It takes a while

Chapters

Routine
Decisions
Aftermath
New Friend
Alone Together
Who Am I?
Perspective
Getting Closer
We Fucked Up
You Fucked Up
Reconnection
Cleansing
Lovey Dovey Bullshit
Fallout
Magic Lesson
Home
Romantic Development
Finally
Epilogue
Magical Exposition

Routine

Chapter 1 - Routine

Sunset Shimmer was getting used to her new routine. It started out normal enough: get up, get ready for school, make the long walk to Canterlot High from the abandoned factory she called a home. At least that part hadn’t changed. Once she entered the school, however, is where things went downhill.

Sunset meekly pushed open the door, only to have herself shoved to the ground by a resentful Spitfire. As the students milling about the halls glared in her direction, she hurriedly gathered her dropped backpack and books, trying to make the trip to her locker quick so she could reach the relative safety of her first period class. Bitter comments followed her through the tense, crowded halls.

Bitch

She-demon

I knew she’d never change

Anon-a-miss

Anon-a-miss. The MyStable account that brought all of Sunset’s hard work tumbling down around her. The countless hours at the animal shelter with Fluttershy? Pointless. The playful soccer matches with Rainbow Dash? Insignificant. Helping on AJ’s farm, planning parties with Pinkie, modeling for Rarity; all of it meant nothing, apparently.

Having finally arrived at her locker, Sunset swiftly put her books away, grabbing the textbook she needed and slamming the door shut. She tried to ignore the additional harsh words that greeted her in the form of hastily scrawled sharpie all over the front of the metal door.

But it was okay.

She was okay.

This was the new routine, after all.

Sunset sighed, making her way to her Advanced English class. As per usual, Ms. Harshwhinny didn’t even look up from her papers as the fiery-haired girl took her seat in the back of the room. Before the whole Anon-a-miss debacle Sunset had enjoyed a front-row seat in her classes, allowing her to focus entirely on the lesson at hand; now, as was the new norm, she preferred a spot where nobody could stare daggers into her skull as she tried (and failed) to ignore the angry faces around her.

As more and more students entered the classroom, Sunset allowed herself some time to think. Oftentimes getting lost in her own conscience was the only escape from the hostility she was now surrounded by. The melancholy girl’s mind drifted aimlessly, before finally settling on what it always eventually retrogressed to; the silvery blade with the scarlet-coloured handle that lay contentedly by the dusty mattress she used as a bed. Its comfortable weight in her hand; the familiar burning in her wrists, on her arms, on any bit of unmarred skin she could get her bloodied hands on, the crimson colour seeping out of the open wounds-

The bell proudly announced the beginning of class, and the daydream was over.

“Quiet down class! Winter break may be starting tomorrow, but that does not give anyone an excuse to slack off in my class,” Ms. Harshwhinny snapped, austere as ever. The students ceased their chatter. “Now then, turn in your textbooks to page 178…”

Sunset obediently got out her book and started reading, once again throwing herself into another welcome distraction from the depressing weight of her reality.

***

Lunch came all too soon for Sunset’s liking. Her first two classes passed quickly, especially the study hall period that she spent in the library. As Sunset pushed open the door to the cafeteria, she considered just skipping lunch entirely; the creeping feeling of the students eyes on her- of her friends eyes on her- made her feel sick. A startling growl from her stomach protested at the thought, so she pushed forward, trying to make herself as invisible as possible.

“Just breathe, Sunset. Just get your food and leave, you’ll be okay.” Sunset’s internal monologue was cut off by a sharp voice reaching her ears. “Are you going to get something, or just stand there?” Granny Smith glared at Sunset, who froze at the angry tone unbefitting of the Apple family matriarch. Much to her surprise, Sunset received a rather sympathetic glance from Trixie, who had just gotten in line behind her.

“Y-yeah, sorry,” the anxious girl stuttered, grabbing a tray and getting her food.

“Even Granny hates me,” Sunset thought with a twinge of sadness. “And she loves everyone.”

Downtrodden, the former unicorn made her way to the cafeteria’s exit. She was almost to the door when her tray was ruthlessly smacked out of her hands, spilling mediocre cafeteria food onto her shirt and across the floor. A smug-looking Gilda revealed herself to be the culprit, smirking as Sunset tried to brush past her.

“Just where do you think you’re going, Anon-a-miss?” The bully snarled, blocking Sunset’s path.

“Leave me alone,” Sunset grumbled. She wasn’t hungry anymore, and she just wanted to be alone at this point. But, of course, Gilda was having too much fun to let her go just yet. She shoved the worn and weary girl to the ground, towering over her in a display of intimidation.

“Of course she wouldn’t let me go that easily.”

Sunset sighed and prepared for the worst. This wasn’t something she was foreign to; Gilda harassing her daily was yet another part of her fucked up new schedule.

“Oops, sorry Sunny, my hand slipped,” Gilda laughed as she tilted her own lunch tray, spilling its contents onto the already filthy girl beneath her. She laughed again, dropping the now empty tray into Sunset’s lap, walking triumphantly away.

“Dear Celestia,” Sunset thought, “even the Dazzlings didn’t get this much shit when they came back to school.” Sunset struggled to get up without furthering the damage done to her clothing.

As usual, nobody assisted Sunset as she forlornly got to her feet, receiving several snickers instead of a helping hand.

As usual, she felt the irate looks of her former friends on her back as she took her leave, making her way to the bathroom to wash off the food covering her shirt and jeans.

As usual, she fought back the tears the threatened to fall, desperately battling the feeling of her heart breaking even further.

***

The rest of the day passed in a blur for Sunset until, finally, the shrill shriek of the bell declared the end of the school day. Sunset brushed her red and gold locks from her face, waiting for the classroom to empty before she gathered her things and leaving the room. The hallways, now slightly less crowded, were full of tension; the excitement of the holidays was harshly offset by the surfacing secrets and distrustful dispositions.

Sunset turned the dial of her locker, the halls almost empty now, and exchanged her books once more. Her hand hesitated over the book that linked her to Princess Twilight. The alicorn’s words rang through her head:

Sometimes, all you can do is stay strong...

Sunset gripped the book, knuckles turning white.

Remember who you are...

Tears gathered in the corners of her eyes, spilling softly down her cheeks and splattering across the journal's cover.

And find your family.

She took a shuddering breath and released the book, leaving it in her locker as she slammed the door shut with more force than strictly necessary.

From there, Sunset’s routine returned to familiar territory. She made her way home, thoughts drifting to yesterday’s incident at Sugarcube Corner. It had not gone well, to say the least:

Desperately, Sunset burst into Sugarcube Corner, journal in hand. She tried to show the girls her conversations with Twilight, hoping to convince them of her innocence; their minds remained unchanged. The girls’ eyes were cold, a stark contrast to their heated tempers as Rainbow Dash fiercely demanded that she “get the fuck away from us!” So Sunset obeyed, tears streaming down her face as the wind bit angrily at her sobbing figure.

Sunset found herself already at the entrance to her poor excuse of a home. It was on the sketchier side of town, an old factory at the center of a cluster of neglected buildings. The city had long ago ordered the destruction of the forgotten community, but, luckily for Sunset, it never ended up happening. Some of the buildings even still had electricity and running water, though it was as ice cold as the ill-insulated and unheated building itself.

Sunset made her way up the cement stairs to what she assumed must have once been some sort of office or lounge. There was a ratty, burnt-orange coloured couch on one side of the room, a desk taking up space on the adjacent wall, next to the creaky door Sunset had just pushed open; any other furniture that once resided in the room was long gone. An old, musty mattress that Sunset had found abandoned by the side of the road was pressed into a corner on the wall opposite the doorway. A few plastic grocery bags contained the small amount of clothing she owned, lying haphazardly next to the cheerful cherry red laundry hamper she had gifted herself with last holiday season. The makeshift apartment was not by any means comfortable, but it was enough to keep Sunset alive when she came across the portal, and that’s all she needed.

Dropping her school bag onto the old wooden desk, Sunset began to srtip out of her food-stained clothing. She deposited the shirt and jeans into the laundry hamper, leaving herself shivering in her underwear. The yellowed-skinned girl flopped unceremoniously onto her bed with a heavy sigh. “At least it’s winter break now.” The thought was bittersweet. On one hand, now she didn’t have to deal with the constant harassment; on the other, she’d be spending yet another holiday alone. “Hopefully this whole Anon-a-miss disaster will work itself out by the time school is back in next two weeks.” Sunset was not very optimistic. The situation she found herself in appeared entirely hopeless and was very emotionally exhausting for her. The weight of her friend’s enmity, the school’s fury, and her own inability to fix anything pressed down on her conscience, clouding her mind and swallowing her heart.

It was because of this that she once again picked up an old hobby, one that she was well accustomed to.

Sunset shifted her tired body onto its side, eyes falling onto the subject of her earlier daydream. The dark red wooden handle was glossy, and glittered slightly in the faint light. In a sort of haze, Sunset grabbed the knife with shaking hands. She flicked it open, the razor sharp blade springing out of its confines. Sitting up, Sunset took a deep breath. It was time for the darkest part of her altered schedule.

It was also her favourite part of the day.

Still shaking- whether it was from the cold or the anticipation of what she was about to do, Sunset will never know- she sat up, knife clutched tightly in her right hand.

Her near naked form revealed the marred skin that her clothing was so good at hiding. Angry red slashes ran up and down her arms, a few littering her torso as well. Old and new, subdued white or glaring pink, purple, and crimson. Some were shallow; thin lines that would eventually be near invisible. Some were deep; stretched and banded tissue that would never quite look the same.

This little ‘habit’ of hers began after the Fall Formal. Sunset had been a wreck. Guilt wracked her conscience, tearing at her heart, her soul aching with grievance. Depression and anxiety crept back into her life, aspects of herself that she had managed to shove down under the anger and false bravado she used to rule the school.

As she started growing closer to the girls, she made and effort to find better coping mechanisms, less destructive ways of handling her emotions. However, this whole Anon-a-miss catastrophe flung Sunset right back to the start; all the progress she made with her mental health unraveled as quickly as the friendships she had formed with the others.

Sunset gripped the knife tighter. A tear slipped down her face, then another; the reticence she displayed around her peers was finally melting.

It was you all along!

A splash of red appeared on one of the few remaining unmarked sections of skin on her left arm.

We trusted you, Sunset!

Sunset made a particularly deep cut, watching in amazement as the spongy, white flesh that the knife revealed quickly bubbled out more of her warm, crimson blood.

How could you do this?

On and on and on, slice after slice, Sunset continued the merciless attack on her arm, switching over to the other when she finally, once and for all, ran out of room on her left. Thoughts whirred through her head at blinding speeds.

After all we’ve been through together; secret stealer; you’re not our friend!

What was once a searing hot pain soon dulled to a numb kind of pressure. Sunset’s salty tears mixed with her blood, which was dripping steadily onto the cement floor.

But it was okay.

“I’m absolutely okay,” Sunset thought, sarcastically. “This is just a part of my ‘new routine,’ after all.” She knew that this behaviour was not healthy, but…

“Maybe I don’t want to be okay anymore.”

“Maybe I’m tired of the constant stream of hatred, from both my classmates and myself.”

Sunset took a shuddering breath.

“Maybe I just want all this to be over.”

Author's Note

I'm kinda writing this to cope with my own struggles with mental illness, while also providing my take on how I think the whole Anon-a-miss thing may have played out realistically (or at least in another universe). This is my first ever fanfic, so advice is welcome! Let me know what I did right, what I did wrong, things you think would make the story better; or just say hello!

I intend this is turn into a romance between Sunset and Trixie, but it is mostly focused on Sunset; her struggles, development, and eventual happiness. Sci-Twi won't be in this story, seeing as the Anon-a-miss comic takes place before friendship games.

Hope you enjoyed!

~Bitty Bug

Decisions

Chapter 2 - Decisions

Sunset awoke to find that several hours had passed. The sun had long since set, leaving her ramshackle room in total darkness. Groaning, she sat up, the dull pain in her arms motivating her to climb to her feet. She didn’t bother with her bedroom light, instead simply stumbling blindly towards the bathroom across the small hallway. The hall contained, in addition to the bathroom, her own room and the stairway leading to the ground floor of the factory. The faded, yellow fluorescent lights blinked on, illuminating Sunset’s sullen face in the mirror. She was still clad in only her undergarments and was caked with dried blood. The aching girl heaved a sigh and began the arduous process of tending to her self-inflicted wounds.

Sunset first opened up the small cabinet underneath the sink and pulled out her first-aid supplies, setting them onto the edge of the sink. Rolls of gauze, medical tape, sterile pads, band-aids, disinfectant wipes, and a bottle hydrogen peroxide came out of their resting place and into the dim light of the bathroom. She spent most of her small paycheck on food; the rest generally went to this kind of product. Her hands shook as she twisted the water on, wetting a stained washcloth and cleaning the dried blood from her arms. Some of the lacerations started bleeding again; Sunset carefully dabbed away the fresh blood.

Next, she soaked a different washcloth in hydrogen peroxide, this cloth home to less blood stains than its predecessor. Sunset hissed in pain as she disinfected the cuts, her least favourite part of the process. She discarded the used washcloths into the sink. The teen, trembling in the cold air, pressed several sterile pads to the affronted flesh, securing them in place with gauze, the white material wrapped tightly around her arms. Finally, the somber girl applied the medical tape, binding the whole thing together.

Sunset always took good care of her injuries after the fact; she could not afford a hospital trip (not to mention her lack of required human paperwork), and she definitely did not want anyone to find out about her… issues. No, she would handle everything alone; not even her former friends knew about her struggles.

“At least I don’t have to cover these up any time soon,” Sunset thought as her eyes roamed up and down her covered limbs. “Keeping a fuckton of bandages concealed is a hassle I don’t feel like bothering with today.” And she wouldn’t have to go through the process until school started back up once more, but by then the fissures in her skin would be partially healed; healed enough for Sunset to lessen the copious amounts of gauze and sterile pads she had to use.

Having finished cleaning up, Sunset went back to her room, flicking the lights on as she entered. The red-head rifled through her clothing, selecting a warm pair of pajama pants and a baggy hooded sweatshirt that wouldn’t agitate her bandages. Finally dressed, Sunset was ready for breakfast. She grabbed her phone from her backpack and left the room.

The girl meandered down the stairs, reaching a small, open common area that also served as the main ‘foyer’. In the center of the back wall were the massive doors that led to the main floor of the factory. Two smaller doors adorned the left and right walls. The one on the right was labelled “Maintenance.” Sunset had explored the small room when she first found the factory, finding that it held what you would typically find in a janitor’s closet plus a few extra hardware related items; old metal pipes resided high above her head, creating a rusted maze that served as a ceiling.

The door on the left introduced a tiny kitchenette, complete with a small pantry, a microwave, a little refrigerator, and a few cabinets. This was Sunset’s destination. Pouring herself a bowl of cereal, Sunset sat at the small table in the center of the room and pulled out her phone. She had no interest in torturing herself by perusing the Anon-a-miss profile, so she settled for merely checking the time; 9:47pm. “I napped for five hours, huh?” Sunset smiled slightly at the information. “Nice way to start winter break.”

***

The first week of break blurred together in an apathetic haze for Sunset Shimmer. She slept in irregular patterns, a habit formed in her days as Princess Celestia’s student, and spent her waking hours lazing about. She hadn’t even changed out of the flannel pants and dark hoodie she had put on at the start of the week. Sunset spent those first seven days watching videos and movies on her laptop, only leaving to get food from the kitchen. Speaking of food…

“I’m out,” Sunset thought as she looked into her almost empty refrigerator. It was the day after Christmas, and Sunset was exhausted and hungry. She had spent the entire night prior crying and cutting, thinking about her erstwhile friends and demeaning herself with scathing assertions. Opening her pantry, Sunset discovered that all that was left was a small bit of stale cereal left at the bottom of its box, and an apple that sat next to it. “That means a trip to the store, which means leaving my house- er, factory-” she corrected, “which means the possibility of seeing someone that hates me.”

Sunset’s stomach complained loudly. “I guess not eating isn’t an option,” Sunset chuckled, snatching the apple and taking a bite. “I’ll go after breakfast...” She could use a break from the tedium of living alone in a secluded factory, she decided.

True to her word, after Sunset finished her apple she changed from her pajama pants into a pair of black jeans, leaving the hoodie on. Grabbing her wallet- “running low on cash again,”- and her phone, the teen left the factory, slamming the heavy door shut behind her. It was cold, and Sunset shivered as she walked to the closest grocery store; a store that was still too far away for Sunset’s liking. She arrived at her destination, punctuated by a lively neon sign above the store’s facade that broke the grey winter monotony around it.

The automatic doors slid open to welcome the fatigued and nervous customer. Sunset pulled her hood up over her head, hiding her blazing hair in an attempt to keep her identity unknown. Now adequately hidden, Sunset moved quickly around the store, dropping her choices into the grocery basket in her right hand. More apples, some canned soup, microwavable dinners; a quick glance into her wallet revealed that she didn’t have enough money for anything else.

As she made her way to the self check-out area, Sunset heard a couple of familiar voices enter the store.

“Ah’m just sayin’, Pinkie, you don’t have to throw a ‘day-after-christmas’ party for us,” a familiar Southern drawl chided.

