how, but that last memory scrambled her powers. Sunset clenched one of her hands on the right side of her forehead as she rolled onto the floor. She couldn't scream, it was so painful. The nurse heard the thump and saw her on the ground. She immediately raced in and reached out to try and help her up. “No, please! Don’t touch me!” Sunset pulled away not wanting to see any more unnecessary memories and thoughts. The nurse looked baffled as she reached out anyways, grabbing Sunset by the arm. Sunset’s eyes instantly lit up in a bright flash upon the nurse grabbing her. She was about to be led into a memory she didn't even need to know. Or so she thought… ~~~ “ Is she going to be alright?” Flash said, as he walked through the doorway with Sunset’s friends in tow, looking at the nurse. “She should be… She may have a minor concussion from hitting her head on those lockers. Other than that, she should be fine when she wakes up.” The nurse was writing on a piece of paper. “I suggest you all get to class now before the bell rings and you all get a tardy.” The nurse turned, exposing a couple of scars on her wrists, before she hastily pulled her gloves back over them. She then gave a cheery smile to dissuade any concerns. She let out an awkward cough as she watched them leave. The nurse was looking at her paper, then became frozen for a moment. Her entire body started to shake. Then everything went black. ~~~ Sunset awoke from her faint once more as she felt dizzy and lightheaded. “ Excuse me? Nurse? I need a pass home.” Sunset said as she could feel her magic going crazy, sapping what little energy she had. She needed to get out of here, and she needed to learn to control this new power. At first, she was just so... so eager to help, to find the truth, to avenge Fluttershy. But the path to truth was just getting deeper and darker. She didn’t even know much. But she had an edge. Whatever had killed Fluttershy was leaving a trail. A trail within the depths of the minds around her. She just had to figure out everyone who had seen Fluttershy the days before her death. Most of all, she needed Rainbow. The one who was there when it happened. Rainbow would be a huge breakthrough for the case. She couldn't remember much, but maybe with a third wheel spinning, there would be a chance of figuring it out.
Darkest hour.Sunset woke up in a cold sweat. She was hyperventilating, still recovering from the terrible nightmare she had just awoken from. Her palms still sweaty and her hands shaking, she looked around the room, cyan eyes darting rapidly back and forth. Her breathing steadied as her mind came to the conclusion that it had only been a dream. "Wow, what a dream." She thought as she grasped her head in pain."Was it just a simple dream though? It just seemed so... real." She thought as she slowly threw her legs over the side of her bed. They dangled from the bed as she cradled her head, sweat running down her forehead and into her clammy hands.They slid to her knees as she took in her surroundings. She hadn't been aware of the rain outside up until now. Sunset wobbled her way over to the window to look at the storm. The sheer speed of the rapidly advancing tar black clouds coating the sky made her gasp. She heard a light pitter-patter, which quickly advanced into a roar. Outside, people ran for cover and umbrellas shot up as the water broke loose. Puddles began began forming as the rainfall became stronger still. Roofs of cars dancing with spray as the early morning coffee rush dispersed. She rubbed her right eyes as she yawned. "I think I need to clear my head a little.” She started to rise, but then stopped cold in realization. “Could be the new magic be causing my nightmares?" Her train of thought was cut off by a short chime. “Crap!" She groaned. Sunset normally kept her phone in her pocket, in case of an emergency (and for convenience), but she had thrown her jacket under her bed while changing last night. Her eyes shifted to look at her wooden floor as she looked at the darkness peering out from under her bed. She rolled her eyes at her misfortune. “Great. Out of all the possible places, I just had to pick the hardest to reach. Perfect.” She walked to the edge of her bed. A tangerine hand stretched out for balance as she bent down to grab the device. Her eyes scanned back and forth as she hunted for the phone. The wind picked up, and what had been the steady thrum of water turned into an absolute downpour of the liquid. A wall of rain moved over the wood and the drops were striking down upon the roof. So much rain was falling that the sound didn't even sound like the plinking of rain. It all blurred into one monotonous sound, not unlike that of an airplane. Thunder shook the house down to the foundation, with lightning flashing in the distance. As the lighting flashed, so did the screen of Sunset’s phone. “Aha! There it is!” She cried out in joy. The phone vibrated again, pushing the messages up to 66, alongside 1 missed call from Fluttershy. As Sunset struggled to reach for her phone the rain outside seemed to increase in its battering. The moment her fingers touched the glass screen, the light it emitted cut off and the raging winds began to die down. She grabbed the phone and pressed the power button. She hopped back onto her bed as she repeatedly pressed the button. Finally, a blinking battery outline with a bit of red in it started flashing. “Huh. I guess it’s dead. I could have sworn it was at 70% last night…” She raised a brow as she examined the screen to see if anything was wrong with it. “I guess it’s just a dead battery. Stupid cheap