Sunset Shimmer: War Mage

Sunset Shimmer stood on a nameless hill overlooking her city.  It was an utter ruin, bloated and mutilated bodies littering the streets.  Scavengers feasted on the remains, fighting over the best carcasses amongst the shattered remains of buildings.  Glass fragments swirled in the foul wind, shredding all living things in their path to reduce them to nothing more than bleeding chunks on the streets.

Wails and sobs rose from dark corners, survivors hunting one another for the slaughter.  Cruelty was the new order, she noted, as a gang of men found a woman alone and proceeded to assault her prior to beheading her.  What police remained were secure behind a barricade erected to protect the wealthy and the well-connected as they laughed and jeered at the scenes before them.  Many gambled, the losers tossed over the secure walls to be torn asunder.

The sanctum had fared no better than any other building.  Sweetie Belle knelt in the exposed living room as she clutched at the broken and empty bodies of her daughters, her shrieking wail seemingly needing no pause for air.  Button Mash was impaled on a spire cemented into the lifeless front yard, his blood soaking into the ground as carrion pecked at his flesh.  The rest of Sunset's friends burnt on pyres of corpses.

She alone remained above the suffering.  She had become accustomed to nightmares of horrific scenes and actions, but one of this scale was new.

Presently, a demon fluttered to land beside her.  Sunset refused to look at the monster, still passively surveying the carnage.  Any sign of emotion would only feed the beast.  They remained side by side for what seemed to be hours in the dreamtime until Sunset finally broke the silence.

"What do you want?"

"I just came to see how you're doing, Sunny.  Or is it Sparky?  I'm having a hard time knowing the difference these days."

"Can it.  What's all this about?"

The demon placed a hand on her shoulder.  "This isn't my doing.  Everything is from your section of our warped, twisted mind.  I didn't have to a lay a claw on it.  What do you think?  I especially love how Trixie keeps screaming as the flames engulf her."

"You keep telling me that we're the same.  Do you really expect me to believe you had nothing to do with this nightmare?"

"Believe what you want.  Feel free to blame me for all the dark thoughts.  Whatever will help you sleep.  You can't run from yourself forever."

"I will be rid of you."

That elicited a mocking cackle.  "You've said that for years, yet here I am.  You'll understand one of these days, hopefully before we reach this point."

"What the hell does that mean?"

The demon tsked, waving a finger in Sunset's face.  "Yes, 'hell' indeed.  Spoilers, Shimmy."

"Like you could possibly know something about the future that I don't."

"I'll just say that I can't wait to hear the lamentations of the mortals.  Hey, do you think they'll build memorials to your friends?  Nah, they'll be ... demonised, too."

Sunset sat upright in her bed, the vision slow to fade from her mind's eye.  'Gods damn you, what the hell are you talking about?'

Her other self did not reply, hidden somewhere in the dark corner of their mind.  Sunset considered hunting the monster and forcing an explanation, but decided it was better to leave that place alone.  There was no telling what she might accidentally uncover if she started looking through it.

'Am I losing it?  It's my own mind.  Twilight, please reply soon.'

The shivers joined with cold sweat to ensure Sunset would be unable to return to sleep.  She changed into dry pyjamas and walked about the house.  It was a little after three, and all of the upstairs rooms were silent and peaceful.  She opened the door to Pixie's room, feeling comforted when she saw the girl's prone form sprawled across her bed.

She was closing the door when she heard a whispered "Aunty Sunset?"

Limping into the room, she closed the door before seating herself on the bed.  "What are you doing awake?"

Pixie sat up and shrugged.  "I thought I heard the door, and then I saw your hair.  I thought I was dreaming when I called you, but you came in."

"I'm sorry I woke you.  I was having trouble sleeping, so I was walking around.  It helps my leg feel better."

Small arms hugged her, and then Pixie crawled to the floor to kiss Sunset's knee.  "Do you feel better now?  When Mummy or Daddy do that, I feel better.  Do you want another hug?"

Sunset gave the girl a pat on the head as she replied, "I'm feeling lots better.  Thanks, Pixie.  Sleep well."

She tucked her niece back into bed, then left the room to stroll downstairs.  They were wide, shallow steps that caused her no difficulties.  The darkness of the living room was as peaceful as the upstairs had been.  All of their electronics were powered down for the night.  The dinner dishes sat in the drain to be put into their places the next morning.  Sunset lifted a glass and filled it with cold water from the refrigerator, chugging the contents in an attempt to calm her uneasy mind.

The basement light was on, so she decided to see who was using it.  Those steps were sometimes complicated when her knee was being uncooperative, but she took them slowly.  The banister was solid, easily capable of supporting her weight as needed.  From the top, she could hear a little noise, which became a bit louder as she approached the lower door.

Lemon Zest was rocking to a track Sunset did not recognise.  When the DJ saw she had company, she lowered the volume and smiled.

"Come to join me?"

"That'd be nice."

At the depressed tone, Lemon Zest frowned.  "Sorry, I was teasing.  I didn't mean to make fun of you."

"I know.  I'm not upset.  I've just been having trouble sleeping.  What song is this?"

"Oh, Vinyl put this mix together and asked me what I thought.  She'll be playing it at an exclusive club in New York next week."

"In Manhattan?"

"Vinyl's not part of this.  I doubt the Seers will go busting up a club."

Sunset sighed.  "I know.  I think I'm just getting paranoid lately.  Maybe I need a break."

"Music soothes the soul.  Want me to find something to take your mind off your troubles?"

"Sure."