“I know,” came the cheerful reply, “but I wanted to cheer everyone up and help take our minds of the whole incident with- SUNSET?!”

The girl in question flinched as her attempts to leave the store unnoticed failed. Applejack’s head whipped up, seeking out the Sunset with malice in her eyes.

“What are you doing here?” The farmhand accused. Pinkie Pie seemed to deflate beside her, as though a raincloud had emptied a disconsolate storm onto her persona. Her sorrowful eyes avoided Sunsets own tortured ones, finding interest in the tiled floor.

“I’m- um, I’m getting food,” Sunset replied indignantly. She just wanted the conversation to be over, shifting on her feet and fidgeting with her hands as she stole glances at the exit only a few feet away. Applejack had the decency to at least look a little embarrassed as she muttered a quiet “oh.” An awkward silence started to descend on the group, so Sunset took that has her cue to leave. She was almost out the door when she heard an almost inaudible voice call out:

“Why did you do it Sunny?” Pinkie Pie’s voice was small but intense, and it stopped Sunset in her tracks. She turned around. Pinkie’s usually energetic hair was flat and dull. Tears were gathering in the corners of her eyes; a doleful fury was simmering just below the surface of her unusually quiet demeanor.

“I-I didn’t-”Sunset started, but she was cut off by a fuming Applejack

“Don’t even try it!” She yelled. People were starting to stare at the spectacle the three girls were making. “Don’t bother making yer flimsy excuses with us! We know what you really are,” Applejack’s words pierced Sunset straight through the heart. Some of the onlookers were whispering, a few even recognized Sunset and the crime she was wrongfully accused of committing.

Anon-a-miss

She-demon

Sunset felt her anxiety skyrocket; it had already increased at the idea of going out in public, but this fiasco was enough to send Sunset into a complete panic. She gripped her groceries tightly and spun around, dashing out of the building as fast as her legs could carry her. She tore across the sidewalk, determined to make it home before anything else went wrong.

THUD

“Oof!”

“So much for that plan,” Sunset thought as she collided with another warm body, knocking them both to the ground. Sunset, still panicking, scrambled to her feet, reaching a hand out to whomever she knocked down. “I’m so so sorry I wasn’t paying attention I just-” her ramblings were cut short by a regal voice.

“The Great and Powerful Trixie doesn’t need any assistan- Sunset?” Trixie looked up at Sunset, the latter of whom was shaking.

“Fuck, I-I gotta go,” Sunset rushed her words, retracting her hand as the tears that she had been fighting finally started to trickle down her cheeks and onto the concrete below. Sunset started running again just as Trixie got to her feet.

“Wait, Sunset!” Trixie shouted after her, but Sunset kept her pace.

The miserable Sunset Shimmer sprinted all the way back to her factory. She ran into her home and collapsed against the door behind her, sobbing as she dropped her groceries at her feet.

Unbeknownst to her, a figure her watched on with sad purple eyes, making note of the location before heading to her own, definitely more comfortable home.

***

Sunset lay on her mattress, once again wearing only her undergarments. She stared at the ceiling, unmoving, unblinking. After a solid thirty minutes of just sitting in her entryway and weeping her eyes out, the mournful teen had managed to muster enough energy to get up from her spot on the floor and hastily drop her groceries into their proper places. Now, hours had passed. The event at the grocery store weighed heavily on Sunset’s mind. She felt drained. She felt heartbroken.

She felt betrayed.

They were supposed to be her friends! Together forever, through thick and thin, no matter the weather! And there she was, all alone, abandoned at the first drop of rain. The whole Anon-a-miss situation made Sunset question the sincerity of her friendship with the five girls. This felt like some sort of test; a test that everyone failed. Sunset had apparently failed to prove that her reformation was honest and true, and the five failed to prove their dedication to Sunset. The circumstance was obviously a set-up; yet Sunset was used and discarded, as though the girls had been looking for an excuse to get rid of her.

These thoughts spun through the red-head’s mind, along with the existential conclusions that she drew. Without her friends, who was she? Was she the arrogant, self-righteous bitch that conquered the school, ruling with an iron fist? The anxiety-ridden but innocent child that the Princess had taken under her wing? Someone else?

“I’m a failure,” Sunset decided. “A useless fucking waste of space. No matter what I do, I somehow end up fucking everything up for myself and for others.” Sunset’s gaze continued to bore into the ceiling. “So, what now?” She asked herself. “I shunned my mentor, terrorized the students of Canterlot High, and now I’ve lost the only people to ever really give me a second chance.”

Sunset felt a wetness on her face, one she had unfortunately became quite acquainted with over the past month. Tears once again started flowing freely down her cheeks, and, as terrible thoughts circulated through her brain, Sunset made a decision.

“I know what I have to do.” She spoke to no one, and nobody responded. “Tomorrow...” Her mind said as she drifted off.

“Tomorrow, everything will be okay.”

***

Sunset arose from her slumber at 11:23am. “It’s time,” she told herself as she clambered out of bed. She was chilled down to the bone, having not bothered with more clothing than her underwear the previous night. Her normally bright skin was pale and sickly. She ignored the frigid feeling as she grabbed her knife, then turning to make her way down the cool cement stairs, once again foregoing more than what she was already dressed in. She found herself in the common area, but she did not turn in the direction of her kitchenette; no, she was not here for food. She did not have much of an appetite anyways. Instead, Sunset turned to the right, the direction of the utility closet. She opened the door and turned on the lights. She scanned the small room’s contents, looking for one item in particular. Her sunken eyes landed on their target:

A thick coil of rope.

Sunset sat on the ancient wooden chair that took residence in the back corner of the cramped space. She pulled out her knife, gazing down at its strangely enticing colour. Her broken reflection stared back up at her. She flipped it open, the familiar motion somewhat comforting to her. “Everything will be fine, now. Everyone will be happy, including me.”

These dark thoughts kept Sunset company as she got to work, filling the remaining space on her right arm with violent gashes before moving on to her legs. Her cuts were messy and desperate, and tears blurred her vision. But despite the blood and tears, despite the horrible feeling in her chest, she smiled. A small upturn of the lips became wider and wider, until she was grinning hysterically, admiring her handiwork as she abruptly dropped her knife.

Her small fit of tears was eliminated as she swiftly wiped her face. Sunset was quiet. She made no noise; no sobs of agony, no screams of pain, no last words as she grasped the coarse rope in her hands, lifting it from its home on the dusty shelf. She fumbled as she tied the noose, a process she had looked up long ago out of curiosity. Eventually she tied it right- “at least I got one thing right,”- and dragged the wobbly chair to the center of the room, underneath the sturdiest looking pipe that helped create the odd ceiling. Sunset stood on the chair, stretching up on her toes to reach the pipe. She wrapped the rope around it, winding it over a few additional times for good measure. Blood dripped from her body, still seeping from the cuts, but she paid it no mind. She tied a knot, then another, then a third just for extra insurance. The noose hung gloomily in the makeshift gallows, but Sunset was not intimidated.

Her hands did not shake as she gripped the rough and scratchy material of the cord.

Her eyes did not see as she pulled it over her head and fastened it around her neck.

Her heart did not feel as she took one last apathetic glance at her surroundings; the door to the closet was slightly ajar, but that wouldn’t be a problem. Sunset had come into this strange dimension alone, and, now, she would leave it alone too.

“Goodbye.”

Sunset took a deep, useless breath and kicked the chair out from under her.

Author's Note

Wow, that was depressing. But hey! Another update, and so soon after the first! I'm making good progress with this fic, I think it's going to be pretty okay.

Let me know what you think :twilightsheepish:

~Bitty Bug

Aftermath

Chapter 3 - Aftermath

Something felt wrong to Applejack as she went about her usual farm chores. Everything was alright a moment ago; when all of a sudden a bad feeling overtook the tanned farmer.

“Are you alright, sis?” Applebloom saw the strained look on her sister’s face.

“Ah’m fine,” Applejack shook off the bizzare occurrence.“It’s probably nothing,” She thought, returning to her work.

***

Rainbow Dash flew across the field, dribbling the soccer ball with practiced ease. She was coming up on the goal, her protégé cheering her on as she lined up the shot. She pulled her foot back and-

-and fell flat on her face. “Dash!” Scootaloo cried, rushing to help her mentor up. “Are you okay? What just happened?” She questioned.

“I’m fine Scoots,” Rainbow Dash replied. “I don’t know, I just got this really weird feeling...”

***

Rarity was stitching up a rip in one of Sweetie Belle’s dresses. The sewing needle flowed in and out of the fabric gracefully as the seamstress mended the garment.

A sudden, bleak emotion startled Rarity from her work. “Ouch!” She exclaimed as she pricked her finger with the needle. “That was strange,” the purple haired girl thought, temporarily pausing her work.

***

Pinkie Pie was putting the finishing touches on her latest batch of cupcakes. She finished with a flourish, licking her fingers clean of the sweet icing that coated her in random splotches. “Woo! Now we can have a party-wooooooah!” The energetic baker bounced rapidly, almost vibrating as her Pinkie Sense unexpectedly activated. The spasms stopped, but Pinkie was left with a residual feeling of dread.

“That’s definitely not good...”

***

A melodic tune filled the air as Fluttershy went about her cottage, feeding her animals. She harmonized with the birds, refilling their feeders with a smile. An odd chill shot down her spine and she dropped the bag of bird seed from her hands. The animals were startled, but soon surrounded their caregiver when they sensed that something was wrong.

Angel, Fluttershy’s rabbit, nuzzled her hand, attempting to calm the shaking girl. The initial shock had faded, but it did not take with it the feeling of unease that followed Fluttershy as she slowly went back to her interrupted task.

***

Trixie wrapped her arms tightly around herself. The cold winter air was biting, but she was on a mission. “Sunset looked so upset...” The magician chewed on her lower lip, a nervous habit that she inherited from her mother. The image of Sunset’s teary eyes, both in the school’s cafeteria and on the sidewalk near the grocery store, was seared into her memory. She hadn’t suspected for a second that Sunset was Anon-a-miss; it was obviously a rouse, someone heinously trying to frame the fiery-haired girl. Why didn’t anyone else see that?

This whole debacle was clearly hurting Sunset. Trixie may be vain at times, but she was more observant than people gave her credit for. She watched, she listened, and she remembered. She watched Sunset grow and bloom as she made friends with the Rainbooms. She listened to the way she talked, noting how much kinder her words were. She remembered the look on her face the night of the Fall Formal. Trixie saw deep regret and profound anguish in the former-unicorn’s aqua eyes.

Not that she was paying extra attention to Sunset, of course!

Any passerby would have thought Trixie’s flushed cheeks were a result of the crisp wind. They would be wrong.

Trixie shook her head, trying to rid her mind of those pesky thoughts. She had something important to do, and she couldn’t afford to be distracted!

Trixie checked her phone. The time read 12:03 in the afternoon. Turning her thoughts to the task at hand, the girl took a look around her surroundings. Dilapidated structures and a sad, cracked sidewalk filled her vision. “This is definitely the place,” Trixie affirmed. After Sunset ran off following their interaction the day before, Trixie hardly hesitated for a second before racing after her. She called out the red-head’s name several times, but the distracted girl did not seem to hear. When she hurriedly wrenched open an old factory’s door and slammed it shut, Trixie realized that this empty suburb of crumbling structures must be Sunset’s home.

Trixie slowed her pace, coming to a stop in front of the decrepit factory’s heavy metal doors. She raised her hand and knocked on the door three times in rapid succession. “Sunset?” Trixie’s voice echoed throughout the vacant streets. “Sunset, open up! I know you’re in there,” she yelled. She waited a few seconds, but there was no noise behind the doors, or at least none that she could hear. “Well fine. If she’s not going to answer, I’ll just have to let myself in. I doubt it’s locked.”

Trixie’s assumption proved to be correct; she gripped the cold handle and gave the door a firm shove, feeling it swing open after some initial resistance. The blue skinned girl found herself in some sort of open foyer. The air was musty and cold, and Trixie held back a sneeze. She saw stairs leading upwards to her left, and three doors on the walls opposite and adjacent to the doors. What caught her attention, though, was the door on the right, labeled “Maintenance.” It was opened slightly, and Trixie could hear a faint, raspy sound coming from the other side.

“...Sunset?” Trixie crossed the room, gently grabbing the door and pulling it open.

“Holy fuck!”

***

“Sunset Shimmer,” a regal voice sounded out. Sunset looked up. A glittering cosmos surrounded her, shifting and spiraling out endlessly. She was laying down on what appeared to be nothing at all. Sunset felt warm; she felt safe.

“Where am I?” She wondered aloud, shifting to sit up, legs crossed.

“You are in the realm between worlds,” the same voice as before echoed around her. Sunset tilted her head. “This is the middle ground. You cross this plane as you leave one world and enter another. You have seen it before, am I correct?”

“The portal? Am I going to Equestria?” Sunset asked, wide eyed and confused. Her brow furrowed. How did she get here? She didn’t remember going through the portal, how did-

“Oh yeah…” The grocery store. The decision. The rope. “So am I dead?” the red-head questioned.

“Not yet,” the voice cryptically replied.

Another question popped into Sunset’s muddled head and tumbled out of her mouth: “Wait, who are you?”

“Ah, my apologies. Allow me to introduce myself.” A figure began to take shape in the void. Dark hooves appeared, followed by wide wings, then finally a pair crystal blue eyes not dissimilar to Sunset’s own. The alicorn looked down at Sunset’s human frame. “My name is Princess Luna. I do not believe we have met.”

Sunset stared with shocked eyes. “I’ve only heard old fillies tales of you…”

“Yes, well. Long story short, I am back. And, as Princess of the Night, I have rule over ponies’ dreams.” Luna explained, settling into a sitting position so that she was eye-level with Sunset’s still human form. “Princess Twilight asked me to check up on you; she has been sending you messages, and she grew worried at the lack of response.” Sunset bit her lip, but she didn’t feel bad about leaving the book behind before winter break. She didn’t exactly feel like talking to anybody, least of all someone that reminded her of her non-friends. “I see that her concerns were… well-founded.” The Princess continued. She gazed at Sunset with empathy. “Before my banishment, I held some of the same feelings you do. Though, I never did reach the point that you are at.”

Sunset sighed. “Yeah, well. At least everything’s finally over. You said that I’m dying, right?”

Luna nodded. “However,” she added, “you can go back. It is not too late to pull yourself from the brink.”

The faux-human snorted. “Ha, that’s not happening. I knew exactly what I was doing. I don’t want to go back.” There was no hesitation in her voice, and Luna saw no confliction in her eyes. Tears started to well up in Luna’s eyes, but she blinked them away before Sunset could notice.

“... Very well. I know I cannot make you choose something that, in your heart, you do not want. But I will say this; you will be missed. By me, by Twilight,” The alicorn sighed, “and by Celestia, perhaps most of all.”

Sunset felt an ache in her chest at the mention of her old mentor. “Tell her I’m sorry,” she whispered.

Luna gave her a small smile. “She forgave you long ago.”

Sunset drew a shaky breath, not quite believing the news. “It can’t be that easy,” she began to protest. “She can’t just-“

Suddenly, a rip began to form in the space to Sunset’s left, tearing the beautiful light around it and stealing the words from Sunset’s throat. She let out a strangled gasp. It was a dark, swirling purple, and it started to spread, eating up the brightness. Luna squinted. “That is… unexpected,” she observed.

“W-what is that?” Sunset stuttered.

“It appears,” Luna said with sparkling eyes. “That you are going back, after all.”

Sunset’s eyes grew wide as the purple darkness started to swallow her. “No!” she shouted, her view of Luna becoming clouded. “I don’t want to go back!”

She could have sworn she saw the Princess smile before everything faded to black.

***

Sunset eyes blearily blinked open. “Celestia, FUCKING DAMMIT!” She screamed internally. “Why am I still fucking here?!”

“Oh thank the gods, you’re alive!” A familiar voice whispered. As her eyes adjusted to the room’s dim light, she found herself gazing up into tear-filled purple irises.

“Wha-“ Sunset cut herself off with a violent cough. Her throat felt like it was on fire and her head was pounding.

Luckily, the girl above her understood the unasked question. “I came to check on you, you just ran off yesterday. I wanted to talk…” she trailed off before clearing her throat and continuing. “I came in and I found you in here. The rope had snapped and you were on the floor, you weren’t breathing… I- uh, I tried to stop the bleeding...” Trixie sniffled and wiped her eyes, gesturing towards the sweatshirt wrapped tightly around the silent girl’s arm.

Sunset used the lull in the one-sided conversation to take in the rest of her surroundings. The frayed rope, snapped and useless, dangled above her, taunting her. Trixie had taken the time to carefully unwind the noose from Sunset’s neck; she saw it on the other side of the room, tossed carelessly across the floor. Her bra and underwear had spatters of blood on them. Sunset also noticed that she was laying on something warm…

She sat up with a jolt, removing herself from her comfortable position in Trixie’s lap.

Trixie leaned back, giving Sunset room to breathe. She fiddled with her fingers, watching as Sunset tried to process everything. Pushing her light-blue hair from her face, Trixie took a moment to try and process the situation as well. “She-she really tried to...” She shuddered. Sad eyes inspected Sunset’s broken form. Dark bruises were already starting to appear on her neck. Blood coated her legs and right arm, soaking through Trixie’s navy-coloured sweatshirt. The viscous liquid had started to congeal in places, aiding in Trixie’s attempt to stop the bloodflow and slowing the rate at which it seeped out of Sunset’s scarred body. Her eyes were lifeless and dull.