Stablesung phones.” She jumped off the bed and hunted for the cord. She bounced in place, waiting for the phone to light up. At last! The phone’s screen sprung to life. She saw immediately how spammed her phone message box was. She swiped to the left and punched in her passcode. She yawned again as her eyes scanned the screen. They were all messages from her friends. They ranged from “Darling, please hurry on over to Fluttershy’s place. I’m afraid there’s some simply dreadful news that just can’t be sent over the phone.” To “Plz zoom over to Flutter’s house ASAP. There’s some super-unfun news that the girls and I need to tell you.” They ranged in style, but the message was clear: Something awful had happened, and she needed to get to Fluttershy’s right away. She was so overwhelmed by the barrage of frightening messages that she didn't even notice the one dot in the corner: MISSED CALL (1): FLUTTERSHY. She threw on her teal tank top, leather jacket, jeans, and boots and flew out the door. Sunset knew she had to hurry. Those texts were no joke. Frazzled beyond belief, she rode her motorcycle down the wet pavement. A police car in the other lane sped up, it’s bumper level with her bike. "We have a one eighty-seven... I repeat: we have a one eighty-seven, over." The police radio blared as Sunset strained to listen to it. "Subject appears to be a young female, 15 to 20 years of age, requesting backup immediately, over.” "Copy that, I’m on my way, over.” The cop responded. “What’s the address, over?” “Address is." The broadcaster hesitated for a moment, and the crinkling of paper was heard."3445, Cotton Cottage Lane.." The words hit Sunset like a moving train. 3445 Cotton Cottage Lane was the house she was barreling towards. Fluttershy’s house. Sunset shuddered and sped up. She was extremely worried now, and tears were blurring her vision. As she pulled up against the sidewalk, she saw the plethora of police cars in the driveway. "No, no, no, no, NO, NO!!" Sunset cried out to herself as she barreled towards the front door and hurdled the yellow tape. She was quickly intercepted by an officer patrolling the area. "Excuse me miss, I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to leave. This is a crime scene." The officer said. "Please leave the premises for a few hours until we can get this whole mess cleaned up." The officer laid a hand upon Sunset’s shoulder. Sunset saw quick flashes of the house and other officers before he retracted his hand." Please. This is my friend’s house. Please, what’s going on?" She begged. “I’m afraid I’m not at liberty to discuss the details with civilians. Now please, step back.” The officer firmly stated. "This is a crime scene." He held a hand out to signal her to stay back. Sunset was getting frustrated, she had to know if Fluttershy was okay. “I hope he knows what’s going on. I’m risking so much by using my power in public.” Sunset’s eyes lit up a bright white, and the officer’s thoughts flashed before her eyes. My car was racing in the rain as I approached the crime scene. I was the first to approach the scene of the call. This meant my threat was entirely unknown. The rain splashed against my sleek car as I approached the address. Holy shit! The door had dents in it, and the window was smashed in, a lamp with kittens on the shade sticking through the pastel drapes. "This is officer Phillips responding to a distress call on 3445 Cotton Cottage Road, signs of a struggle, may need backup.” I said as I pulled up at the humble looking cottage on the aptly-named street. I reached into my holster and loaded my gun immediately upon exiting the vehicle. I knew there had been some kind of struggle and wanted to be on guard. My hot breath visible in the cold air as the rain was now pelting my uniform, staining it a dark midnight blue. My hand shook slightly as he was approached the ajar front door. Whoever broke in, they were able to just waltz out the door. "This is the police! We are entering the building."He called out into the darkness as he crept into the smashed adobe, his shadow elongated on the wall, following him around the house. The rain cast an ominous gloom in the house."If anyone is here, show yourself.” His free hand shone a flashlight around the room, landing on a lifeless corpse. The body had pink hair and sickeningly pale yellow skin. A bullet lay near her head, blood spilling from a wound in the other side of the girl’s skull, forming a puddle around her body. Her lifeless teal eyes stared blankly at the ceiling. Her left hand clutched a phone. Shattered glass formed a pattern around her body. But the most startling thing about her was her mouth, open wide in a silent scream that no one had heard. Sunset jerked her hand away in shock. The officer staring at her with a mixture of shock and concern for her glowing eyes. He looked like he had just seen a ghost. But Sunset didn’t register any of that. One thought echoed around her head, draining all the life out of her. Fluttershy was dead? Author's Note when writing is like this it is Sunset seeing into the memories of others.