They cycled through Lemon Zest's collection, countless mixes of remixes of songs Sunset could barely recognise.  They had very different tastes, but watching her friend enjoying herself was a balm to Sunset's disturbed thoughts.  Lemon Zest started a light show to accompany a few tracks; according to the DJ, the strobes and coloured lights were sure to leave someone in an epileptic seizure if she was doing it correctly.

By the time the sun rose, Sunset had long forgotten her cares.  Lemon Zest had a small welt on one leg from when she became a bit over-enthusiastic and hit the couch from kicking out at the wrong moment.  It led to what she was sure would be a new dance craze:  The Cursing Leg Injury Clutch.  She only turned off the music when Sunset was laughing at the shenanigans.

"That's what I was looking for," Lemon Zest said as she dropped into a seat next to Sunset.  "Feeling better?"

"You guys do know how to make me laugh."

"It's not like you haven't done the same for us.  Don't forget that we're all here for each other."

"I know.  Thanks."

They shared a quick hug before Lemon Zest decided to call it a night.

Sunset collapsed back into bed as most of the rest of the house began stirring, her head clearer and soul lighter.  She resolved to spend more time cutting loose before the dark part of her mind grew out of control.  Sleep continued to elude her, though, so she began reading one of her non-magickal books.

Unlike both versions of Rainbow Dash or Twilight Sparkle, Sunset could not get into the Daring Do novels or their human equivalents.  Even for pleasure reading, she did not care for adventure stories.  She also avoided most fantasy; while the mentality was originally due to her background, she now needed only to look at her current circumstances.

Her mundane books occupied far more space than grimoires or other magickal treatises did.  It was difficult to have access to a work to make a copy.  Those possessing the original usually wanted to keep it to themselves, therefore not making copies, either.  It was different to her home dimension, but she had grown accustomed to that.

She selected a science fiction novel, the first in a series she had read several times.  Something about the main characters' adventures on the desert planet of Dune and the depth of the writing made her want to revisit the books every year or two.  Despite it being her fifth reading, she went slowly and savoured the details, not noticing the time passing.  Her reading only ended when she heard her journal vibrating.

Twilight's message read:

Dear Sunset Shimmer,

I'm glad everything went well at the party and that Pixel Bit appreciated my gift.

Our Trixie is still performing around the country and even in a few others, though she comes here much more frequently than anywhere else.  Not just to perform, mind you; she comes here to spend time with us.  She and Starlight are doing quite well, by the way; their filly is growing quickly.  I'm glad you and human Trixie have become such good friends, too, and that her shows are gaining popularity.

Your work sounds interesting.  Thanks to the information you've shared, we've made some real leaps in computer technology here.  We're well on our way to having a full-fledged network like yours, though I doubt it will be anywhere near as fast for a long time yet.  When we get our computers to a more manageable size, I plan to send one to you, if you don't mind.  I'm hoping you can give us some ideas on how to improve them.

As for your primary concern, I don't have much to say to that.  There are days I feel tempted to agree with you.  We may not see as many challenges back-to-back as we once did, but my life has certainly never slowed down.

Of course, becoming a mother has ensured I will never have any really peaceful days, but I don't mind that.  I think everybody, pony or human, has concerns all the time, and that they aren't wrong.  I always worry about about my foals, after all.  Balancing those things with having fun is tricky, and I will readily admit that I've struggled with it.

The only thing I can say is to keep moving and looking up.  Some people were destined for lives full of adventure.  If you do think you're feeling something coming, you could be right.  I've learned to accept the concept of a 'sixth sense' even when I can't explain it.  If you are about to go through a challenge, I know you'll rise to it.

Don't let the expectations get to you, though.  I've learnt the hard way about being over-prepared (never thought I'd write that!).  Especially if you're wrong, waiting for something to happen is going to keep you from enjoying the quiet times.  The birthday party is a great example:  Could you have had fun if you were waiting for the sky to drop?

I'm sorry I don't have answers for you.  We all have to live one day at a time.  Unless you can see the future, of course.  Take some time with your friends, together or individually, and try not to worry about the future and have fun.  Please never hesitate to write to me any time you feel like you can't relax (or just anytime).  I'll always be here for you, just like how you've been there for me.

Forever your friend,

Twilight Sparkle

Twilight's words were comforting.  Sunset knew she was correct:  She could try to anticipate every possible bad thing that could happen and safeguard against all of them, but she would miss the fun.  It was not wrong to be prepared; she only needed to learn when preparation became obsession.  Her time enjoying music with Lemon Zest brought a smile to her face.  She may have started with being unable to sleep, but she had ended with vague future threats pushed from her thoughts as she had fun.

She heard Sweetie Belle in the hall and decided to join her, opening the door to see little Violet in her arms.  For only nearing her second birthday, the child seemed rather aware of her environment and the people within it.  When Violet saw her Aunty Sunset, she began giggling and squirming in Sweetie Belle's arms to reach toward her.

"What's up, Violet?  Do you want to play?  We're almost downstairs."  Sweetie Belle glanced behind her.  "Oh, Sunset, did we disturb you?"

"No, not at all.  Actually, I was just thinking about checking to see if Violet was awake."

"Want to play with us downstairs?  I wouldn't mind an extra set of eyes."  Sweetie Belle gestured to a small bruise on Violet's forehead.  "Someone hasn't quite grasped that her head is taller than her eyes."

Sunset kissed Violet's bruise.  "Is your Mum making fun of you?  Want me to put her in a time out?"

Despite not understanding the joke, Violet seemed to catch Sunset's light tone and giggled.  Both adults joined her, glad to encourage her smiles, before continuing downstairs for the playdate.

When she went to bed that night, Sunset's only thought before sleeping was that it had been a good day.  For the first time in weeks, she had no nightmares.