Trixie shifted, fishing her phone from her pocket. “I’m going to call an ambulance-” Sunset struck like lightning, snatching Trixie’s phone with absurd agility given the state she was in, letting out a pathetic squeak in the process. “Wha- Sunset, you need medical attention for your injuries!” Sunset shook her head, wincing as the motion agitated the growing bruises adorning her neck. “Why won’t you get this treated?” Trixie was dumbfounded, she had to be in an incredible amount of pain! Sunset only glared in response. “...Oh, right, unicorn from another dimension, duh.” However, Trixie knew that was only half the reason; the girl didn’t want any help. Sunset sighed, passing the phone back to its owner.

Sunset grunted, forcing herself to her feet and ignoring the red-hot pain that rocketed throughout her body. She shakily crept towards the open door, disregarding the incredulous look she was getting from Trixie. “Wh-how are you even moving right now?!” The magician exclaimed as Sunset hobbled across the main floor. Sunset only glanced back at Trixie in response, the former having just stood up and started to follow. The battered girl used the wall as a crutch as she began to ascend the stairs. She startled when she felt a warm hand on her back, helping her to keep balance. She sent Trixie a cold look, but did not protest as she was guided up the steps.

Trixie dropped her hand as they reached the stairs’ summit, trailing after Sunset who stumbled into the bathroom. Sunset began pulling out her first aid supplies, expression blank as she once again placed the materials on the edge of the sink. Trixie gently placed a hand on Sunset’s shoulder, stopping her as she started to clean the blood off. “Please, let me help you,” Trixie begged.

Sunset gave her a long, searching look, but the girl’s eyes only held sincerity. Finally, Sunset resigned with a sigh, moving to sit on the lid of the toilet. “I’m too fucking tired to fix myself up, may as well entertain her.”

Trixie crouched and began cleaning Sunset’s wounds with an expertise that the red-head did not expect from her. Seeing Sunset’s astonished look, she laughed softly. “My mom is a doctor,” she explained. “She made sure I knew basic first aid and some other medical stuff.” Trixie delicately began wrapping gauze around her arm, afterwards moving to her legs before adding additional bandaging to the healing cuts that Sunset had made the week prior.

The ordeal was mostly quiet, aside from Sunset’s scratchy breathing. The events of the day were starting to catch up with her, and she found herself nearly nodding off as Trixie finished taping the gauze and stood from her stooped position. Sunset stood as well, silently thanking the other with a small nod. “Why is she helping me? I don’t deserve this.” Sunset averted her eyes and slowly made her way to her bedroom, exhaustion consuming her. She collapsed face-first into the uncomfortable mattress, not caring that Trixie was still in her home. “I deal with her later,” was the last thing she decided before she drifted off into a dreamless slumber.

***

Trixie gazed at Sunset’s unconscious form with a mix of concern and soft sadness decorating her features. She sighed. “What now?” Trixie definitely did not want to leave the mutilated girl alone. What if she tried again? Trixie shivered. “What if she succeeds?” That decided the matter. Trixie retrieved her phone from her pocket and dialed her father’s number. “Hey, Dad. Yeah, I’m fine- is it okay if I stay at my friend’s house tonight?”

Author's Note

Aaaaaand chapter three is complete! This was a bit of a tough one to write, but I think it turned out okay :yay:

As always, comments are welcome!

~Bitty Bug

New Friend

Chapter 4 - New Friend

Pain greeted Sunset in the form of an aching throat and a dull throb ricocheting through her limbs. She groaned as she sat up, the movement jostling her neck and shifting her bandages. “Celestia above, I feel awful.” Unfortunately, that meant both physically and mentally. Sunset, unsurprisingly, still wanted to die, and her failure to take the worn rope’s ancient age into account only made her feel worse. “Can’t even kill myself right...” Sunset heaved a sigh, cringing as her sore throat protested the action. She debated just going back to bed, but the gnawing hunger in her stomach compelled her to get up.

It was dusk outside Sunset’s window. She only just started to realize how cold she was. She hadn’t worn any real clothes since the aptly named “grocery incident.” Sunset felt as though her bones were made of ice and her heart was filled with snow. “I definitely need to get something warm on.” She glanced down at her filthy undergarments. “Ew, I should change these too.”

After discarding the grimy clothing into her laundry hamper, Sunset slipped on her warmest flannel pants and fluffiest sweatshirt. Now dressed, she made her way down to the kitchen, cringing slightly as each step tormented her mangled legs. Upon entering the kitchen she was shocked to find another person sitting at the tiny table in the corner of the room.

Trixie looked up and smiled softly. “Hey. Did you sleep well?” She said as Sunset cautiously walked farther into the kitchenette.

She hesitated for a second, then shrugged. “I knew I’d have to deal with her at some point, but I didn’t think she’d stay.” She got out a glass and filled it with water, snatching an apple on her way to sit down across from her guest. She took small sips and tiny bites, trying not to agitate her throat. Trixie glanced at Sunset, who was avoiding her eyes. Sunset attempted to clear her throat. She winced, but pushed through, managing to force a few words out in a croak. “Why are you still here?”

Now it was Trixie’s turn to avoid eye contact. “I wanted to make sure you didn’t… You know, try again,” she admitted.

Sunset halfheartedly glared at the girl across from her. “I don’t blame her for trying, but...” Sunset sighed. “I’ve made my choice. I know what I want and I won’t stop until I get it.” Sunset was filled with a grim certainty, knowing that the world would be better off without her “fucking everything up, as usual.”

“I- I wanted to tell you,” Trixie broke Sunset out of her dark musings. She looked up at, meeting honest purple eyes. “I know you aren’t Anon-a-miss.” Sunset blinked, mouth slightly agape. “I mean it’s pretty obvious that someone is trying to set you up because you were way smarter and more subtle about this kind of thing before the Fall Formal and there’s no way you’d do something so mean after all the work you put into making friends and-”

“Trixie,” Sunset’s hoarse voice cut off the babbling girl. “Thank you.” She gave a small, authentic smile, something that had recently become a rare sight to see.

Trixie responded with a grin. “So, this means we’re friends now,” Trixie declared. Her confidence and bravado had escaped her in light of the situation she walked into, but now it came back in full force.

Sunset opened her mouth to protest- “I’ll just drag you down with me”- but Trixie didn’t let her get the words out.

“Ah-ah-ah, no no no, it’s too late!” She tutted. “I’ve already made up my mind.” She gave Sunset her trademark smirk. “The Great and Powerful Trixie is now your friend!”

Sunset managed to keep a serious face for a few seconds before bursting into laughter, or as much as she could given the state her throat was in. Trixie melted into giggles soon after. They sat in companionable silence for a bit. Sunset finished her apple, tossing the core into the garbage can. She placed her glass in the sink and went to rejoin Trixie at the table.

“Welp!” The blue haired girl clapped her hands together. “What do you do for fun around here? I’m staying over tonight, by the way.”

Sunset raised an eyebrow. “Probably still wants to keep an eye on me,” She thought. “Mostly just homework,” her gruff voice replied.

“Well that’s boring. Let’s watch a movie!” Sunset chuckled at her new friend’s bluntness. She got up and motioned for Trixie to follow her. They once again made the trip up the stairs, this time going straight to Sunset’s room. Sunset plopped down on her mattress, back against the wall and legs out in front of her. She grabbed her laptop from her backpack and patted the spot next to her, inviting Trixie to join her.

Sunset started up one of her favourite movies-“Lilo and Stitch, you never fail me.”- and moved her laptop so that one half rested on her own leg and the other lay across Trixie’s.

It was by no means one of Pinkie Pie’s notorious slumber parties, but maybe that just made it even better.

***

Luna paced the length of her room. “I need to tell Twilight, I have to tell her…” She repeated the thought to herself over and over, but that did nothing to calm her nerves. How exactly does one tell somepony that their close friend tried to kill herself? Luna shook her head, trying to clear her cluttered mind. Suicide was not a common thing in Equestria. They were a peaceful land, where nearly everypony was happy. Equestria had remedies for mental health problems that the human world did not. Mental illnesses could usually be treated magically; a spell to increase serotonin production in the brain, or a magic amulet enchanted to calm a pony during a panic attack, things of that nature.

“Lulu?” Luna’s head snapped up.

“Oh, my apologies sister, I did not hear you come in,” the Night Princess said, still distracted.

“Is this about Sunset?” Celestia asked. Luna had told her of her meeting with the former unicorn, and, needless to say, Celestia was worried out of her mind.

Luna sighed. “I just do not know how I am going to tell Twilight,” she explained, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. “You know how she gets when she is concerned for a friend, I do not want her to…” Luna struggled to find the proper term.

“Freak out?” Celestia supplied.

“Yes, that.”

“I worry for the child, Tia.” Luna cast her gaze downwards. “She is in a very dark place and I fear she may not be able to pull herself out…” She trailed off. Celestia brought her younger sister in for a hug, wings encompassing the smaller body as both alicorns shed silent tears.

“I worry too, sister. But if I know one thing about Sunset Shimmer, it’s that she is very perseverant.”

***

The sleepover passed all too quickly for the girl’s liking, and the remaining days of break passed even faster. Trixie had taken to visiting Sunset every day, “just to be sure.” The two had become surprisingly close over the short time, finding a comfortable rhythm within each other’s personalities. They joked and jabbed, playing off each other in spirited harmony. Soon, it was the day before school started.

And Sunset was panicking.

She was terrified to go back and face the bullying she had dealt with before break, but she had never missed a day in her three-and-a-quarter years in highschool. If she stopped going to school, even for a little bit, people would start to notice. Having exchanged numbers the night of their slumber party, Sunset and Trixie had been texting back and forth on the matter. Trixie encouraged Sunset to take the first week off (though she still didn’t trust her to be alone for too long), but Sunset knew she couldn’t. The student body would probably take her absence as confirmation that she was Anon-a-miss.

Sunset’s phone buzzed.

Trixie > well if ur so insistent on being at school, i hope u know ill do everything i can to get ppl to back off :)

Sunset smiled at Trixie’s ridiculous way of texting. “Kinda ironic, considering how articulate she is in person.” She shot a quick thank-you text and leaned back against her mattress, eyes on the ceiling, planning for what lay ahead. If she had to go to school, she could at least be prepared for it. Sunset mentally scanned through her schedule, mapping out the least crowded hallways she could use and which classes she was safest in.

“I’ll have to wear some bulky sweatpants to hide the bandages on my legs, luckily the cold weather makes that appropriate.” Bruises still decorated her neck, but she had an old scarf she could wear. It would definitely garner some weird looks for being worn indoors; Sunset didn’t care though, as long as no one saw the grotesque purple and yellow marks on her around her throat. At least her speech had improve. It was still a little rough, but nothing too noticable.

She spent the rest of the night overthinking, as she usually did, but this time she had Trixie’s frequent texts and memes to keep her company and distract her from her horrible thoughts. When her alarm woke her up the next morning, she hadn’t even realized that she had fallen asleep.

Sunset sat up in her bed, frowning. She definitely was not looking forward to the day in front of her. “Uhg, no point in trying to avoid it.” Sunset thought as she got up and started to get dressed. She slipped on the preplanned sweatpants and baggy shirt, finishing the look with a sweatshirt and scarf. The rest of her morning preparations went by far too quickly, leaving Sunset with a flourishing sense of dread as she began her walk to school. She had chanced a glance at Mystable before she fell asleep the night prior, only to find that Anon-a-miss had been quite busy over break.

“Of course things wouldn’t work themselves out, that’d just be too easy,” the red-head thought bitterly as she approached Canterlot High. Already she was receiving dirty looks and callous remarks. She kept her head down as she stopped by her locker- “Oh joy, more vicious graffiti!”- and put away her things. She was just about to shut the door when she heard her name being shouted from across the hall.

“Hey, Sunset!” Trixie called as she met the shocked girl by her locker. The magician smiled and Sunset gave a small grin back. “So,” she said as she took Sunset’s arm in hers, walking her to her first period. “Do you want to hang out after school? You can come over to my house and we can make cookies,” Trixie suggested. Sunset had found out over break that the girl had a massive sweet tooth, discovered when she loudly complained about the lack of sweets in Sunset’s house.

Sunset laughed. “Sure Trix, sounds good.” Having arrived at Ms. Harshwhinny’s classroom, Trixie turned to leave, but Sunset grabbed her arm and pulled her in for a hug. “Thanks, Trixie,” she said quietly. She could have sworn she saw a blush on Trixie’s face as she turned to leave, giving a small wave over her shoulder at the flustered girl.

For the first time since the Anon-a-miss debacle started, Sunset entered the classroom feeling less terrible than she usually did. She had a soft smile on her face as she sat down. The glares and whispers still hurt, but having a friend made things a little more bearable.

As the bell rang and class began, Sunset once again poured herself into the lesson. “The less time I have to think, the better,” she thought with a sigh. Trixie’s presence may have made the day a little bit better, but that gnawing despair still ate at Sunset’s heart. It felt like a shadow, haunting Sunset, following her in every step she took, every thought that passed through her mind. She gripped her pencil tighter. “Just stop thinking about it and focus, idiot.”

So, she did. Sunset diligently took notes and worked on the handout until the bell rang. In her study hall, she helped Ms. Cheerilee reshelf books and tidy up the vast library. She once again shoved her emotions down into the deepest pit she could find and tried desperately not to fall in after them.

When Sunset’s new least favourite class- lunch- came around, she was at a loss of what to do. “I can’t go to the cafeteria alone,” she insisted. Then she countered herself forlornly, “but I didn’t eat breakfast!” She was just about to start panicking again when a text interrupted her internal argument.

Trixie > hey nerd where r u, we can get lunch together and eat in the library if u want

Sunset stared at the text. She facepalmed. “I keep forgetting I actually have a friend now,” she thought as she tapped out a response.

Sunset > I’m in the library, I’ll meet you by the cafeteria entrance.

Trixie > yeet

Sunset chuckled and pocketed her phone, making her way to the cafeteria.

***

The next couple of days passed identically. Trixie would meet Sunset at her locker and walk her to her first class, then later the two would meet up for lunch. After school, they’d go to either Sunset or Trixie’s house and hang out. Sunset was quickly acquainted with Trixie’s parents, and they just as quickly became taken with Sunset. Supernova noticed Sunset’s gaunt figure and always made sure she ate something while she was over. Dewdrop was thrilled to find out that Sunset could keep up with his “science mumbo-jumbo,” as his wife affectionately called it. The family made sure Sunset knew their home was always open to her, and Sunset was extremely grateful. For Sunset, kindness was hard to come by these days, so the warm dynamic and loving treatment was like a breath of fresh air.

Trixie was still keeping Sunset closeby to make sure she didn’t attempt again, but Sunset found that she didn’t mind Trixie’s company. The two instantly bonded over their mutual love of Disney movies, and as they started talking more, Sunset realized they were a lot more similar than she initially thought. They both loved astronomy, sharing the class during sixth period. Trixie liked some of the same books as Sunset; they ended up recommending new series and borrowing each other’s books very frequently. The blue haired girl could keep up with Sunset’s intelligence and her weird music taste soon rubbed off on the red-head. The more Sunset found out about Trixie, the more she liked the girl; under her loud and boastful exterior, Trixie was a smart yet goofy girl with a big heart and bigger dreams.

“There’s no way she raises the sun!”

Sunset laughed at Trixie’s astounded expression. “It’s true! She and Luna are completely in charge of Equestria’s day and night cycle,” Sunset chuckled. Trixie had asked for a lesson in Equestrian history, and Sunset was happy to oblige. The two sat in a secluded booth at the back of Sugarcube Corner. For Sunset’s sake, they had gone later in the day, hoping to avoid the myriad of students that swarmed the little shoppe after school. The only other people in the small building were the Dazzlings, who had left a short time ago. Surprisingly, they had given Sunset tentative waves when she and Trixie initially walked in, and did the same when they exited the building.

“Damn, our principals really got the short end of the stick in terms of coolness,” Trixie snickered, taking a bite of her cupcake. “I mean, you’re pretty much telling me that their counterparts are gods,” She exclaimed, gesturing wildly with her hands. Sunset hadn’t smiled this much in a while. Not since…

Ding-ding!

The bell above the door announced another customer. Or rather, several customers. Sunset froze as the Rainbooms walked into the quiet café. Trixie’s elated expression dropped when she noticed Sunset’s sudden change in demeanor. She followed the girl’s eyes, shifting in her seat and noticing Sunset’s former friends sitting down at their usual table. She turned back to Sunset. “We can go, if you want,” she said quietly.

Sunset felt anxiety fill her chest. “I- I don’t know what to do, they’ll see me if we get up, but they’ll see me if we stay-”

“OH COME ON!” Rainbow Dash’s voice filled the establishment. Her eyes were ablaze, and she was looking directly at Sunset.

“... Too late,” Sunset muttered, sinking in her seat.

“I thought we made it clear that you are not welcome here,” Rarity added. Her features were cold and her icy stare bored into Sunset. Pinkie Pie and Applejack were silent, but both looked angry.

Fluttershy huffed uncharacteristically, and started to grumble. “Of course she’s here, ruining our spot-” Trixie stood abruptly, slamming her hand on the table. Fluttershy shut up with a quiet squeak.