Fluttering heartsIt wasn't even a couple seconds after Sunset had seen the horrible truth that she felt eyes on her neck. She turned around, tears in her eyes, mirroring those of her remaining friends. Sunset could feel the tear dam bursting. She was pulled into a hug as she and Rarity cried on each other's shoulders. She gazed around at all of her saddened friends. Rainbow Dash was the only one who seemed to be missing. That This made little to no sense. Rainbow and Fluttershy were friends since pre-K. Why wouldn’t Rainbow be the first to find out? "Oh Darling,” she sniffled. “ I- I can't believe it. I just… can't." Rarity’s body trembled. Sunset felt Rarity’s sadness in their embrace, but pulled away before she could glimpse into more of her mind. Sunset’s lower lip trembled. She closed her eyes and tried to bite down the tears. "I don't want to believe it." Sunset said as she started to feel the hot tears streaming down her cheeks. "I- I just can’t believe it. Who would want to hurt her? She was always so k-kind to everyone, she wouldn’t hurt a fly! She- she was the nicest girl I’ve ever known. And now… she’s gone." Sunset looked down at her feet, silently weeping. She felt like her heart had been hit with an asthma attack and was trying to punch out of her chest. Officer Phillips who was still dumbfounded by what he had seen happen to Sunsets eyes was observing the group, having given up on shunning the friends. "She seemed okie-dokie-lokie last time I t-talked to her." Pinkie said as her knees buckled. Her hair was slowly losing it’s volume, becoming less poofy than usual. Pinkie was hyperventilating so hard Sunset was worried she was going to lose consciousness. Pinkie finally opened her eyes, puffy and red from her pain. Sunset felt like a part of her was missing now. Twilight, despite her shorter relationship with Fluttershy, just couldn't stop crying. The whole group was just a huge sniveling mess of crying and snot. Sunset shifted her eyes to see a CSI and an ambulance worker carrying a limp yellow body in a cadaver bag towards an ambulance. A pale hand was limply hanging out from the HRP. A quiet gasp emanated from the 5 friends. Sunset knew it was over. Flutters was gone, and she never even got to say goodbye. All she wanted right now was to hunt down the person who did this. Sunset froze. She looked down at her hands and started to tremble. She pulled her necklace out from underneath her shirt and looked at it. Sunset felt her tears resurge as she pulled away from her friends and ran towards the ambulance, a determined glint in her eye. Maybe there was time, maybe if she could just touch her, get one last glimpse at her most recent memories, she could see. See who did this. Time crawled to a standstill as several officers moved in to stop her from passing the yellow tape. “No.” It was too late, the officers moved in and proceeded to herd her away from the scene. Sunset caught their annoyance before they let go of her. “Miss, we understand, we really do, all of us have lost someone, but we can’t risk you compromising the evidence needed to arrest the criminal who did this.” “If you just let me touch her, you wouldn’t need-” “We’ve been bending the rules letting you and your friends stay here as long as you have. You need to calm down. Now. Or else your friend here won’t be the only wounded one.” “You’re supposed to serve the people! You can’t do this! That’s my friend, I need to just say goodbye, PLEASE!” She wept. "Stop resisting or I will take you in for obstruction of justice." Officer Phillips said as he knelt down by her. "You’re being unreasonable. You can see your friend at the funeral, say your goodbyes then. Right now we need to take her into the coroner’s lab.” “You don’t understand, by then it’ll be too late-” “Miss.” She knew that struggling was pointless. “Ok. You're right.” She softly admitted. “It’s just, she is- was one of my best friends. I… I just want to avenge her.” She said, tears now falling freely. The officers were supporting her and helping her towards a nearby picnic bench. “I just wanted to see her. I just- I just wanted to see her…” Applejack and Rarity drifted towards her, only to halted by the officers. “We’re sorry, but right now, she needs her space.” They apologized. Sunset was sitting on a bench the girls had slaved over for Fluttershy’s birthday. They figured a nice handmade bench to sit and look at her backyard duck pond. She had been absolutely thrilled and spent much of her time at the bench. Everywhere she looked there was some memory of Fluttershy and her all-encompassing kindness. It was just too much to bear. Sunset sighed. “I’m sorry, officers. I just- I- She- and now-” “It’s alright, Miss. We understand. This is a very hard time for you and your friends. However, that was still Obstruction of Justice. We can let it slide this time, but you need to clear your head. I’ll help you all get home, but you need no stay away from the crime scene. There'll be justice, I promise.” The officer removed his hat and held it to his chest. Sunset didn’t want to think anymore. This was all so overwhelming, she just wanted to curl up into a ball and cry. "Excuse us, can we please see Sunset now? We all need each other for comfort." Pinkie butted in with a weak smile. Her hair was like limp noodles, to match her similar demeanor. Not even Pinkie could find a positive to this situation. Suddenly, the girls all let out a small gasp. Their necklaces were flashing. ~ "Stop! Come Back!" Rainbow was screaming as she held a her side, a large gash ripped through her flesh. She had been having tea with Fluttershy when it had come. She chased it all over town, but even her own super speed was no match for the slippery shadow. Rainbow could feel herself getting weaker and weaker. She couldn't run anymore, Her medallion blinking as if sending out a distress signal. Clutched in Rainbow’s hand was Fluttershy's necklace. Her clothes were stained crimson, soaked in her own blood. She had sustained two stab wounds. She was the only one who knew what happened. She was the only one who knew who did it. No time to call the