In Which Sunset Starts Losing Her Grip on Reality and Decides to Get F*cked Up

It was only the briefest of moments, and then everything returned to normal, but Sunset couldn’t forget what she saw. Just when she thought things were getting better, now she was starting to lose grip on reality itself. It was a long walk back to her apartment but the distance didn’t matter to her at the moment.

“Why is this happening?” Sunset asked herself as she passed by people on the street. She didn’t to need their voices to know they were slightly concerned since they happened to be staring at her. “At this rate, the only help I’m going to get is in an insane asylum.”
“Oh poor, poor Sunset, is our little girl finally showing cracks in her psyche?” Sunset froze in her tracks. She recognized that voice immediately because it was a slight variation of hers.

“You can ignore me all you want, but I know you can hear me,” the voice said. “It’s been a long time Sunset…we haven’t had the opportunity to catch up have we?”

“You’re not real…” Sunset gritted her teeth as she walked slowly, trying to keep her mind distracted. “You’re just some figment of my imagination. Twilight and the others took care of you already.”

“Hmm…funny how you say that considering this world’s Twilight thought the same thing. Come on, you’re not really going to give me the cold shoulder are you?” Sunset said nothing as she continued to walk. Regardless whether she was real or not, there was no point in engaging her. “Okay, what if I told you I knew a way to fix your current dilemma?”

Sunset laughed bitterly. “Seriously? Like I’m going to take advice from you? For all I know, you’re the reason this is happening.”

“Oh don’t be so naïve Sunset, we both know what’s causing this…” Sunset sighed slightly as the low chorus of voices started to turn up again.

“You want me to go through that damn portal, fine,” she spat. “If it gets rid of you I’m quite fine with that.”

“Ooh such bitterness, I love it. Sure, go see Celestia if you need to so bad…but if you’re having trouble with your magic…goodness I’d hate to think what could happen in Equestria? What if your magic goes off and something terrible happens…oh Celestia would not be happy about that.”

Sunset clenched her fists slightly. “I’m not going to let you win. If you think I’m just going to cave in and let you back into my heart, you’re sorely mistaken.”

“Oh Sunset, it’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when…”

Finally, it seemed as if the voice was gone, leaving Sunset in peace, although her mind was anything but peaceful at the moment. She had to find a way to fix this, now.

Once Sunset got home, she immediately flopped onto her couch, tired from all the walking. She looked at her phone and saw it was only after five. It had been a long day, one that Sunset didn’t want to repeat. Well, except for the spa part, that was actually nice.

Sunset wasn’t sure what to do with herself now, especially since apparently her mind was deteriorating. “Well, there’s only one solution for that,” she thought as she got up and went into her kitchen, pulling out a large bottle of whisky that she totally did not buy with a fake ID.

She was going to pull out a bottle of coke but decided against it. “If I get shit-faced, that’s future Sunset’s problem.” She then grabbed the remote to her sound system and turned it on, the music suddenly filling the entire apartment. It wasn’t too late so her neighbors didn’t have an excuse to bang on the walls just yet.

She grabbed a shot glass from the cabinet and she couldn’t help but smile for a moment. How often does one get high and drunk in the same day? Of course, how often does one start seeing blood leaking out of a fountain? At least when she’s drunk she’s less likely to have nightmares. Hopefully that’ll be the case.

She filled up her glass and quickly took the shot, the familiar burn of liquor going down her throat. The last time she decided to drink was right after the Fall Formal, loss and humiliation heavy on her mind. “Well, I couldn’t go anywhere but up from there so maybe this will be the same case,” she thought as she took another shot. Perhaps getting fucked up would work against her plan in the morning to figure out a plan but right now she couldn’t give a lesser fuck.

After taking two more shots, the burning in her throat was becoming a bit much and it was only then that she decided to switch to coke and whisky. The quick number of shots was already getting her tipsy and she found a seat on her couch.

Her mind was starting to wonder, which was to be expected. However, her thoughts were traveling back long ago when she had hooves instead of feet. “Dear Faust I was such a bitch…” she thought, causing herself to giggle even though there was nothing humorous about it. The way she treated her peers, the way she treated Celestia was just unforgivable.

“Well you fucked up Sunset,” she thought. “Could’ve had yourself some wings but you had to rush it. Good job there.”

She then took another sip of her drink and got up, walking towards the bathroom. She glanced in the mirror and it was only then that she saw how the past couple of weeks were treating her. The shadows under her eyes were noticeable to a degree and her eyes definitely looked bloodshot, although maybe that was the alcohol.

Her face had a look of fear on it, but slowly her mouth twisted to a nasty grin as her eyes glowed a faint yellow. Sunset’s hands shook, the drink in her glass spilling slightly over the edge. Gritting her teeth, she suddenly flung the glass at the mirror, causing both to shatter into large and small shards.

Sunset put her hands to her face as sobs started to erupt out of her, causing her body to shake violently. She had tried so hard to keep it together but fear was slowly starting to get her. She looked up, blinking the tears away as she saw blood on her face and hands. Apparently she had cut herself from the glass, but it didn’t matter to her as she could only stare back at the haunting face in horror.

Author's Note

A relatively short (and somewhat emotional) chapter but I promise it's not all doom and gloom from this point on.