“Last I checked, this was a public space. You don’t have any say over who can and can’t eat here.” Her voice was simmering with barely suppressed anger. “But luckily for you, we were just leaving,” Trixie grabbed Sunset’s hand and stormed out of the shoppe, ignoring the appalled faces of her ex-friends and the angry shouts of Rainbow Dash attempting to get the last word.

Still holding Sunset’s hand, Trixie led her away from Sugarcube Corner, stopping when they were several stores down the road. With her other hand she pulled out her phone, dialing her father’s number. “Hey Dad. Can you pick us up? We’re close to Sugarcube Corner. Everything’s fine, we just had a little run-in with some… bothersome people. Okay. Love you too.” Trixie ended the call and looked at Sunset, worry evident in her eyes. “Are you okay?”

Sunset looked back at her in amazement. Trixie had so fiercely stood up for her, without any hesitation. “Trixie,” she started, appreciation filling her voice. “... That was fucking badass.”

Trixie blinked. Sunset grinned. Soon they were both doubled over and howling with laughter. Trixie straightened herself up, brushing mirthful tears from her eyes. “Well I wasn’t just gonna sit there and let them tear into you like that,” Trixie nudged Sunset playfully. Sunset was still smiling, but the event had already done its damage. Though seeing someone come to her defense made her feel a tiny bit less useless, Sunset still felt like total garbage. She found herself longing for her knife. Trixie saw the misery in her eyes. “Hey,” she said gently. “Wanna sleep over tonight? We can watch Disney movies and make cookies or something.” Trixie gave Sunset a reassuring smile.

Sunset paused. “I need my knife, but…” she went back in forth in her head for a bit before finally making her choice. “Sure,” she said, and Trixie beamed.

Neither of the girls noticed that their hands were still comfortably clasped together.

Author's Note

Woo, another chapter! After this, I plan on keeping to a weekly update schedule, so hopefully there will be an update every Monday!

For anyone curious about Trixie's parents:
Supernova Lulamoon is a doctor at Canterlot General Hospital. She taught Trixie a little bit about first aid and medical procedures. She has a little bit of magic on her side of the family, and taught Trixie how to wield it.
Dewdrop Lulamoon is an environmental scientist. He also is a beekeeper, and will gladly babble about science to anyone that is willing to listen!

Also, I'd like to thank everyone for all the comments and support that I've been getting on this fic! It really makes me happy knowing that people are enjoying my writing :twilightblush:

~Bitty Bug

Alone Together

*WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS THE USE OF AN ABLEIST SLUR*

Chapter 5 - Alone Together

SUNSET! Luna told me what happened, please respond! Oh goodness I’m so so sorry Sunset, please respond. I should have come over. I should have taken this more seriously, I should have done SOMETHING! I truly thought that they’d listen to you! I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…

Twilight scribbled anxiously in the journal that linked her to Sunset. Tears dripped onto the pages, blurring her writing in places. If Sunset didn’t respond soon, she would hop across the portal and find her. “Please respond, please respond, please respond,” she repeated to herself, nervously shuffling her hooves. She reread a few of her previous unanswered entries. They were just as desperate and scared as this one.

A mug of hot chocolate appeared on her desk, next to the book. Twilight looked down to find Spike giving her a sympathetic smile. “You looked like you could use some comfort food. Er, drink, whatever.”

Twilight gave her assistant a worn smile. “Thank you, Spike.” She magically lifted the drink to her lips, taking a few sips. She set down the mug with a sigh. “I’m just so worried about her...”

Spike gave her a soothing pat on the back. “She’ll answer soon, I’m sure of it,” he lied.

Suddenly, the book started its telltale vibrating. Spike blinked at it in surprise. “Huh. Good timing.” Twilight jumped up and grabbed the journal with her magic, reading the words as they appeared across the page.

Hey, calm down Twi. I’m fine It doesn’t matter, you couldn’t have known. I’ve made a new friend, so things are a little better than before. I won’t lie, I still feel awful, but you don’t have to come marching across the portal. I’d rather just keep this on the down-low. I don’t want to attract anymore attention to myself, and I doubt the Rainbooms would listen to you, anyways; there’s no concrete proof that I’m not Anon-a-miss. I appreciate the concern, but please- for my sake- just leave this alone.

Twilight stared at the journal in shock. She read the entry again. Then again, and again, trying desperately to find words that weren’t there. Spike leaned over her shoulder, reading Sunset’s cold words for himself. “Ouch,” he said.

“What do I do, Spike?” Twilight whispered, tears stinging at her eyes again. Spike was quiet for a moment.

“I think the best thing you can do is wait,” he eventually responded. “Sunset’s right, there isn’t really anything you can do. Plus, you can’t just drop all your Princess duties for who-knows-how-long.” Twilight sniffled. She knew that Spike was right, but she hated being helpless in the face of a friendship crisis. She pondered the situation for a few more minutes before finally sighing and dipping her quill into the inkwell and starting to write.

...Okay. I’ll back off for now, but please keep me updated. If things get worse, I’m coming over. Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help. I’m here for you.

On the other side of the portal, alone in her room, Sunset cried silently, slamming the journal shut.

***

Trixie walked through the school with her usual air of confidence. It had been a month since the end of winter break, and she and Sunset had become practically inseparable. The scowls and insults she was met with were nothing compared to what Sunset was dealing with, but they were vicious nonetheless. Trixie, however, was not troubled by the school’s reaction to her and Sunset’s friendship.“The Great and Powerful Trixie is not bothered by the actions of these ruffians. They are foolish for blaming Sunset and they are foolish for targeting me as well.” She had dealt with plenty of bullying before she openly sided with Sunset on the Anon-a-miss incident, so the backlash did not phase her at all, but that did not stop her mind from wandering.

Rotten fruits and vegetables were launched onto the stage as Trixie tried to continue her magic act. A mushy tomato hit her straight in the chest, splattering across her light blue blouse.

“Ha! Not so ‘great and powerful’ now, are you?”

“I’m surprised anyone even showed up to her freakshow.”

“Fucking retard.”

Trixie fought to keep an indifferent expression on her face, gripping her wand tightly. That last word hit her harder than any mouldy apple or gross tomato ever could. She was usually able to ignore the other student’s laughs and jeers, but that word in particular never failed to get under her skin.

“The Great and Powerful Trixie’s magic is incredible! You imbeciles could never understand!” Trixie tried to retaliate, but was only met with more laughter and biting comments.

“Loser.”

“Wow, she really is full of herself.”

“What a weirdo.”

Trixie stormed off the stage, grabbing the bag that held the props for her magic show and fleeing the school’s auditorium. Principal Celestia had been nice enough to let her use the space for her magic show after school that Friday. Not that it really mattered, seeing as a mere two people actually showed up to watch; the rest were only there to make fun of the magician.

Hot tears ran down Trixie’s cheeks as she walked home, muttering to herself angrily. “Trixie doesn’t need them. She is just fine by herself. Trixie is better than them anyways.” The sad girl tried to comfort herself, but her words felt empty. “...Why do they hate Trixie so much?”

Trixie arrived at her final class of the day, astronomy. She shook her head to rid herself of the memory from her junior year. “Trixie,” she didn’t bother correcting the verbal tic before continuing her thought, “does not need to think about that right now.” The third-person talking was something she mostly did when she got excited… or anxious and upset. It was something that the hurtful words and behaviour of her peers encouraged her to stop, but Trixie was not the kind of person to change herself for the sake of others.

“Besides,” she thought, smiling at Sunset and taking her seat next to her. “Now Trixie has a friend that likes her just the way she is.”

***

Sunset sucked in short panicked breaths as the locker was slammed shut, leaving her trapped in the dark, cramped space. “Have a nice lunch, Anon-a-miss!” Spitfire cackled as she and her posse laughed. Rainbow Dash was among them, snickering and joking at Sunset’s expense. The ambushed girl slammed her fists against the cold metal door, letting out terror-filled pleas as tears poured down her cheeks. Rainbow Dash ignored her as she and her jock friends walked away. Susnet’s shrieks devolved into terrified sobs, but her hands never stopped beating against the locker. Sunset’s scrambled mind didn’t contain any coherent thoughts, nor did it register the buzzing of her phone in her pocket; the frightened girl’s claustrophobia was too intense.

She continued her attack on the metal as the minutes passed with excruciating slowness. Finally, just as Sunset was about to give up, a voice called out her name. “Sunset? Sunset, can you hear me?” A light tapping against the door accompanied Trixie’s question. Sunset only whimpered in response.

Trixie’s gentle voice met her ears again. “Hey, hey Sunny it’s going to be okay, I’m going to get you out of here, alright?” The blue-haired girl tried to sooth Sunset while she fumbled around in her backpack, finally succeeding in pulling out her wand. “Reserare,” she whispered, and she heard the combination lock give a soft click.

The door swung open and Sunset tumbled out into the arms of a worried Trixie. Her wand fell from her hand as she tenderly enveloped Sunset in a hug. The two girls sank to the floor. Sunset sobbed freely into her friend’s shoulder while the magician held her. “Sunset, breathe with me, okay? Deep breath in...” Trixie guided Sunset until she was no longer hyperventilating, holding her close and rubbing the panicked girl’s back. Anxiety attacks were, unfortunately, something that plagued Sunset frequently. Trixie had quickly learned how to bring the girl out of her panicked state.

Eventually, Sunset calmed down enough to stop crying, her tears slowly turning into small hiccups. The two remained on the floor, Sunset still wrapped in Trixie’s warm embrace. Trixie brought one of her hands to Sunset’s face, wiping away the remaining tears. She gave Sunset a sympathetic smile. Sunset shakily returned it, then wordlessly tucked her head into Trixie’s shoulder. After a few more moments in silence, Sunset spoke, mumbling against the fabric of Trixie’s shirt.

“It seems like I’ve been thanking you a lot recently,” she joked, though she was still shaken from the ordeal.

Trixie laughed. “Ha, well,” she responded bashfully before summoning up her usual braggadocio. “The Great and Powerful Trixie never lets her friends down!” The use of her verbal tic betrayed her distress. She was dismayed to find that the bullying Sunset was experiencing was only getting worse.

Sunset noticed Trixie’s worry. She had asked about Trixie’s third-person vocal tendencies a while back, and Trixie trusted her enough to reveal the reasoning behind it.

“Hey,” the red-head spoke softly, shifting so that she could look Trixie in the eyes. “It’s fine, okay? I just got a little nervous. I’m okay, really,” she weakly tried to dispel Trixie’s concern.

Trixie gave her a look of disbelief, sassily raising her eyebrows. “Lying doesn’t look good on you, Sunset,” she chuckled cheekily. Sunset's unconvincing tone and her nervous habit of pulling at her long-sleeved shirt gave her away. Trixie’s expression sobered as she continued speaking. “Trixie just wishes people would leave you alone...” She trailed off.

Trixie could deal with the bullies just fine, but Sunset… “Not only is she more vulnerable, but the bullying against her is so much more brutal.” Trixie thought with a frown. “She had the protection of the Rainbooms after the Fall Formal. But now, everyone gets to take out over three years of pent-up anger on her.”

Trixie’s contemplation was interrupted by a finger lightly booping her on the nose. Sunset laughed at Trixie’s startled expression. “You were getting that deep-in-thought look on your face,” she explained.

Trixie gave a genuine giggle, meeting Sunset’s impish gaze. The two simply looked at each other fondly for a moment, a mesmerizing haze falling over them. Trixie noted how Sunset’s aqua eyes held small flecks of magenta in them. Sunset studied the depth and intensity of Trixie’s dark purple eyes. Trixie’s arms were still wrapped around Sunset’s torso, and the fiery-haired girl own arms were slung around Trixie’s shoulders. Their faces were very close together.

Suddenly, they both realized the position they were in. The girls simultaneously jumped apart, swiftly standing and brushing themselves off awkwardly as they both tried to hide a blush. Luckily, the bell announced the end of lunch, saving the girls from the tension that had settled around them. Sunset gave Trixie a nervous smile and a hasty farewell, gracelessly rushing to escape the situation so she could ponder what exactly just happened… and what she was feeling because of it.

***

Trixie was still blushing by the time she reached her next class. “What the fuck was that and why are her eyes so pretty?!” Her traitorous thoughts kept reliving the moment that had occured between the two in the hallway. Sunset’s sincere gaze. Her shallow breath that tickled Trixie’s cheek. The light spattering of freckles across her nose. Every detail was ingrained into Trixie’s mind.

Her attempts to focus on the lesson failed colossally. Her mind always seemed to drift back to Sunset and “her stupid pretty face.”

Deep down, Trixie probably knew what she was feeling, but she was far too stubborn to admit it so easily. She was no stranger to having a crush; acknowledging it, though, was another story. “It didn’t mean anything, I was just… shocked, that’s all,” Trixie managed to delude herself.

***

Sunset floated through the rest of the day in a cloud of absent-mindedness. As the day came to and end, the red-head tried to shake herself from the smog that her mind had settled into. “This is ridiculous, why am I acting so weird? Nothing happened, I’m just over analyzing things.” Sunset was able to placate her thoughts for the moment, but she knew she’d be up that night ruminating on what had occurred.

Neither girl brought up the incident when they met up afterschool to walk to Trixie’s house. The awkward tension around them soon dissipated as they fell back into their usual comfortable dynamic, though Sunset found herself glancing at Trixie a bit more than usual.

“Daaad, we’re home!” Trixie shouted as she opened the door, kicking off her shoes in the entryway.

Trixie’s father called out to them from the kitchen. “Hey, girls! I just finished making some brownies, if you want any.” Sunset chuckled to herself as Trixie ran from the room with an excited squeal.

After grabbing a plate containing several brownies, the girls made their way up to Trixie’s room. The light blue walls were covered with posters of famous magicians, and gave the room a cozy feeling. Trixie took a seat on her bed, which was covered in a navy blue comfortable. Sunset sat at Trixie’s desk and pulled out her calculus homework, grinning as Trixie groaned and did the same. The two had frequent study sessions, where they helped each other with homework and exchanged lighthearted banter. They shared some of the same teachers, though they didn’t have the same class period- except for astronomy.

Trixie only got excited about a few specific topics: astronomy, cooking, and magic. When it came those subjects, she could study and learn and ramble on about them for hours. She made her dislike of any other school work very clear every time she and Sunset got together to do their work, but Sunset noticed that the blue-haired girl never turned in an assignment that wasn’t perfect.

“Sunset, do we have to do the math stuff? It’s so easy, and I’m bored,” Trixie complained after only a few minutes of work.

Sunset rolled her eyes and responded with a playful lilt to her voice. “Yes, we have to do the homework, Trix. You know how Mr. Doodle gets if we don’t turn homework in on time.” She laughed at Trixie’s pout. “Okay, fine,” Sunset said. “If we finish this part we can take a break and go get some more brownies.” She gestured to the nearly empty plate. “Sound good?”

Trixie nodded fervently and began diligently scribbling at the math worksheet. Sunset smiled fondly before turning back to her worksheet as well. However, she found herself sneaking looks at Trixie as she assiduously completed her homework, motivated by the promise of brownies. Her brow was furrowed and her lips pursed, contorting her features into that cute “deep-in-thought” face that Sunset liked so much.

“Wait hold up, hang on, where did that come from?” Sunset snapped her head back to her homework, trying to fight a blush. Another thought invaded her flustered head before she could stop it. “Okay maybe it’s a little cute…”

She tried to turn her mind back to the worksheet and away from Trixie and her adorable habits. “Alright, Sunset, tone down the gay and focus on your work.”

Author's Note

Hey there! Sorry this is going up so late today, it's been a busy day :twilightblush:

Additionally, I'm going back and fixing the format of the previous chapters- don't worry, the content isn't changing, I'm just breaking up big blocks of text and separating out speech so that it's easier to read. Thanks to XIII Hearts for pointing out my mistake! :pinkiehappy:

As always, I hope you all enjoy, and comments are always welcome!

~Bitty Bug

Who Am I?

Chapter 6 - Who Am I?

Sunset’s eyes opened. She sat up and took in her surroundings. A wide, expansive field greeted her, and a light breeze ruffled her vibrant hair. “How did I get here?” The girl mumbled in confusion.

Sunset’s eyes fell upon two figures in the distance, swiftly making their way towards her. She blinked and squinted, trying to make out the shapes as they approached her. Once they got close enough for Sunset to see, however, she wished she hadn’t bothered looking. One figure was vaguely humanoid. Her rough blood-red skin turned into razor sharp claws at the end of her hands, and her hair appeared to be made of fire, flickering in the wind. The demon’s bat-like wings carried her body closer to Sunset.

The other figure, in a way, was just as bad. She was only a filly, and her yellow coat was matted and filthy. No cutie mark adorned her flank, and her eyes held a deep loneliness. Sunset stared at the two past forms of herself as they stopped in front of her. The demon grinned, displaying her sharp fangs. The filly shivered and avoided Sunset’s eyes. Finally, Sunset spoke. “Why are you here?” She demanded, though the slight tremor in her voice gave away her discomfort. “Leave me alone!”

The demon laughed, a dark, haunting sound.“You’re lost and confused, Sunset. We’re only here to remind you of who you are,” she responded with her unsettling voice. “Face it, Sunset. Face yourself. You’re nothing but a monster,” the demon gestured to herself, “and a coward,” she nodded towards the child form of Sunset, who flinched at the sudden attention.