others; it was catch them now or let them get away. And they were not getting away. She lost her traction running through a puddle and slipped. Her body was trembling from over-exertion and blood loss. She had to end this now. Rainbow drug herself out of the puddle and over to a wall that she rested on as she examined her wounds. "Oh fuck." she said as she angrily kicked the ground, only to yelp in pain. The wounds were much deeper than she had previously assumed, and she had let the killer get away. "Fluttershy… I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry!" she yelled out, gaining the attention of the residents. Several lights flickered on from the inside of apartment complexes. Rainbow let out a weak call for help as she started to black out.That was when she heard a sliding door open to her right. She groaned and cringed from her pain as she slid her arom out to the door. Her eyes still clenched in pain, she wrapped her arms around the leg of her savior. Rainbow caught a gentle whiff of perfume from the blurry figure she had now arms around. She opened her eyes to try and see who it was even with her now blurred vision. She saw a dark purple boot and lavender tights with dark triangles on them. Her eyes slowly started to look up to what the boot was connected to. The stocking on the leg was a light purple with a lot of darker colored triangles on them. "I-it's you." The person said in a soft and surprised voice as Rainbow’s consciousness drifted away. "G-girls, Girls! Come out here and help me! She’s-” ~ Sunset was looking at the group’s neckwear before the blinking suddenly came to stop. She was thankful the cops had thought nothing of a few flashing necklaces. For all they knew, they were just some cheap, Bit Store plastic LED necklaces. Sunset’s eyes were still very watery in as she was stared down at her necklace. She scared enough as it was. She was could now add confused to the list thanks to the random light show her jewelry had just put on. Her friends were all sitting by her for comfort. She knew she had to go home and wait for the forensics to do their thing. It was the last thing Sunset wanted to do, but she knew she had to. "Come on, Sunny. We best do as they ask us." Applejack said as she wiped her eyes. "Ah don't think we’re very welcome as is." "Applejack is right... We should leave before they evict us." Rarity said as she was nervously scrapping her foot on the ground. As much as she didn't want to bail on Fluttershy and go home, she agreed with AJ. "You’re right, girls... as always.” She let out a weak smile.”We probably should go home... Do you girls think we should all stay together? None of use should be alone right now." Sunset said, nervously fingering her pendant. "Speaking of being alone.." Pinkie said, still sad. "Where’s Dashie?... Did she not get the news or something?" Pinkie sounded worried. "I was wondering the same thing." Sunset said as she gazed up from the crystal amulet. "Rainbow and Flutters have known each other since pre-K, plus she’s got super speed... I would think she would be the first to come." Sunset said as she slowly got up and looked at her friends. "I don't know as much about friendship as you guys, but that does seem very logical." Twilight said as she wiped her eyes. "They are very close..." Twilight said as she twirled her hair in distress. "I’m really worried about her." She concluded. "Well, I reckon she's still asleep... We should still mosey on over to her house and see how she’s doing though." Applejack said as she held a hand on Sunset’s shoulder. Without warning Sunset's eyes busted into a bright white light again. "Sugarcube, what’s wrong?" I asked, holding my friend's hand. "Nothing... I just.. It’s nothing..." Fluttershy mumbled as she turned away from me, pulling her hands out of the embrace. The calendar on her wall marked four days since the Camp Fundraiser. "Fluttershy, don't you lie to me.. I can tell something’s bothering ya. Now what’s troubling you?" I put my hand on her shoulder. "Alright. Applejack, someone... S-someone.." Fluttershy was shaking very badly. "Someone is following me." She let out in a panicked breath. "It’s alright, Flutters.” I patted her shoulder. “Do ya know who’s following ya?” "I don't know who it is... Please Applejack, Don’t tell the others, but… I’m... I'm scared." Fluttershy said, quivering in fear. "Ah promise. Are you okay? Are you having bad nightmares?" I gently prodded her "I can't tell the difference between life and nightmares anymore." Fluttershy said as she started to weep.
Those Raspberry EyesRainbow’s eyes were heavy as she drifted in and out of consciousness. She could feel something wet being rubbed against her forehead, and was laying on what seemed to be a recliner. She could see a familiar yet blurred image before her. She finally managed to clear her vision to see the face of none other than Adagio Dazzle, tending to her with a wet cloth. Adagio's bright raspberry eyes were looking straight at Rainbow with concern. Her touch was surprisingly light. Sonata was standing back by Aria. Aria had a disgusted look on her face. "I know, I'm the last face you’d want to see." Adagio said with a note of disgust. Clearly she hadn't much time to debate what to do. "But don't worry, the feeling is mutual. I don't entirely appreciate your presence either." Adagio said with a smirk as she slowly removed the wet cloth from Rainbow’s forehead. "You're all patched up… though I wouldn't recommend going anywhere. Not with the damage you took." "I'm fine." Rainbow finally managed to utter as she tried to stand up. Her efforts quickly