Sunset felt tears stream down her cheeks. “No… I’m nothing like either of you, I’ve changed!”

The demon only cackled. “What, because of your friends? I hate to break it to you, Sunset, but your friends abandoned you. You are alone and unloved! You always have been and you always will be.”

The beast was relentless, and her words struck Sunset in the heart. “B-but,” she protested. “What about Trixie? She’s a real friend, she cares about me!”

Surprisingly, the filly spoke up. “She’ll leave you eventually. They all leave you in the end...” Her voice was heartbreakingly dismal. Prompted by her child form’s gloomy words, Sunset couldn’t stop the memories from assaulting her mind.

The years alone in the orphanage as a child.

Seeing all the other children find loving homes while she was left to herself.

Celestia’s warmth and hope, which she carelessly threw away.

Still on the grassy ground, Sunset curled into herself, bringing her hands up to cover her face as she sobbed. Her memories continued their attack.

Over three lonely years of bullying the students of Canterlot High.

Her transformation into the demon and attempted murder of Twilight Sparkle.

The harsh words from her ‘friends’ as they shunned her for a crime she did not commit.

“Please… please just go away,” Sunset weeped. The demon and the filly looked at her. Their stares bored into Sunset’s soul as she cried.

The child spoke once more, words broken and sorrowful. “You can’t forgive yourself,” she said softly.

The demon picked up where the filly left off. “And because of that, you will never be free of us.”

Sunset bolted up in her bed, the image of her nightmare still fresh and clear in her mind. Little droplets dripped onto her blanket. Sunset brought a hand to her face to find that the tears from her dream had carried over to the waking world. She hiccuped as the words from her dream echoed through her head. The horrible dreariness that covered her heart seemed to intensify tenfold as she reached for her knife. “They’re right...” She thought with a sniffle. “I don’t know who I am anymore. Maybe I never did.”

A slice on her ankle.

“All I know for sure is that I deserve this.”

Another slash on her calf.

“I’m a monster and a coward.”

More cuts on her thighs.

“No one should have to deal with me ruining their lives.”

Tears mixed with blood as Sunset indulged in her ghastly pastime. After finishing up her activity and bandaging the lacerations, Sunset took a seat on the worn orange couch that took up one side of her room. She grabbed her laptop, knowing she wasn’t going to be falling back asleep anytime soon. As Netflix started loading, she glanced at the computer’s internal clock. “4:35. Nice, I’ll be a total zombie at school tomorrow- er, today,” Sunset thought miserably. The new cuts on her left leg were deep, and they throbbed with pain. “Might be limping for a day or two,” she noted.

Sunset loaded up “Lilo and Stitch,” trying to fill the aching void in her heart with her go-to comfort movie. The former unicorn related to Stitch. She, too, was an alien condemned to an unfamiliar world. She, too, was trying to find her place. She, too, was a monster. Watching someone like him- someone like her- get a happy ending gave her a flicker of hope, hope that maybe someday she could have one too. Sunset watched as her favourite part came up.

Lilo watches as Stitch takes her storybook and waddles over to the windowsill. ‘Ohana means family. And family means nobody gets left behind.’

Hobbling out of the open window, Stitch leaves Lilo alone in her room. She looks at the picture of her family. ‘I remember everyone that leaves.’

Stitch, alone amongst the tall trees and rough vegetation touches the storybook with a melancholy tenderness. ‘L-lost. I’m lost.’

Once again, Sunset felt tears drip down her face. “I’m lost...”

***

Trixie took in Sunset’s disheveled appearance as she arrived at the red-head’s locker. Her hair was messy and dark circles hung underneath her eyes. Her usual long-sleeved shirt and jeans somehow appeared more baggy, as if they were barely hanging onto the wiry girl’s frame. Trixie knew immediately that last night must have been a bad one.

“Hey,” the blue-haired girl said gently as she approached her friend. “Rough night?”

Sunset nodded, her face breaking out into a yawn. “Another nightmare. It’s fine, though, I’m used to them.” She turned to move down the hallway, Trixie following close behind.

“Sunset,” Trixie started. “You know you could have texted me,” she prodded gently. Sunset shot her a skeptical look as she continued walking. As Sunset had predicted, she moved with a slight limp.

The tired girl responded with insecurity in her voice. “It was like, four in the morning, I wasn’t about to wake you up because of something so stupid.” She cast her gaze to the tiled floor.

Trixie stopped walking, gently grabbing Sunset’s sleeve so that she was stopped and looking her in the eye. “Don’t think I don’t see you limping. It obviously wasn’t stupid if it affected you like that.” Trixie looked at Sunset with concern. “You don’t have to be afraid to ask for help, Sunset. I’m here for you.” She gave Sunset a timid smile.

Sunset hesitated for a second. “Twilight said the same thing, but… It can’t be that easy. They can’t actually care enough to help me when I get like that.” Sunset quietly contemplated Trixie and Twilight’s shared words. “I’d just be a burden to them both.” Sunset looked up, ready to dismiss Trixie’s offer. But, as she met her friend’s eyes, the sincerity and genuine care she saw caught her off guard.

“Alright,” she found herself saying. “I’ll try, but no promises.” Trixie beamed as the two resumed their walking.

Sunset hated asking for help. It make her feel weak and burdensome. But seeing Trixie’s honest eyes and bright smile made her a little less averse to the idea than she usually was.

***

Despite the somewhat positive start to the day, Sunset Shimmer’s life still sucked. Her bruises had faded enough to be covered by some light makeup, but new cuts, acquired from the past weeks, littered her torso and legs. The worst ones were the incisions from last night, though the others would definitely scar.

As February wore on, the harassment Sunset faced had gotten progressively worse. Glares and scathing remarks turned into waiting at her locker to verbally assault and hound her and Trixie as they walked to class. The occasional shove became locking the girl in her locker, then turned into actual violence when a particularly scandalous post from Anon-a-miss targeted Dumbbell.

“You BITCH!” Dumbbell shoved Sunset against a row of lockers. As one of the school’s resident weightlifters, he had a lot of strength behind his attacks. His lackeys, Hoops and Score stood threateningly behind him. They had managed to chase and corner Sunset in a dark, out-of-the-way hall while she was trying to get to her study hall. “Oh irony, you’re a humorous bitch,” Sunset thought as she recognized the hallway as the one she had confronted Twilight in before the Fall Formal.

Nobody knew where she was. Nobody would care. “Except Trixie,” Sunset thought as she struggled to stand up. The impact of the shove combined with her already mangled leg made the task difficult.

Dumbbell nodded to his friends, who each started advancing towards Sunset. She feebly tried to dash between them, but each grabbed and arm and held her in place as she struggled. Dumbbell cracked his knuckles and took a step forward. “This’ll teach you some manners,” he said, pulling his fist back.

His punch hit Sunset on her left eye, which immediately started to swell. Another punch rocketed directly into her stomach, taking the wind out of her lungs. She gasped and coughed, her knees weakening. Hoops and Score dropped her arms and she sunk to the floor. The three boys surrounded her, taking turns kicking her.

Another blow to the stomach. A kick to the nose. A boot to her ribcage. Sunset curled up into a ball, trying to make herself into a smaller target. “I wish they’d just kill me,” Sunset thought with a rotten longing in her chest.

The abuse went on for a few more minutes until a loud voice interrupted.

“Hey fuckheads! Pick on someone your own damn size!”

“Oof!”

“Ah!”

“What the fuck!”

All of a sudden, the three bullies were wrenched away from Sunset. A body stepped in front of her, physically shielding her from further harm while two more figures advanced on the boys, who all looked very confused. Sunset untucked herself from her her pathetic little human ball and looked up.

Sonata Dusk stood in front of Sunset with her arms up in a defensive position. Adagio Dazzle and Aria Blaze were beating the absolute shit out of the Dumbbell, Hoops, and Score. They moved in a graceful but deadly fashion, striking swiftly and giving no room for retaliation. Any swings the boys managed to get in were sloppy and unskillful; they may have had raw power, but they lacked the brains to back it up. The bullies were no match for the precise, coordinated attacks from Adagio and Aria.

The boys quickly found themselves on the ground, moaning in pain and confusion. Aria stepped back next to Sonata, adding to the human barricade around Sunset. The two glared with a fearsome intensity.

Adagio’s voice was frightening as she spoke. “If you three so much as lay a finger on this girl ever again, we will ensure that you don’t live to see graduation.”

The bullies didn’t hesitate to scramble to their feet, running away with their tails between their legs.

Sonata knelt, helping Sunset into an upright position.

“Shit, you look awful,” Aria stated bluntly.

“Not helpful, dimwit,” Adagio said, nudging her sister sharply in the stomach.

The punk wheezed out a pained “got it” as Sonata pulled a tissue from her pocket and dabbed at the blood leaking from Sunset’s nose. “When you’re ready to stand up, we’re going to take you to the clinic,” she said gently.

“No!” Sunset cried. The girls looked at her incredulously. “I- I’ll be fine, I just- I don’t want to escalate this.”

The Dazzlings shared a glance, and their leader sighed. “Okay. We get it, don’t want to make the whole Anon-a-miss thing worse.” Sunset blinked in shock.

“Don’t worry, we know it’s not you!” Sonata chimed in.

“Yeah, it’s kinda obvious.” Aria added with a scoff.

“What these idiots are trying to say, is that we’re on your side.” Adagio moved to sit in front of the beaten girl. Aria followed, taking a seat on the side of Sunset that wasn’t occupied by Sonata.

Sunset eyed them skeptically. “Why are you being nice to me?” She asked. “Didn’t I ruin your lives?”

Sonata beamed at her and Aria even gave a small grin. Adagio smiled as well. “When you destroyed our pendants, we pretty much just became human.” The curly haired girl explained. “At first we were furious,” she said. “But then we realized something: that unending, gnawing hunger that was ever-present had completely disappeared.”

“We’ve spent centuries feeding off negative emotions, causing turmoil and strife everywhere we went. Now, we’re just people. We do normal people things. We feel normal people emotions. But now, most importantly, we eat normal people things.”

“Like tacos!” Sonata shouted happily.

“... Yeah, like tacos.” Adagio said, affectionately ruffling the youngest sister’s hair.

Aria took the chance to butt in. “You pretty much saved our asses. No matter how much energy we absorbed, we couldn’t feel satisfied. Do you know how shitty it feels to be starving all the time?” Aria asked. “It’s the worst,” she said before Sunset could try to answer.

Sonata interjected. “Now we aren’t full of hunger and rage! It’s sooooo great,” she gushed, starry eyed.

Adagio continued the explanation: “We’ve been wanting to thank you, and apologize, but we wanted to wait until things settled down after the Battle of the Bands. Then this whole Anon-a-miss disaster started happening and we figured you’d be better off if you didn’t have the ‘big bad sirens’ hanging around you.” Adagio averted her eyes. “We should have interfered sooner. You definitely looked like you could’ve used a few friends.” She finished with a sad smile.

Sunset gawked at the former sirens. “Wow...” She was speechless, and still a little dizzy from the beatdown she endured earlier. “I-” she started, but was cut off, suddenly being enveloped in a gentle group hug. Tears stung at her eyes as she returned the embrace, but this time pain was not the cause; it was joy.

The girls detached from the hug and helped Sunset to her feet. “Lets go to the bathroom and get you cleaned up,” Adagio said with a smile, wiping her own tears from her eyes.

After the Dazzlings helped wipe away the excess blood and addressed Sunset’s black eye as best they could in a school bathroom, Sunset texted Trixie.

Sunset > Hey, something happened. It’s a long story but the Dazzlings are chill now, will tell you at lunch.

Trixie > are you okay???

Sunset > Yeah I’m fine, don’t worry.

***

“You definitely are not fine!” Trixie screeched, fussing over Sunset’s wounds. The Dazzlings snickered at the ordeal. “What the fuck happened?!” Trixie continued her prodding.

Sunset huffed, swatting at Trixie’s hands. “If you’d stop for one second I’d tell you,” she playfully rebuked.

As the group ate their lunch, Sunset explained what happened during her study hall, occasionally interrupted by one of the sisters adding their own comments. Trixie listened with a stony expression, ignoring the food in front of her. She wasn’t mad. No, Trixie was absolutely livid. “No bullying is acceptable, but this crossed a fucking line,” she said after Sunset finished recounting the occurrence. “If anybody else tries something like this again Trixie will flay them alive.”

Aria whistled. “Damn, you’re scarier than we ever were,” she joked. Sunset laughed, and soon Trixie joined in with a sigh and a small chuckle.

“Anyways,” Trixie began. “How the hell did you three manage to kick the asses of three of the strongest dudes in school? Trix- I thought you were only powerful with your magic necklace thingies.”

Adagio smirked. “We’ve been around for centuries, dear. You get a little bored when you live that long, so we spent our time learning.”

Sonata spoke up through a mouthful of taco. “We know, like, every form of combat.” Trixie and Sunset raised their eyebrows in unison. Adagio and Aria snorted at their expressions.

“Yeah, even air-head here knows how to fight,” Aria laughed, giving Sonata a slap on the back.

That day marked the start of a new friendship between the five. It budded slowly, and was initially only held together by a mutual protectiveness over Sunset; Trixie was still suspicious of the Dazzlings, and the former sirens already had a comfortable group dynamic. The shaky alliance was odd, but Sunset liked it just fine. “I think someday we’ll all be really close,” Sunset thought as she exited the library with a wave to her new friends.

***

Sunset sighed happily as she walked home the next week. The strain of Anon-a-miss continued its attack on her, but now she had four friends to help support her. Of course every one of her problems wasn’t cured in the blink of an eye, but maybe this was a good start in the right direction.

As the days passed and the five tentatively started to bond, Sunset found herself missing her ex-friends less and less. She opened the door to her factory and made her way to her bedroom. Dropping her backpack, she flopped onto her bed. Sunset was slightly ashamed of the growing resentment she felt for the five faux friends, but the more she thought about it, the more she realized that they were never really good friends in the first place.

“Adagio, Aria, Sonata… Trixie...” She blushed a little at the last name. “They’ve been better friends than the Rainbooms ever were.”

After the Fall Formal, they had reluctantly adopted Sunset into their group, mostly doing it as a favour to Twilight. She was never truly integrated into their coterie, as was proved at the Battle of the Bands. “Inviting me to join their band probably didn’t even occur to them. I’ve never been an option,” She thought bitterly. It was all “no offense” and “oh, sorry Sunset.” Their insincerity was tangible. It was Twilight who really made them include Sunset in the first place.

“Twilight...” Sunset sighed, casting a glance to the journal on her desk. She felt bad for being so cold to her, but she was still a little hurt from Twilight’s failure to take everything seriously in the first place. She only half obeyed the alicorn’s request; she sent occasional update messages and responded when Twilight tried to initiate conversation, but she didn’t bother informing Twilight of her encounter with Dumbbell, Hoops, and Score the previous week.

“There’s no point in getting her all worked up about this. It’d probably just make things worse.” She rationalized, though now she had yet another thing to feel guilty about.

Author's Note

And now, the Dazzlings make their appearance, woo!

A bit of a longer chapter this week, hope everyone likes it! Let me know how you feel in the comments :derpytongue2:

~Bitty Bug

Perspective

Chapter 7 - Perspective

Sweetie Belle sighed as she looked at the Anon-a-miss profile. Her own terrible words stared back at her, along with Scootaloo’s and Applebloom’s. She was getting tired of this. Sure, she got to spend more time with her sister, but what was the point when Rarity wasn’t even happy? And no one was happy, for that matter. The school was a warzone. Friends turned their backs on each other, students teased and mocked and galred, people were ostracized and hurt.

They had started the profile the week before winter break began. Now, it was nearing the end of February, and the Mystable account had only grown. People had started sending in secrets by week two, and the whole thing just spiraled from there. “We’re totally stuck,” Sweetie Belle thought miserably. “If we tell anyone now, all that bullying will be turned on us. Not to mention the consequences from the Principals,” She shuddered. She really didn’t want to get in trouble. The thought of Rarity’s betrayed expression and the furious eyes of the Principals made her feel sick.

“This whole thing is a mess...”

***

The Rainbooms sat in their usual afterschool spot at Sugarcube Corner, sipping their drinks in silence. Rarity huffed and crossed her arms, leaning back in her chair. “I just can’t believe she’s still finding things to post,” she said with an indignant flip of her hair. “You’d think she’d run out of secrets at some point.”

Applejack snorted. “Y’all know how crafty she can be. She probably has a neverending supply.”

Fluttershy gave the two a gloomy look. “Can we please stop talking about her,” she begged, burying her face into her arms. “I don’t want to think about it.” Her muffled voice said. Pinkie Pie gave an agreeing nod.

The bell above the door rang cheerfully, a stark contrast to the girls’ mood. “Heya sis!” Applebloom said brightly, though with a bit of anxiety, her two friends trailing closely behind her. The trio pulled up extra chairs to the table, taking a seat and looking around at the dejected and angry faces around them.

“Uh, what’s up?” Scootaloo tried nervously. Rainbow Dash slammed her hand against the table, nearly knocking down her milkshake.

“Sunset Shimmer is what’s up!” She shouted, earning her a harsh look from Mrs. Cake. She lowered her voice. “That bitch is still posting shit,” she fumed.