rebounded with an intense surge of pain that shot through her body and gave her a crippling headache. "You were saying?"Aria said, rolling her eyes as she put her hood over her head and approached her leader. "Told you it would have been easier to put her down." Aria smiled as she slowly walked out of the room, somehow condescendingly swaying her hips. "Yeah Aria. What would that prove?.. That we haven't changed at all? That we’re nothing but a pack of savages who can't show a even a little bit of hospitality every once in awhile?!" Adagio's right eye twitched as she slowly turned back to Rainbow with a strained smile. Adagio and her crew really had changed if they took the time to patch her up. If you're hungry, we have a fridge full of fish, fish, and other fishy products. We like fish." Adagio rolled her eyes at the lack of any other food. “And before you ask, no, that's not cannibalism. We were Sirens in Equestria, not brainless bottom feeders.” "What the hell are you even doing?! I helped beat you at the Battle of the Bands!" Rainbow said with a groan of pain. She heald her hand down by the patched wound. "Don't push your luck, sweetheart. The less you mention of that, the more likelihood you have of not pissing me off. I know how to let things go. I'm not as much of a vengeance seeker as many would think. " Adagio said as she took a seat near Rainbow. "On the other hand, I can be quite the deadly viper if you manage to get on my ‘unpleasant side’. Mentioning that night is a great way to go from my good side to my prey." "Right.. Got it." Rainbow cringed again as she sat up straighter. "Adagio.... Don't get me wrong, I’m really grateful to not be dead... I just wasn't expecting you of all people, to save me." Rainbow gave a smile to the sea devil as she took a deep breath. Her stomach was still throbbing in pain. That was when the memory came to her. "I was chasing something... I-it killed my friend… I have to-!" Rainbow screamed out as she tried to stand up. "I need to stop it… It was just too fast!" "I know, I know... I saw it too. Tried to kill Sonata here as well. It just didn't know that Aria and I were around. We managed to chase it away with almost no harm done to Sonata." "Did you manage to see who it was? What they looked like? Did it come in after me?" Rainbow said, feeling guilty for the hurt caused to this pack of Sirens. "After we got you in here, it came in with... so much force. All the lights went out when it came. Like it didn't want to be seen. Whatever it was.. It was powerful." Adagio sad as she brushed her bangs from her eyes. There was a small cut below her left eye. Rainbow felt bad for them. They wouldn't have been attacked if they hadn't come to help her. She just wished they would have caught a glimpse of the culprit or something. "Adagio, listen ... I'm sorry your kindness towards me has caused this much strife amongst you and your.. F-friends." Rainbow realized that like herself Adagio was only helping her friends. They just had conflicting views. "They're more like my sisters." Adagio said with a smile as she twirled a pointed finger in her hair. "I would do anything for my family... I'm sure that’s something our species must share.” ~ Sunset rolled over in bed, cyan eyes looking over at her pink friend who was curled up in a ball not far from her. Sunset was glad all of her friends were here. She wasn't sure she could handle this stress all by herself. She let out a long sigh as thunder began to boom in the distance. It had been storming off and on all week. She kept thinking back to Applejack’s memory. Why wouldn't that have been something Applejack would feel the need to tell them? She was beginning to wonder if any of her other friends were going through things they weren't letting on about. She let her eyes drift over to AJ. Maybe if she could just see a little more she would know. She just wanted to know what happened to Fluttershy. Sunset slowly moved her hand over to the farmer. She was an inch away when Pinkie rolled over, onto her hand. Sunset’s eyes lit up the moment they touched. "Fluttershy, why are you avoiding me?!" Pinkie said in her trademark high pitched voice. "Please, just leave me alone. You wouldn't understand if I told you. I can handle this on my own." Fluttershy said as she crossed her arms a walking away from Pinkie. "Fluttershy, you said you were going to help me today! Fluttershy. Wait!" Pinkie yelled out as Fluttershy just kept walking. Pinkie opened her phone up, and the date was immediately presented to be the same date that Applejack had talked to Fluttershy. Pinkie opened up the phone and began to talk to AJ. The text read. "Applejack, you really need to help me find out what is wrong with Fluttershy.. She’s being so distant.. I'm really scared." ~ Sunset quickly pulled away as she saw just a bunch of random details that were getting her nowhere. She wanted answers, not a bunch of thoughts that were leading her to the same dead end. What the hell was Fluttershy so scared of? Sunset was getting frustrated, and fast. She just wanted justice for her fallen friend. She just wanted to be sure that what she was doing would help. If her new abilities could actually help. Then again, how could what she learned be relevant in the eyes of the law? How would she explain knowing so much? She had so many thoughts, she didn't know exactly what to do anymore. The only thing she was certain about was that she needed to help. She needed to find out just what had caused this much chaos? “Don’t worry, guys… I will figure this out… I promise.” Sunset said to herself in a soft and