“Oh, ha, well, that sucks” Sweetie Belle responded with an nervous tremor in her voice.

“I don’t know how she’s finding dirt on us,” Dash continued her rant. “We haven’t talked to her in months!” she said.

Pinkie Pie scoffed. “She probably has eyes everywhere,” the usually upbeat girl grumbled. Fluttershy brought her head up from its resting place atop the table.

“I thought we were going to stop talking about this,” she snapped.

“Sorry ’Shy,” Pinkie said. “I’m just glad we cut her out of our lives. Who knows how much more damage she could have done if we hadn’t!” The rest of her friends gave sounds of agreement. Nobody noticed the freshmen glance at each other in distress.

***

Flash Sentry strummed a sad tune on his guitar. Music never failed to raise his spirits, but today he just wasn’t feeling it. His thoughts drifted to the Anon-a-miss situation. He didn’t want to believe that Sunset was behind this, but he couldn’t deny the likeliness. “I really thought she’d changed...”

He sighed, putting his guitar back on its stand and flopping onto his bed. “I just hope this thing ends sometime soon.”

Flash’s band was on a temporary break due to a certain post by Anon-a-miss that spurred Ringo and Brawly Beats to have a falling out. Needless to say, the situation left him feeling alone and distressed. Flash couldn’t have a band without his bass player and drum player! He and the Rainbooms and been hanging out more frequently now that their sixth member was an outcast, but it wasn’t the same as the weekly practices and hangouts he and his friends had before their argument.

Flash stared forlornly up at his ceiling. “I want my friends back.”

***

Trixie marched towards the pet store, Sunset in tow, ignoring the girl’s protests. “All you do in that sad hovel of yours is mope,” she chided. “I can’t sleep over every night, so we’re going to get you some permanent company.”

Sunset grumbled something that sounded suspiciously like “I’m fine by myself” as she was pulled through the store. “I don’t have the money for a pet,” she reasoned, trying to yank her arm from Trixie’s firm grasp. The magician finally relented and released Sunset’s arm.

“Then we’ll get you something low-maintenance” she countered. “C’mon Sunset, just entertain me for a bit.” Sunset sighed. She knew Trixie wasn’t going to let up anytime soon.

“Fine,” she muttered, and Trixie squealed. “But I’m not getting a fish.”

Trixie dragged Sunset all across the store, cooing at the smaller mammals and laughing at Sunset’s annoyed face when the red-head’s suggestion of getting a pet rock was shot down. Finally, Trixie and Sunset arrived at the reptile section, and Sunset was suddenly interested. She had always had a soft spot for reptiles.

Trixie smirked at Sunset’s captivated expression. “I see we’ve found some potential candidates,” she joked.

Sunset huffed, crossing her arms. “They’re my favourites, okay?”

Trixie laughed. “I can see why you like them.” she responded.

Sunset gazed fondly at a small corn snake. “They’re a bit misunderstood,” the fiery-haired girl murmured. “Just like me...” Her unspoken words rang out.

“Hey, these guys are pretty cute,” Sunset said, interrupting her train of thought before it could get too depressing. She moved down the aisle and crouched to gaze into an enclosure that held a group of leopard geckos. One, however, stood out to her. He was a startling bright yellow, and seemed to glow under the light of his heat lamp. He looked directly at Sunset, seeming to smile at her, and she knew that she was not leaving the store without him.

“I think we have a winner,” Trixie giggled as Sunset pressed her face against the glass.

“He’s perfect,” the enraptured girl whispered.

Trixie laughed even harder. “I’ll go grab him some supplies,” she said, leaving Sunset to gush over the small lizard.

“I’m going to name you Ray,” Trixie heard Sunset say lovingly as she turned the corner to the next aisle.

Trixie’s heart gave a little leap. She loved seeing her friend happy. “I’d do anything to see that cute smile of hers...”

“Um wait, what? What was that?!” Trixie mulled over the affectionate thought as she started grabbing reptile care supplies off the shelves. “I’m acting like a goddamn schoolgirl with a crush!”

Trixie stopped dead in her tracks, nearly dropping the heating pad she had just picked up. Her eyes widened and her cheeks flushed. “No. No no no no, I do not have a crush.” But it was too late; the thought had already planted the seed of realization in Trixie’s mind... and in her heart.

***

Sonata hummed to herself happily as she danced about the kitchen. Early morning light filtered through the curtains of the former siren’s cozy apartment, and the small kitchen was filled with the smell of breakfast. The blue girl stacked several hot pancakes onto a rapidly filling plate as she waited for her sisters to wake up. Sonata, surprisingly, was usually the first to awaken on the weekends, and used the opportunity to make her sisters breakfast.

A yawn reached Sonata’s ears as Adagio and Aria stumbled into the small dining area that was attached to the kitchen. “Morning, Dagi! Morning, Aria!” Sonata chirped as she placed the plate of pancakes onto the center of the table. “Pancakes are ready now, and I’m working on eggs and bacon.” She said, turning back to her task.

Adagio grumbled out a “thank you,” still half asleep as she took her seat. Aria only grunted in response as she made a beeline to the coffee machine. After Aria joined her sister at the table with a steaming cup of coffee, the two began tiredly piling pancakes onto her plate, the promise of a delicious breakfast waking them up a bit.

The trio enjoyed a comfortable silence as they respectively ate and cooked. The apartment was something they had bought with the money they had… persuaded others into giving them back when they had their pendants. The group still had some cash left over, but not enough to live off of in their new lives as humans. Because of that, Adagio had gotten a job as a waitress at an old, 50’s-themed diner and Aria worked as a mechanic at a nearby auto shop. Sonata pulled her weight by cooking and cleaning for the trio.

Sonata served two more plates onto the dining table, one with eggs and one with bacon. Aria immediately grabbed a huge helping of bacon, the action earning a snicker from Adagio.

Aria groaned in delight. “Breakfast is amazing as always, Sona. Thank you,” she said gratefully. Adagio nodded in agreement.

Sonata smiled as she took her own seat at the table. “No problem, gals!” The blue girl cast a glance at Adagio and Aria, her smile growing wider. “Sunset’s already been a good influence on them,” she thought as she dug into her breakfast. “Aria’s mellowed out a bit, and Dagi is less stressed.”

Sonata looked at her sisters with a mouthful of pancake and a heartful of love. “I’m glad we decided to give friendship a chance.”

***

Vice Principal Luna sat at her desk, a concerned expression adorning her otherwise stony face. She did not find herself working on Saturdays very often, but a certain situation demanded her attention.

“Anon-a-miss…”

Luna’s brow furrowed as she flicked through the profile. “We’ve been trying to track you down for a month now, and we’ve got nothing!”

The dark-haired woman heaved a sigh. She and her sister knew for a fact that this was not the work of Sunset Shimmer, but there was almost no way to figure out who the bully’s identity really was. Luna winced as her thoughts drifted to the previous day’s conversation with Sunset and Celestia.

Sunset sat in front of Principal Celestia’s desk. Her eyes anxiously darted about the room, refusing to settle on the woman in front of her or the Vice Principal by her side.

“Sunset, please reconsider. We can’t do anything about the harassment unless you give us your express permission,” Celestia’s kind voice and worried gaze bored into Sunset.

The fiery-haired girl shook her head. “No. If you do something about it, it’ll only get worse.” She crossed her arms defiantly. “I can handle it,” she lied. Perhaps it was the face of her old mentor that dissuaded her from taking action. Perhaps it was the feeling that she deserved the hateful treatment she was receiving. Either way, Sunset Shimmer did not want help.

Luna lay a hand on the teen’s shoulder. “We should have started investigating sooner, and for our lack of action, I apologize,” she started. “But we can at least offer you some protection while we search for Anon-a-miss’ identity-”

Luna retracted her hand when Sunset shook her head vehemently. Her words were angry when she responded. “I’m fine. Look, I appreciate the offer, but I can handle this myself,” she repeated.

Luna and Celestia exchanged a fretful glance. It was Celestia who broke the tense silence.

“... Very well, then. We won’t do anything, but please come to us if you change your mind.” The Principal looked Sunset in the eyes. “We’re here for you, Sunset Shimmer. My door, as well as Luna’s, is always open if you ever need to talk.”

Sunset said nothing as she left the room, but Luna could see tears streaming down the girl’s face before she turned away completely.

Luna shook her head to rid herself of the memory. “There’s no use dwelling on this. If I want to help Sunset, I can do so by finding out who Anon-a-miss is.” She sighed again as she looked through Anon-a-miss’ older posts. None of the words Luna read offered any idea as to who the profile was run by.

“... Easier said than done.”

***

Princess Celestia lowered the sun with practiced ease, making way for her sister’s beautiful darkness. As fiery colours painted the sky and the sun’s last plight blared over the land, the princess found her thoughts drifting to the little yellow filly whose name reminisced of this golden hour.

“Oh, Sunset… Where did I go wrong?”

The sun drifted lower, any remaining light blues being banished into tomorrow.

“You aren’t the type to give up.”

Reds, golds, oranges made their presence loud and clear.

“So why…?”

The princess did not cry, but her heart felt laden with grief as inky blacks and blues swallowed up the remaining threads of red and gold.

Celestia was a pony whose endless kindness and fearless leadership shaped the land of Equestria, and the hearts of many students, into something to be proud of. To have a student fall like the way Sunset had…

“I don’t understand, Sunset. I just wish I could understand...”

Author's Note

Alrighty, a bit of a change of pace for this week! I thought it'd be a good idea to kind of give some insight into the other characters thoughts and feelings about the whole situation :rainbowkiss:

For those of you concerned with the Dazzlings and their characterization, fear not! Next week's chapter will be dedicated to fleshing out Adagio, Aria, and Sonata's characters as well as their friendships with Sunset and Trixie.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful day! :pinkiehappy:

~Bitty Bug

Getting Closer

Chapter 8 - Getting Closer

Sunset walked through the empty halls aimlessly. She was close to the class she should’ve been in fifteen minutes ago, but she had no intention of arriving any time soon. “I was going to be late anyways, may as well take my time.” The red-head needed a break from the week she was having. The scars on her arms itched, reminding her of the oh-so-tempting release that her knife provided.

The girl entered the nearest restroom, checking underneath the stalls to make sure she was alone. After confirming that no one else was there, Sunset rolled her sleeves up so she could scratch at the gashes that lay in varying stages of the healing process.

The enervated girl stared at herself in the dingy bathroom mirror as she continued to claw at the healing cuts. Some of the more sensitive marks started to bleed, torn open by Sunset’s uneven fingernails. The pain provided a sick sort of comfort for Sunset. She slowed her attack on her arms slightly and simply looked at herself in the mirror. Exhausted eyes gazed back. “Why is it never easy?” Sunset wondered as the staring contest with her reflection remained unbroken.

The sound of the bathroom door bursting open broke Sunset out of her daze. She darted into the nearest stall as quickly and quietly as she could, anxiously hoping that whoever had entered the restroom hadn’t seen her.

Sunset held her breath as footsteps rang throughout the silent room, stopping in front of the stall she was hiding in.

“Alright Sunset, come on out,” a familiar voice ordered.

“Aria?” Sunset said nervously. “Dammit! I should’ve known she’d notice I wasn’t in the one class we have together.”

“The one and only. Now get your ass out here,” Aria Blaze tapped her foot impatiently as Sunset unlocked the door and stepped out to meet her friend. “You weren’t in Latin so I figured something must have happened and- oh, Sunset...”

Sunset’s eyes widened as she followed Aria’s gaze to her exposed arms. She hurriedly shoved her sleeves down over the slightly bloody wounds, mortification donning her face. “Great going, idiot. Now she probably thinks you’re a freak,” Sunset berated herself as she avoided Aria’s stunned look. “Pay more fucking attention next time, dumbass!”

She bit her lip as she waited for the inevitable disgusted outcry, but it never came. Sunset chanced a look up at her friend to find that she was just looking at Sunset with a painful understanding in her eyes. “Aria...?” Sunset had never seen the punk with this sort of gentleness on display. Aria was all sarcastic comments, crass attitude, and annoyed eye rolls; to see her with such a soft look on her face was shocking, to say the least.

The former siren’s voice was quiet when she spoke. “I kinda figured that was the case, but it’s worse than I thought it’d be,” she gestured to Sunsets arms. “I, uh…” Aria paused, obviously unused to showing others any kind of vulnerability. After a short lapse of silence in which Sunset only stared at her, Aria sighed and began rolling up her own sleeves.

Sunset gave a soft gasp upon seeing the faded scars that criss crossed around her friend’s arms. “I get it,” Aria said with a sad, empathetic smile as she pushed her sleeves back down. “You’re not alone.” Her voice was heavy with emotion.

Sunset met Aria’s eyes. There were no tears, no hugs, no more words. The two only silently shared a connection that Adagio, Sonata, and Trixie could not comprehend in the same way.

Sunset gave her friend a warm smile, which was quickly returned. The duo left the restroom, returning to their class blanketed by a new, comforting kinship. For the first time in their lives, Aria and Sunset had found someone who could relate.

***

Sunset and her friends sat in the front of Canterlot High, the biting, early-March wind nipping at their cheeks and noses. They chatted like any normal friend group does afterschool, ignoring the hateful glares of their classmates. Sunset and Aria kept the morning’s heart-to-heart to themselves.

“So, do you guys want to come over? We don’t have to worry about homework just yet since it’s Friday.” Trixie offered, looking expectantly at the group.

“Sorry Trix, I gotta head home,” Sunset said. “I promised Ray I’d spend some time with him.”

Adagio and Sonata raised their eyebrows at the red-head, while Trixie covered a giggle behind her hand. Aria didn’t bother hiding her smirk. Sunset narrowed her eyes at her friends. “What? He gets lonely while I’m at school!”

“No worries, pony girl.” Sunset groaned at the nickname and Trixie chuckled. The group found endless humour in how Sunset babied Ray, poking fun at her motherly instincts towards the reptile.

Trixie turned to the Dazzlings. The friendship was still fresh and they hadn’t hung out together without Sunset before, so the magician expected them to back out.

Sure enough, Adagio sighed. “Unfortunately, Aria and I have work. Sorry Trixie,” the frizzy haired girl gave an apologetic smile. She genuinely wanted to get to know Sunset’s friend better, but today was not the day.

Sonata, however, grinned at Trixie. “I’m free!” She informed her cheerfully.

Trixie blinked. “Huh. Guess I’m hanging out with Sonata today.”

The group split up, making their way to their respective destinations. Sonata, seemingly unphased by the slightly awkward air that fell around them, tried to strike up a friendly conversation with Trixie. Trixie tuned most of it out, only adding small nods and “uh huh’s” when Sonata stopped to breathe.

As the duo arrived at Trixie’s house, empty for the day as her parents had late shifts on Fridays, a phrase from Sonata’s ramblings caught the blue-haired girl’s attention.

“Wait, you met Julia Child!?”

Sonata stopped her rambling at Trixie’s ecstatic outburst. “Yeah! She was super nice, I got a signed copy of her cookbook.”

Trixie’s eyes brightened while she unlocked the door and led Sonata into her house. “I love her, I grew up watching reruns of her cooking shows! She’s part of the reason I like baking so much.”

It was Sonata’s turn to get excited. “I’m the cook of the family. I learned a while back for fun but it really came in handy when we lost our pendants,” the former siren explained, dropping her school bag next to where Trixie had lain her own.

Having found a common ground, Trixie and Sonata’s passionate and excitable sides revealed themselves full force. The awkwardness from earlier evaporated as the two sat on the living room couch, rambling about recipes, cookbooks, and kitchen accidents to each other with newfound jovial camaraderie.

The happy conversation never broke as the twin souls discovered their similarities beyond that of cooking. Despite being a real magical being, Sonata was fascinated by the show magic that Trixie could perform; Trixie was enraptured by Sonata’s tales of the past, of the people that Sonata had met in her lifetime and the events she had witnessed.

They exchanged stories and laughs as the minutes trickled into hours. Finally, the two girls were interrupted by a rumble from Sonata’s stomach.

Grrrrrllw

Sonata looked at Trixie sheepishly as her stomach complained noisily. The magician laughed. “I guess we should eat something,” she teased, moving to get up from the couch. “Is pasta okay? I think we have the ingredients for that alfredo sauce you mentioned.”

Sonata followed Trixie into the kitchen with a bounce in her step. “That sounds great! But only if we can make those killer brownies you keep bragging about,” the bubbly girl joked.

Trixie smirked in response. “It’s not bragging if it’s true!”

The two continued their playful banter as they danced about the kitchen, finding a smooth flow within each other’s cooking expertise. Sonata offered tips for making the sauce more flavourful, and Trixie advised that extra chocolate for the brownies was the way to go. Finally, the food was complete, and the girls sat down for their meal.

“Sonata, this pasta is incredible!” Trixie gasped as she dug into her food. Sonata beamed at her friend.

“Not as good as these brownies,” the former siren maundered through a mouthful of gooey chocolate delight.

Trixie chuckled at the girl’s chocolate covered face. “Of course she’d be the type to eat dessert first.”

The two finished the rest of their food with amicable chatter. Just as Trixie got up to clean her empty plates, Sonata’s phone started buzzing. Sonata pulled the device out of her pocket, resting it between her ear and shoulder as she answered the call and grabbed her own dirty dishes. The girl moved to put them in the sink with Trixie’s.