shaky voice. “I swear to Celestia this will not go cold.” Sunset flinched as she felt a soft hand grab her shoulder. It was Twilight, wide awake and sitting next to her. “I can’t imagine what you’re going through right now. I haven’t lost anyone so close to me before. We are all hurting and we all want to make that difference.” Twilight adjusted her glasses and pajama top. Twilight was very tearful as she spoke. Fluttershy’s death was taking it’s toll on the whole group. “I myself want justice for her; all of us do. On the other hand, I trust in the authorities to do what they do best.” Twilight smiled and wiped her own eyes. “Do you remember at the camp when you reassured me that I was stronger than Midnight?” Twilight rubbed Sunsets shoulder reassuringly. “Of course I remember, Twilight. How could I forget?” She smiled back at her friend with watery eyes. “We have magic, and sure it isn't that great... But it can be.” Sunset said as she was now cross legged on the bed. “I want to help… Fluttershy was my friend, one of the first to accept I was reformed, even after all the harm I caused her, and she meant so much to me. Having her gone is hurting so much.” “You're strong, Sunset. You're talented and very smart.” Twilight used her hand to move her hanging hair out of her own face, her eyes now gleaming in the moonlight casting through the window. “You're not weak, and you can make it through this. We are here for you, and I mean it when I say I can speak for our sleeping friends. You all showed me that this world we live in isn't so terrible. I came from a school where no one cared about anything but winning, reputation, and themselves.” She shook her head. “Even when someone won something at Crystal Prep, no one was happy unless it was them who was winning.” “I’m glad I could help you out. I really wish I could have been there for Fluttershy though... I’ve seen some things that have caused me to really question my life here.” Sunset placed her face in the palms of her hands. “I need to do this, Twilight. I need to find out who did this to her.” Twilight looked like she was about to give a huge speech about the magic of friendship or something, but instead she gave out some very inspirational words. “You can continue to dig and dig to try and find answers. Sometimes you will find what you are looking for, and there will be times you will find yourself in a deeper hole than you were presented with. If you continue to dig, you may end up driving yourself insane before you find any justice. Sometimes you may find those answers were closer to the surface and you overlooked them. Watch where you dig, Sunset. You matter so much so many… Don't slip away from us.” Twilight swung her legs down to the side of the bed as she slowly got up. “Thanks, Twilight… I really appreciate it. This means a lot to me.” Sunset said as she felt her phone began to vibrate within her pocket. She flinched at its sudden vibration. She slowly removed it from her soft pajama pocket to see the number was unknown. She raised a brow as she hovered her thumb over the ignore button. The phone continued to vibrate as she debated whether or not to click it. She slowly moved her thumb over to answer as she gently pressed down her finger. She shifted it up to her ear as she listened. “Hello?” “Sunset, is it you?” Rainbow said on the other end. “Rainbow...? What? Why? Where are you? Why weren’t you at Fluttershy's? Are you ok?” Sunsets said as she rose to her feet. She felt a familiar concern begin to swell inside her. “Sunset… I was there.” Rainbow responded as she fought to keep the pain out of her voice. “I was there when she was attacked. I tried to help her, I really did… But the creatures, they... they were everywhere.” “There was more than one?” Sunset said, nearly dropping her phone from shock upon hearing the news. “I couldn’t see their faces… I hardly even remember what happened.” Rainbow’s voice started to sound crackly as Sunset picked up another voice saying “Run.” on the line. The voice was deep and hard to distinguish. She hoped it was just static from a bad connection. “Where are you?” Sunset asked in a worried tone. W-whose phone are you using?” Sunset stood up and began to pace. “Don’t worry.” Rainbow paused for a second, as if she was making eye contact with someone. “I’m with... friends. I’m still a little hurt, so I can’t come see you.” Rainbow started to get choked up. “I will say, Sunny, I’m glad you weren’t there when I was…” The line suddenly went dead as Rainbow’s connection blanked out. Sunset frantically fumbled the phone in her hands as she struggled to try and dial back. When she did, the phone would give Herat error message saying that the number didn't exist. Twilight was looking at Sunset with a worried expression. AJ and Pinkie, who had woken during her conversation, were also casting worried glances. “What’s going on here, Sugarcube?” AJ said as she rubbed her tired eyes. “Rainbow… It’s Rainbow.” Sunset said as she collapsed onto her bed. “I was talking to her… And now I can’t even call her back!” Sunsets eyes remained locked on the ceiling as she clenched her phone tightly. She felt an anger rising inside her as her body temperature began to rise. “I just want to know what happened!” She sat up suddenly and threw her phone at the wall. It shattered upon impact. “You need to breathe.” Pinkie said as she hopped up on the bed. “If you work yourself up too much, you're going to hurt yourself and others with all that pent up anger.” “Pinkie is right. Fluttershy… she's gone. We can’t change that. Let all of that anger out, I’m sure you'll feel better.” Sunset heard the words her friends were speaking. She didn't care. Se knew what she had to do, she wasn't going to stop ‘till she used her every available means, including her new powers, to right the wrong that had been committed. Now she just had to find out where Rainbow was... Author's Note Will Sunset ever manage to get a proper length memory. She needs clues. Stay tuned in for the next chap.
Depths of the MindSunset couldn’t shake the thoughts from her mind. Going through the empty halls of the school now just seemed like walking in a graveyard. The news had spread throughout the whole school and there was a deep, somber feeling in the air. Sunset was grasped the straps of her backpack with her fingers, tense and ready to snap. People were murmuring in hushed voices all around her. An old anger stirred deep inside her. Anger she hadn’t felt in years. She let out a long sigh as she reached her locker. She just couldn’t shake the events from the previous day. The way her friends told her to let the authorities handle it. How Rainbow was still nowhere to be seen. It just… it didn't make any sense! “Sugarcube?” Applejack said as she swung open her own locker. Her eyes were bleary and she looked as if she hadn't slept in a week. “You feeling alright today?I know it’s tough, but we gotta be strong.” She let out a sigh as she retrieved her books for the upcoming class. “Alright?! How can I be alright when one of my friends is missing, and the other one is dead~!” She griped her locker door and slammed it shut, nearly causing a dent. The aggression she was emitting was stronger than anything she had shown since her transformation. “I want so badly to change things, to feel like something I have done will make things better. I want to mend the things that maybe I can’t tend to properly.” She felt a hot tear begin to roll down her face. She had cried so much lately. The lack of any more tears to shed was becoming more apparent. She didn’t know if there was room for any more. “I just want to be there. I want to be able to help Fluttershy.” She said as she passed Applejack. She then proceeded to bump headfirst into Flash. She was about to say hello when her eyes flashed lit up in a bright, white light. “Whoa, whoa Fluttershy. Calm down~!” Flash said as he looked down at her. He then quickly knelt beside her. Fluttershy had collapsed to her knees, crying in the middle of the empty school hallway. “What the hell is wrong with you?” “Flash, I’m scared… They’re following me.” Fluttershy was a mess, Her pink hair looking frazzled and unkempt. “I don’t know who they are or what they want but they... just won't… STOP FOLLOWING ME~!” “Ok, ok.” Flash said, his hands trembling. “Come on, stand up. You're causing quite the scene down there.” Flash said as he reached out his hand for her to take. Fluttershy was shaky as she slowly took it. He stood up slowly as he helped her to her feet. “I can’t sleep… I can’t even have my privacy… I know I should talk to my friends about it… My parents should know as well… I just don’t want them to worry about me.” Fluttershy looked toward the ground as she was gripped her hands into fists in an uncharacteristically aggressive action. Fluttershy didn’t look like herself. Flash felt his phone start to vibrate. He quickly took it out of his pocket, swiping on the screen. The date was the day before she would be murdered. Flash looked back to where Fluttershy was, only to see she was gone. He looked around and saw she was down the hall. She seemed to be wandering. That was when he saw a wispy shadow go around the corner. Fluttershy turned to follow it. “Wait! Fluttershy~!” Flash shouted, his body filling with dread at the ominous looking shadow. “Fluttershy, don’t follow it~!” He was sprinting at full speed toward her. He turned the corner. He was met face to face with something he couldn't see clearly, phasing in and out of vision. It began to speak in a deep and hard to distinguish voice. “You can’t get rid of us.” Sunset’s eyes stopped glowing as the memory ran its course. Somehow, it seemed like the memory was being extracted from Flash and put into her. The sensation was excruciating for him, as it seemed the memory was being stripped from him while still in a conscious state. Sunset reared back and fell against the lockers behind her. She instantly went out cold. ~~~ Rainbow slowly opened her eyes as she felt subtle pain flowing through her. She wished badly to be with her friends right now. These sirens may be helping her, but she was still wary and uncertain if they had shared their true motives. She found she had a hard time trusting them completely. Really, though. Who could blame her? Last she saw them, they had taken over her entire school with mind control magic in a bid for world domination. “Well, well, well… You're finally awake.” The voice of Aria drifted into her ears. She was looming over the doorway that framed the room, Her dark purple eyes baring into her. “Not trying to be cruel, but I vouched for you to be left out there. Oh wait, yes I did.” Aria rolled her eyes as she recalled her leader's dumb decision to help out the brash Rainbow Dash. “Yeah, figured you were the cold hearted one.” Rainbow said as she sat up straight, violet eyes gazing back at the mulberry colored girl. “What, do think your words are intimidating?” She crossed her arms in defiance against the aggressor. “No, not really. On the other hand, they are extremely fun to say. You know, you and your friends took everything away from me.” Aria said in a steely voice. “You were attempting world domination. You know, something