“Hey, Adagio! Yeah, I’m fine. I’m still at Trixie’s house. Oh, is it that late already?!”

At those words, Trixie paused the task of cleaning her plate and glanced at the kitchen’s clock. “Woah, it’s already 7:30?”

“Alrighty, I’ll be home in a jiffy!” Sonata’s voice chirped. She pocketed the device and finished cleaning her plate. She dried her hands on the dish towel that Trixie offered her and gave her a grin.

“It’s been really fun hanging out with you, Trixie!” Sonata pulled her friend into a crushing hug. Trixie was stunned for a moment, but found herself returning the hug with just as much enthusiasm.

“Likewise,” Trixie giggled. “We should do this again sometime.”

Sonata pulled away from the embrace with shining magenta eyes and a somehow bigger smile on her face. “That would be great, Trixie.”

***

Saturday brought with it a sense of lighthearted fun. The group was at Trixie’s house, a movie playing and cookies in the oven. Trixie and Sonata had sprawled themselves across the couch, Sunset and Aria comfortably resting on several blankets on the floor in front of the sofa. Adagio was regally draped across the recliner in the corner of the room.

As more time was spent together, the ragtag group started gelling together surprisingly well. Their personalities just clicked together, like pieces of a puzzle. Sonata and Trixie’s excitability, Aria and Sunset’s sarcasm, Adagio’s general sass and commentary; each person brought something to the group that made the dynamic easygoing yet caring as they rapidly became inseparable.

Trixie wasn’t paying much attention to the movie. Sunset and Aria were engaged in a heated conversation about motorcycles- which was flying completely over her head- and the magician found herself enraptured by the passionate, delighted voice of Sunset Shimmer. Trixie didn’t notice she was staring, taking in each beautiful detail. Sunset’s smile, which was just slightly lopsided. The wrinkles at the corners of her eyes that deepened with her grin. Messy locks of red and gold that draped across her face.

Trixie felt a small smile form on her face as Sunset playfully punched Aria on the arm, the former siren returning the assault with a shove. “She’s such a dork.” Trixie’s affectionate thoughts had been coming in less inhibited ever since the previous week’s revelation at the pet store. The blue-haired girl still didn’t like thinking about the pesky crush, but she found her mind to be occupied by a certain red-head more often than not.

Most of the room was oblivious to Trixie’s outright fawning over the girl in front of her. Most of the room.

Adagio gazed curiously at Trixie from her vantage point in the chair diagonal from the couch. The eldest sister had seen that look on many people in her day; this was quite the… interesting development.

Trixie felt someone spectating her. She looked up, breaking out of the warmhearted daze her heart had cast. Shocked purple eyes met amused magenta ones from across the room.

Adagio cocked her eyebrows and smirked, pointedly glancing to Sunset, then back to Trixie.

Trixie felt a blush flood her cheeks. “Shit, fuck, shit,” she slammed her eyes to the television and tried to pretend she hadn’t just been caught swooning over the girl sitting in front of her. Trixie saw Adagio’s smirk deepen out of the corner of her eyes. “Crap! She knows!”

“Hey Trixie, can you accompany me to the kitchen?” Adagio’s smug voice interrupted Trixie’s frantic thoughts. The group turned its attention to her. “I’d like to start some tea, but I’m still a little new to your house,” the girl beguiled as she rose from her seat.

Trixie fumbled to find an excuse not to join her. “Uh, Sonata knows where stuff is, she can show you,” she weakly tried to save herself.

Sonata looked up at the mention of her name. Her eyes flickered from Adagio to Trixie. Adagio gave her a look, and Sonata sighed. She didn’t know what Adagio was up to, but she did know that it was usually best to stay out of her sister’s way.

“I’m watching the movie,” she finally piped up, burrowing deeper into the couch. Trixie let out a quiet, defeated sigh and rose from her spot next to Sonata.

The rest of the group went back to watching the movie and idly chatting as Trixie and Adagio made their way into the kitchen. Trixie avoided Adagio’s eyes and opened the pantry, reaching for a box of tea and shoving it into Adagio’s hands.

“Well, here’s the tea, the kettle’s on the counter, anyways bye-” Trixie rushed her words and moved to leave, but a hand grabbed her sleeve before she could make her escape.

“Ah ah ah, not so fast, Trixie,” Adagio’s grin was downright predatory. “I’ve seen that look before, I know what it means. Spill,” the curly-haired girl demanded.

Trixie shuffled on her feet, eyes darting around nervously. Finally, she let out a defeated huff, blowing a strand of blue hair from her face. “Fine,” she started. “I may have a tiny, little insignificant bit of a crush on Sunset.” Trixie’s blush deepened and she continued avoiding eye contact. She prepared herself for the teasing that was sure to follow, only to be shocked when all she heard was a lighthearted chuckle.

Adagio lay her hand on Trixie’s shoulder, prompting the girl to meet her eyes. “Don’t worry. As much as I’d love to tease you endlessly for this, I can tell you aren’t super comfortable with it.” The frizzy-haired girl offered a surprisingly warm smile. “Like I said, I’ve seen that kind of affection on a lot of people. I know it can be… a lot,” she said sympathetically.

Trixie blinked as Adagio continued. “I’m here if you ever want to talk about it, even if you just need to rant.” Adagio gave Trixie a pat on her shoulder and turned to the countertop.

“Now, let’s get started on that tea, shall we?”

Trixie, slightly bewildered but with new, happy spirits started pouring the water into the kettle while Adagio prepared the tea bags. She spared a glance into the living room, the object of her affection sparking a familiar- though now not entirely uncomfortable- affection in her chest.

“Thanks, Adagio.”

Author's Note

The Dazzlings finally get their chapter! Sorry this one was a little slower paced; next chapter is when everything comes to a boil, though, I promise it will be worth the wait! :trixieshiftleft:

~Bitty Bug

We Fucked Up

Chapter 9 - We Fucked Up

Applebloom sat on her bed, phone in hand. She stared at the screen, the Anon-a-miss profile pulled up.

gforce: sunset shimmer i swear to god im going to end you

r0ckerchick: Fucking bitch, I knew she was still evil

firefighter03: why is she even bothering to hide behind this dumb account? we know its her!

March was halfway over, and the guilt only grew as time wore on. She sighed. “Ah think it’s time to end this,” she thought with a sick feeling in her stomach.

Applebloom’s door swung open and a worried looking Scootaloo walked in, followed by an equally anxious Sweetie Belle. “What’s up, Bloom? We got your text,” Scootaloo said as she sat on the bed next to her friend. Sweetie Belle closed the door and sat on Applebloom’s other side.

“Girls,” she started. “Ah think it’s time to come clean about the Anon-a-miss profile.”

The room fell into a heavy silence. The three had plenty of time to ponder what exactly this meant for them.

Eventually, Sweetie Belle spoke. “I agree. I think we’ve gone too far.”

Scootaloo avoided their eyes and clenched her fists. “rrRRRAHG!” She startled the other two as she flopped back against the bed with a frustrated scream. “She deserved it! She was taking our family away from us!” Scootaloo shouted as she covered her face with her hands.

“Ah know she was taking up their time, but we really went too far with this. Y’all saw that black eye she had. People are gettin’ violent!” Applebloom replied.

Scootaloo moved her hands up to grip at her hair. “We can’t come clean now,” she argued. “You said so yourself, people are getting violent! They’ll probably turn on us next!”

Sweetie Belle remained silent. She was torn between protecting herself and ending the torment of an innocent person. Scootaloo continued her rant. “And before that? She was a tyrant! She hurt so many people, and all she got was a slap on the wrist and a ‘lesson in friendship?!’”

“But what about the Battle of the Bands? Didn’t she prove herself when she faced off against the sirens?” Applebloom countered. The farm girl sighed. “Ah don’t feel good about pinning this on Sunset anymore. If y’all aren’t going to tell someone about this, then Ah will. It was mah idea in the first place, Ah’ll take the blame fer it,” she decided. This had gone on long enough.

Sweetie Belle made her choice. “No, Applebloom,” she said. “We did this together, we’ll take the fall together too. We’ll tell the Principals tomorrow.” She said, giving a pointed look to Scootaloo, who groaned.

“Fuck, fine. I still think she deserved it. And if we get beat up for this, I’m blaming you guys,” she quarreled.

Despite Scootaloo’s protests, Applebloom smiled at her friends. “Crusaders forever?” She asked.

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo smiled at their friend.

“Crusaders forever.”

***

Would Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash please come to Principal Celestia’s office?

The loudspeaker crackled out the request during lunch. Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy gave the three girls worried looks “Do either of you know what’s going on?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“No idea, sugarcube,” Applejack answered as she, Rarity, and Rainbow got up.

The three walked in relative silence. They entered the office to find a tense Principal Celestia, an angry Vice Principal Luna, and three very guilty looking freshmen. “Sweetie Belle?” Rarity was confused. “What are you and your friends doing here?” She asked, giving a worried glance to Applejack and Rainbow Dash.

“Yeah, what’s going on?” Rainbow Dash queried.

Principal Celestia narrowed her eyes. “It appears,” she began with a cold voice. “That we have discovered the identity of Anon-a-miss.” Celestia gestured to the trio in front of her.

“Woah woah woah, you’re not seriously accusing them of being Anon-a-miss, are you?” Rainbow Dash exploded. Scootaloo cast her gaze to the floor.

Rarity scoffed. “Our sisters would never do something so horrible!” Sweetie Belle winced at that remark.

Applejack continued the tirade. “We all know it’s Sunset-”

“Actually,” Principal Celestia interrupted their cantankerous rantings with a harsh look in her eyes. “Sunset Shimmer has been in the hospital for the past two days. She has been unconscious for both of those two days, and Anon-a-miss has still been active.” The usually kind woman’s voice was hard as steel. The six girls paled at the news.

“H-hospital…?” Sweetie Belle meekly stuttered. Scootaloo bit her lip and Applebloom fidgeted with her hands.

Celestia nodded, her attention remaining on the upperclassmen who all had similar expressions of horror on their faces. “There’s no way that Sunset could be Anon-a-miss, and these three have already confessed.”

A beat of silence.

Applejack’s gaze bored into her sister as the truth crashed over her in a dreadful wave. “No… mah own kin wouldn’t do something like this...” The farmer trailed off.

A lump formed in Rainbow’s throat. She turned to Scootaloo. “Scoots, you wouldn’t…” Scootaloo sniffed, wiping her eyes. She didn’t respond.

“Sweetie Belle…?” Rarity pleaded. Sweetie Belle shook her head.

Celestia looked at the group with apathetic eyes. “Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo will delete the account, after they announce to the school what they’ve done,” she stated.

The older siblings looked at their family with distress evident in their eyes, desperately searching for something that wasn’t there.

Scootaloo felt horrible. She didn’t want to confess, to bear the weight of Rainbow Dash’s disapproval, but it was too late now. She turned to the Principals, antipathy laced in her voice. “Just give us the microphone.”

Celestia raised her eyebrows. She reached for the microphone that was used to make announcements over the school’s loudspeaker. She pressed the button and started to speak, voice cutting through the thick silence. “Hello, students. I apologize for the interruption, but I have a very important announcement to make.” Celestia held the microphone out to the trio. Applebloom took it with shaking hands.

“H-hey, y’all. This is Applebloom. Me, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo have something to confess,” she started, trying to hold back tears.

Sweetie Belle took the mic. “We’re Anon-a-miss. We were jealous of Sunset Shimmer, so we blamed it on her. If you don’t believe us, check your phones now,” she said with a nod to Scootaloo, who held her phone in her hands.

Ding

Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash’s phones simultaneously announced another post from Anon-a-miss. Mortified, the three pulled out their devices.

This is Applebloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle. We’re Anon-a-miss.

It was Scootaloo’s turn to talk. “We didn’t mean for it to go this far, but so many people starting sending us secrets and we panicked,” her voice shook as she tried to ignore the betrayed look of Rainbow Dash.

The three perpetrators gathered around the microphone together. “We’re sorry,” they said together.

Luna took the device from them. “These three will be punished accordingly, as well as anyone who sent something to the Anon-a-miss profile. We have a list of the Mystable accounts that contacted Anon-a-miss. If you come clean without us having to find you and make you, your punishment may be less severe. That is all.” The Vice Principal ended the announcement.

The room lapsed into a thick silence. Celestia waited a for a few minutes, letting the information sink in, before speaking again. “These three will be suspended for the rest of this school year, and will receive afterschool detention for the entirety of their sophomore and junior years. In addition, they will not be allowed to attend any extra-curricular activities for the remainder of their highschool career. This includes any groups they were already a part of, as well as school dances.” Celestia stated firmly.

Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo did not protest. They had already been informed of their punishment, and saw no use in arguing. No more art, no more choir, no more sports.

Applebloom sniffled. “... Do y’all hate us?” She asked with a tremor in her voice.

Applejack only sighed.

“... Ah just don’t think Ah can talk to y’all right now.” She said, her voice betraying the turbulent emotions that bubbled in her stomach. Rarity and Rainbow Dash kept their eyes on the ground.

After a few silent moments, Dash unexpectedly whipped her head upwards, turning to her friends with wide eyes. “Guys,” she said with a horrible sinking feeling in her stomach.

“We fucked up.”

***

Trixie dashed down the stairs, skidding into the living room where her mother was reading. “Mom! Mom, Sunset’s in trouble we need to go help her get your keys, now now now!”

Supernova, startled, looked up from her book at her frantic daughter, who was scrambling to grab her mother’s car keys from the coffee table. “Woah, Trixie, calm down.” She stood from her seat. “What’s going on?”

Trixie’s tears were all the prompting Supernova needed to jump into action.

Supernova snagged her keys from Trixie and bolted out the door alongside her daughter. The car ride was tense and silent for a few moments, only broken by Trixie giving directions. Finally, as the buildings became more dilapidated and potholes littered the road, Supernova spoke. “What’s going on, Trixie?” Her voice was calm, but firm.

Trixie stared out the window at the swiftly passing scenery. “Sunset tried to kill herself again.” Supernova’s eyes widened and a short gasp made its way past her lips.

“A-agian?”

Trixie nodded, fresh tears flowing down her face. “She was having a bad day today and went home from school early. Sonata went to check on her later and drop off some homework. She found her…” Trixie swallowed past the lump in her throat and resumed the explanation, her mother’s grim expression adding to the urgent air around them. “Sonata just called Trixie. Adagio and Aria are on their way as well.”

Supernova took in both the situation and the surrounding area as she silently continued driving. Sunset had quickly become like a second daughter to her. Pieces began clicking into place. How Sunset wore a scarf for a short while, even indoors. They way she only wore long sleeves. Trixie inviting her over so often. Sunset’s thin, malnourished form. Supernova drew her mouth into a thin line.

The quiet was once again broken by Trixie.

“She, uh… She doesn’t have any official paperwork,” the teen started awkwardly. Her mother’s brow furrowed in confusion. “And Trixie is sure you’ve already guessed by now, but she lives in one of these old factories,” she gestured to the decrepit structures outside her window.

“Why-”

“ITrixie will explain everything later, but for now Sunset just needs help.”

Supernova pursed her lips. “...Okay. I’ll see what I can do.”

Doctor Supernova Lulamoon walked through the busy hospital halls with a dark feeling in her chest. The patient’s files- or rather, lack thereof- were clutched tightly in her hands.

“Sunset Shimmer. Age: 18. Parents: None. Records: None. Birth certificate, hospital reports, place of residence: None, none, none.” The doctor was stumped. The only record of Sunset Shimmer’s existence was her school paperwork, which was revealed upon further investigation to be forged.

The Lulamoon matriarch sighed as she continued traversing the hospital’s fourth floor. “She needed immediate medical attention, of course I wasn’t going to turn her down, but… What do I do with a patient that doesn’t appear to exist?” Trixie had warned her of Sunset’s lack of paperwork, but had yet to explain why. “She’s been here for two days, now. I can only hide her lack of paperwork for so long.”

Supernova arrived at the room that contained the subject of her bewilderment. She gently pushed open the door. Sunlight filtered through the dreary room, beams of light casting their gaze onto the hospital bed. A vase of flowers, which was brought by Trixie and Sunset’s three friends, rested on the bedside table. Supernova was shocked to find the girl awake.

Sunset’s dull eyes were unseeing, uselessly open as if to only grant the illusion of wakefulness. Dark bags hung underneath them; her skin was pale and her hair frazzled. She appeared to only be a pathetic, woeful facsimile of herself.

“Hey there, Sunset,” Supernova softly tried to get the girl’s attention. Sunset’s eyes briefly flickered to the doorway, where the doctor still stood. She did not give any other indication of acknowledgement.

Doctor Lulamoon walked into the room and proceeded to check Sunset’s vitals, the routine serving to calm her nerves a little. “You gave us quite the scare, Sunset,” Supernova tried to garner some sort of reaction from the otherwise dead girl in front of her. “Those pills left you knocked out for two days, even after we pumped your stomach. Sonata found you just in time,” Sunset remained motionless and silent.

Supernova sat on the edge of the bed. She tentatively reached a hand out, resting it on on of Sunset’s own. The teen finally reacted, looking up at the woman with an intense misery radiating from her eyes. Supernova’s breath caught at the cutting emotion she saw. Without a second more of hesitation, Supernova wrapped the frail, despondent girl in a motherly hug.