that's wrong and highly illegal. We had no choice but to stop you.” Rainbow rolled her eyes as well at the sirens tone. “I’ve got an idea! Maybe you both pipe down.” Adagio said, gliding into the room. Her hair gleamed in the light that came through the window. “However, Rainbow, I do believe I said not to get on my bad side. If you would kindly drop the subject and stop fighting with my sister, then we’ll have no issues. Aria, be a dear and, do leave the room.” Adagio looked at her fellow pack member as she gave a wide toothed smile. Aria left with a grunt. “Sorry… As I said, I am very thankful for what you have done for me. I just… need time to warm up to you guys. I think of all people you can understand my distrust toward you.” Rainbow gave a small smile as she attempted to stand. Adagio did not stop her but simply watched. “I would think all species differences and past aggressions would’ve been set aside when I saved you. I have seen you humans evolve into what you all are today. I was banished for thousands of years here. I have caused plenty of harm. The biggest thing I have learned about your species: you don’t let go.” Adagio blew her bang out of her eyesight. “Despite my kindness, you won't let go of what was and accept what is.” “Wow...that's a little harsh.” Rainbow replied She knew it was true, in a way. She even actually started to feel regret. Adagio and her pals weren’t ponies and they weren’t humans. They were their own species, driven by a power hungry instinct that they had no control over. An instinct that Rainbow and her friends punished them for. When she thought about it that way, it seemed pretty cruel. “Maybe I was a bit blunt. Though I felt the need to express it. I’m not the stone hearted sea dragon you may think I am. After all, not every ocean is cold.” Adagio watched as Rainbow stood up once again. “Seriously. Thank you again… I really do appreciate it.” Rainbow thought for a moment and then looked at the leading Siren. She held out a hand suddenly to her. “Friends?” ~~~ Sunset slowly opened her eyes to see she was in the nurse's office. Her cyan eyes darted around, looking at her surroundings. She was clammy and sweaty as she was laying in a cot. She was all alone for the moment. She still had the last viewed memory flashing in her mind. What the hell had Flash seen? She got the feeling that there was far more to this tragedy than even the cops could handle. She was certain of one thing: that there was more than one of these… things that were following Fluttershy. What kind of creature could wield mind erasing abilities? There weren't any Equestrians that she could recall. Sunset wasn’t feeling very good. Her stomach was queasy and sick feeling. When she moved to try and sit up she felt acid reflux rise up and burn her esophagus, creating a terrible taste in her mouth. Her eyes widened as she frantically scanned around for some kind of bucket, or even a trash can. She threw her head over the side of the cot. There! Her hair dangled in front of her face as she hurled it all out into the provided trash can. Her powers were on the friz as every nearby thought was broadcasting out to her from the office area. She was hearing things they weren’t saying. Her eyes were occasionally flashing with bright light. She didn't know how, but that last memory scrambled her powers. Sunset clenched one of her hands on the right side of her forehead as she rolled onto the floor. She couldn't scream, it was so painful. The nurse heard the thump and saw her on the ground. She immediately raced in and reached out to try and help her up. “No, please! Don’t touch me!” Sunset pulled away not wanting to see any more unnecessary memories and thoughts. The nurse looked baffled as she reached out anyways, grabbing Sunset by the arm. Sunset’s eyes instantly lit up in a bright flash upon the nurse grabbing her. She was about to be led into a memory she didn't even need to know. Or so she thought… ~~~ “ Is she going to be alright?” Flash said, as he walked through the doorway with Sunset’s friends in tow, looking at the nurse. “She should be… She may have a minor concussion from hitting her head on those lockers. Other than that, she should be fine when she wakes up.” The nurse was writing on a piece of paper. “I suggest you all get to class now before the bell rings and you all get a tardy.” The nurse turned, exposing a couple of scars on her wrists, before she hastily pulled her gloves back over them. She then gave a cheery smile to dissuade any concerns. She let out an awkward cough as she watched them leave. The nurse was looking at her paper, then became frozen for a moment. Her entire body started to shake. Then everything went black. ~~~ Sunset awoke from her faint once more as she felt dizzy and lightheaded. “ Excuse me? Nurse? I need a pass home.” Sunset said as she could feel her magic going crazy, sapping what little energy she had. She needed to get out of here, and she needed to learn to control this new power. At first, she was just so... so eager to help, to find the truth, to avenge Fluttershy. But the path to truth was just getting deeper and darker. She didn’t even know much. But she had an edge. Whatever had killed Fluttershy was leaving a trail. A trail within the depths of the minds around her. She just had to figure out everyone who had seen Fluttershy the days before her death. Most of all, she needed Rainbow. The one who was there when it happened. Rainbow would be a huge breakthrough for the case. She couldn't remember much, but maybe with a third wheel spinning, there would be a chance of figuring it out.