Sunset broke.

The tears came in heartwrenching sobs, and the girl burrowed deeper into the soothing embrace of Trixie’s mother. Supernova rubbed small circles onto Sunset’s back, whispering soft words of encouragement and comfort to the bawling teen. Eventually, Sunset’s cries started to die down, her heart almost a little lighter as the pent up sadness she had held onto for so long was let out.

The two sat in their embrace for a few moments longer before Sunset pulled away. She sniffled. “Thank you, Mrs. Lulamoon,” Sunset started but was cut off by another hug from the mother.

“Please, Sunset, you know you can just call me Supernova.”

Sunset gave the woman a shaky smile. “Thank you, Supernova.”

***

Rainbow Dash tapped her foot impatiently as she leaned up against the school’s front wall. She and the rest of the Rainbooms, sans Pinkie Pie, were clustered around the front of the school, their decided meeting place.

Pinkie Pie, the last to arrive, grimaced as her eyes fell upon the miserable faces in front of her. Fluttershy had retreated even further behind her curtain of hair. Rarity’s normally pristine and perfect makeup was smudged and ran down her face in dark streaks. Applejack had her hat pulled low over her face, and Rainbow Dash was methodically hitting the back of her head against the brick behind her.

The group remained in a suffocating silence until Fluttershy broke the tension with her timid voice. “What’s wrong with us? We didn’t even hear her out…” She spoke with a tremble and a sob. Nobody answered her.

Pinkie Pie’s hair completed it’s transformation from bright and upbeat to dull and melancholy, as if her very essence had leaked out of her. Silence fell around the girls once again. They quietly stood in contemplation for another few minutes before Applejack lifted her hat up slightly, revealing watery, bloodshot eyes.

“Girls, Ah don’t think we can fix this,” she choked out. Morose faces looked back at her. “Ah don’t think she’d be too keen on listening to us.”

“Ah know Ah wouldn’t,” she added in her head.

Rarity nodded miserably. “She’s not even answering our texts,” she reminded everyone.

Rainbow slammed a fist against building’s side, letting out a mournful scream. She sunk to the ground, wrapping her arms around her legs and burying her face in her knees. She started to cry. “Some element of loyalty I am,” Rainbow thought remorsefully. “I was the first to turn on her.”

The rest of the girls had similar thoughts running through their heads.

“I should have seen that she wasn’t lying…”

“Where was my kindness when she needed it most…”

“Generosity my ass, I didn’t even give her a chance…”

“I never thought the day would come when I took away someone’s happiness…”

The girls stood around the school’s front doors, pensively reflecting on their behaviour. The group had never felt something as awful as this crushing guilt and horrible regret. A hopeless anguish had clenched their hearts with a painful intensity.

It was Pinkie Pie who spoke up, breaking everyone out of their rumination. “I think we should go now. Applejack’s right, we can’t… we can’t try and fix this yet, and she’s not even here today.” Her demeanor was grey and sad. Everyone nodded their agreement. The Rainbooms all looked at each other in tortured contemplation before leaving. Nobody spoke a word as they went their separate ways.

***

Rainbow Dash made her way to the soccer field, but she wasn’t in the mood for sports. Instead, she went to the bleachers. She intended on stewing in her thoughts, maybe hitting her head against the cold metal, when she a sad, acoustic sound filled her ears. Rounding the corner and looking up, she saw Flash Sentry sitting alone at the top of the bleachers.

Flash said nothing as Rainbow Dash took a seat next to him. He said nothing as he continued plucking out melancholy chords on his guitar. He said nothing when Rainbow put her head in her hands and started to scream.

As Rainbow’s mournful shrieks echoed across the empty athletic fields, Flash shifted, putting down his instrument. He lay a hand on the chromatic-haired girls hunched frame while she released her feelings into the brisk air.

When Rainbow Dash’s voice gave in to scratchy, feeble whimpers, Flash removed his hand, replacing it with a one-armed hug.

“We fucked up, dude. We fucked up so bad,” the crying girl wailed into her friend’s shoulder.

Flash felt tears begin to form. He remained silent, guilt crushing his heart. Flash Sentry knew. He knew Sunset was innocent, and yet he still gave in to other’s opinions of her instead of hearing her out.

“I may not have been as bad as the Rainbooms, but I still didn’t listen,” his conscience reminded him. “Poor Sunset...”

***

Rarity sat in her car, eyes blankly staring at the dashboard. She had long since given up trying to wipe the mascara stains from her face; what was the point in attempting to look presentable? Sweetie Belle was cleaning out her locker, and as her sister’s designated chauffeur, Rarity had to wait. The fashionista let out a shaky breath as fresh tears tracked down her cheeks. “I wonder if this is how she felt...”

A knock on the passenger side window broke Rarity from her musings. Sweetie Belle shuffled her feet nervously as her sister unlocked the car door. She climbed into the car silently. Rarity did not give her any acknowledgement as she started the car and pulled out of the school’s parking lot.

The ride home was tense. Rarity’s tears never stopped as she drove, and Sweetie Belle continued her nervous fidgeting.

Finally, the quiet became too much for Sweetie, and she broke the strained silence between the two. “Uh, sis? C-can we-”

Rarity cut her sister off with a deadly venom in her voice. “Don’t fucking talk to me, Sweetie Belle.”

The younger girl recoiled in shock. Rarity was strictly prim and proper; she never cursed. Sweetie sunk lower in her seat. “Oh gods, we really fucked up...”

***

Applejack sat up in the largest apple tree she could find, rolling farmland and trees spread out before her. The farm itself look small from her vantage point in the leafy branches.

“My own flesh and blood...”

Applejack almost couldn’t believe her own sister was capable of such a horrendous act. It was Applebloom! Sweet, adventurous, gentle Applebloom- how could she do something so heinous? It felt like a bad dream. The freckled girl gazed out over the vast orchard. She had no tears left; they had all been shed earlier that day.

“Uh, h-heya, sis,” a meek voice called out to the brooding girl. “Um, Granny told me to come get you for dinner,” Applebloom continued when she did not receive a response. Applejack did not acknowledge the younger girl.

“Sis?” Applebloom tried again. “Granny said-”

Applebloom’s voice failed her as her sister’s violent scowl pierced her soul. Applejack remained silent. If looks could kill, Applebloom would be dead a thousand times over.

The anxious girl fidgeted with her hands and ducked her head shamefully. “Ah’ll just leave you be, then...” She hastily retreated back through the trees, leaving Applejack alone once more.

“My own fucking family...”

***

Pinkie Pie stirred her milkshake idly. The baker was uncharacteristically not hungry. Fluttershy mirrored her actions from across their booth at Sugarcube Corner. Neither spoke, content with stewing in their dark thoughts.

Pinkie huffed a sigh. “There has to be a way we can fix this. There has to,” she grasped desperately at the idea, but it felt hollow even to her. “There has to...”

Fluttershy broke the silence with a small slurp of her milkshake. It was tasteless on her tongue, but it gave her something to do other than sit and think. The shy girl spoke up, interrupting Pinkie’s fruitless planning. “Maybe we could talk to Trixie? She could pass along message to Sunset,” Fluttershy offered.

Pinkie Pie brightened marginally. “Yeah, maybe she can convince her to talk to us!” Hope sparked in Pinkie’s chest, a small flicker in the darkness. It was a long shot, but they had to try. “I’ll text the girls, we can talk to Trixie at lunch next week.”

***

Sunset stared out the open hospital window from her bed, enjoying the light breeze that tickled her face and rustled her hair. The small television set in the corner of the room was mumbling out the day’s news, offering quiet background noise against Sunset’s thoughts. After a day of being there, Sunset quickly realized that there wasn’t much to do. Thinking was, unfortunately, the only thing Sunset could do to combat the boredom.

“Anon-a-miss...” Sunset shifted in her bed. “All this time…” Over three months of agony, of endless amounts of self-inflicted cuts, of wallowing in horrible anguish, and all because of what?

Sunset clenched her fists as anger bubbled in her stomach. “Because they were jealous. They ruined my life because they were jealous.” Trixie had told her the news about Anon-a-miss when she came to visit the day prior. Needless to say, Sunset was shocked. The more she stewed over the situation, the angrier she got as the emotions she was holding back flooded her mind.

Sunset’s thoughts were laced with poison. “I mean, this is so fucking rich! It was their fucking sisters all along,” she let out a humourless chuckle at the thought. “Their own family, a family they said I was a part of… And they all blamed me.”

The red-head’s rumination was interrupted by a soft knock at the door. Sunset looked up as the door opened, revealing Trixie, Adagio, Aria, and Sonata, each carrying something in their arms.

“‘Sup, nerd! We’re watching a movie!” Aria playfully punched Sunset on the arm, dumping an armful of blankets onto the fiery haired girl’s lap. Trixie grinned and held up a familiar looking DVD at Aria’s declaration. Sunset found herself smiling as she read the title: Lilo and Stitch.

Agadio rolled her eyes at her friend’s antics as she set down the mugs of tea she was holding on Sunset’s bedside table. She turned to Sunset was a small smile. “Hey pony girl. We have tea and cookies-” at those words, Sonata happily waved around the plastic bag filled with chocolate chip treats that she was holding.

She interjected cheerfully, “-and we’re gonna make you feel better!”

Sunset’s small smile grew as her friends got to work. Trixie and Adagio struggled to figure out how the hospital’s T.V. worked, Aria had started making a blanket nest on the floor next to Sunset’s bed, and Sonata was enthusiastically digging into the cookies.

Finally, Adagio pressed the right button on the television and the title screen for Sunset’s favourite movie popped up. “Woo!” Trixie cheered and slapped Adagio on the back, the former siren jokingly giving a small bow. Adagio pressed the ‘play’ button and moved to take the plastic chair next to Sunset’s bed, behind the blanket nest that Aria and Sonata were sharing.

Sunset scooched over on her bed, making room for another person to lie comfortably. “Hey Trix, come sit on the bed. There’s plenty of room,” Sunset smiled and motioned for the magician to join her. Ever oblivious, the red-head did not notice the scandalous look that Adagio shot Trixie, nor did she notice the slight blush on her friend’s cheeks as she took a seat.

Thigh to thigh, shoulder to shoulder, Sunset could not deny the intimacy of the position she had initiated. “Um, whoops…” Sunset thought with a flush in her cheeks as she glued her eyes to the screen in the corner of the room and tried to ignore the soft touch of her friend next to her.

Eventually, she started to relax, and felt Trixie do the same.

Sunset looked around at her friends with a warm smile on her face. Adagio, with her motherly tendencies and endless teasing; Aria’s sarcastic comments and old scars; Sonata and her bubbly personality, combined with her cooking skills; Trixie…

Trixie’s smile. Her love of astronomy and baking. The way her eyes brightened when she talked about magic, the light giggle that Sunset would give the world to hear, her fierce loyalty to Sunset and the Dazzlings. Sunset could not deny the flutter of butterflies that graced her stomach whenever she thought about the blue-haired girl.

Each of Sunset’s friends truly cared for her in a way she had never felt before, certainly not with the Rainbooms. Her heart swelled with love and happiness as she continued watching her favourite movie, accompanied by the people that made her feel whole again.

“Well, Twilight,” Sunset thought as Trixie gently leaned her head against her shoulder.

“I think I found my family.”

Author's Note

And here it is, the long-awaited reveal! An extra long chapter tonight, I hope it was worth the wait!

Sorry I was a little late updating today! I recently got some minor surgery done (nothing serious, don't worry) and I'm still recovering, so I spent most of the day sleeping :twilightblush:

Anyways, let me know what you think of the big reveal! Hope you all have a wonderful evening!

~Bitty Bug

You Fucked Up

Chapter 10 - You Fucked Up

Trembling hands tore at the pill bottle, the child-proof caps only serving as a temporary obstacle for the hysterical, sobbing girl. Sunset desperately pawed at the lid of the Advil container until it popped off, the contents of the bottle joining the small pile on the kitchen table. Empty pill bottles- Tylenol, Asprin, typical over the counter remedies- were littered across the wooden surface.

Sunset hiccuped, tears streaming down her pale face. Her hair was a mess, a result of her hands frantically pulling at the strands for the past hour.

This time was different.

Thoughts flew across Sunset’s mind in a frenzy. Her breaths came in short, panicked puffs as she pace around the small kitchenette. The girl’s wild eyes darted about the room, always seeming to come back to the pile of pills on the table.

Sunset Shimmer was no stranger to anxiety attacks, but this- this was a new intensity, a beast she could not handle alone. But did she even want to handle it at all? She could not think. She could not breathe. The walls seemed to close in on her as she walked the room, narrowing her vision back to the pills. Always back to the pills.

“Fucking freak,”

“Stirring up trouble is just some sick way for you to try to fit into a world you never really belonged in,”

“Everyone would be better off if you were dead,”

Gilda’s harsh words from earlier that day combined with the black eye from Spitfire on Monday were enough to send Sunset into a frenzied panic, once again endangering her but in a much different way than her previous suicide attempt. Where the last one was calm and collected, this was disorganized and desperate, an intense emotional reaction that could not be controlled.

Of course, logic would tell Sunset that this was just a bad week, that her horrible day that day was just a bump in the road. Reason would say that depression is a rollercoaster, where you may feel fine one day and terrible the next. Sense would declare that feeling bad sometimes is a part of feeling better.

Logic, reason, and sense were not present at the moment. Fear and anxiety, hatred and despair took their place. Sunset’s mind was consumed; there was no way out of the vortex she had trapped herself in.

Finally tired of pacing, Sunset collapsed in front of the table, the old wooden chair shaking and creaking at the impact.

“It’s the only way,” the red-head mumbled to herself in almost incoherent jumbled words. "I have to, it’s the only way.” In one deft motion, Sunset scooped up the pile of pills into one hand. Quivering, she brought the hand to her mouth.

She managed to get about a quarter of the pills down her throat before she gagged. Determined, Sunset dry-swallowed what she had managed to get down, only pausing for a second before dumping the remaining pills into her mouth.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry Aria, Adagio, Sonata, Trixie… I’m sorry, I’ll miss you, I’m sorry...”

***

Sunset dragged herself out of the memory with a shuddering sigh. She was not surprised to feel a familiar wetness on her face; tears were certainly no stranger to the suffering girl.

“Sweet Celestia, I really do need help...” Sunset wiped her eyes and turned her gaze to the hospital window, where bright sunlight was streaming in. Sunset’s skin had regained some of its colour over the past four days at the hospital, and her eyes no longer seemed entirely lifeless.

It was very difficult for the girl to admit that she needed help. Sunset was used to doing things alone; the idea that she didn’t have to anymore, and actually needed to do the opposite was very hard to grasp.

A knock at the door garnered the teen’s attention, and Trixie strode into the room. “Good morning, Sunny,” Trixie greeted with a grin. Sunset’s demeanor brightened upon seeing her friend.

“You came to see me?” Sunset blurted. “It’s Saturday, you shouldn’t waste a day off.” Of course Sunset was happy to see Trixie, but her traitorous mind forced her to dwell on the negatives.

Trixie marched over to the bed and aggressively bopped Sunset on the nose. “No more self-deprecating talk,” she declared with a firm tone. “I’m your friend, I like spending time with you.” Trixie reaffirmed her words with another bop to the nose. “The only reason the Dazzlings aren’t here as well is because Aria and Adagio had to work, and Sonata doesn’t have a car.”

Sunset laughed and pushed her friend’s hand away from her face. “Alright, okay, I get the idea. Thanks, though, it means a lot.” The red-head sheepishly turned her eyes away.

At this, Trixie brought Sunset into a close hug. “We’re all just glad you’re doing a bit better,” she mumbled into Sunset’s shoulder.

Sunset pulled away and once again avoided eye contact.

“Trixie, I-I’m so sor-”

Trixie’s hand found Sunset’s and blue eyes met purple. “Don’t you dare apologize, Sunset.” There was an intensity in Trixie’s gaze that Sunset couldn’t look away from. “Depression isn’t something you can control. It’s unpredictable, and you haven’t had any treatment for it.” Almost subconsciously, Trixie brought her other hand up to Sunset’s cheek. Her thumb gently caressed small circles into Sunset’s skin, which was now alight in a blush.

Trixie continued. “None of this is your fault. I mean, you can’t expect to swim when you have bricks tied to your ankles,” Trixie said, offering a sympathetic smile. Sunset felt herself leaning into Trixie’s touch, captivated by the other’s honest eyes and understanding words.

“I-I,” Sunset tried to find the right words, but they didn’t seem to exist. “How did I ever find a friend this wonderful?” Sunset shakily returned Trixie’s smile. “And why the hell did she have to be so cute?!”

The two simply stayed there. Trixie was perched on the edge of Sunset’s bed, the latter girl’s hand in her own, her face cradled lovingly; and Sunset was enjoying every second of it.

“She’s so close, I could… I-I want to...” Sunset’s eyes, for a split second, flickered to Trixie’s lips. Trixie saw the motion and sucked in a sharp breath of air, eyes widening slightly, though she did not pull away. The girls’ faces inched closer, just barely, but still closer-

There was a knock at the door, and the two shot apart quicker than lightning. Fiery blushes coated their faces.

“Oh dear Celestia, we were about to-!”

Doctor Lulamoon entered the room with a jovial smile. “Hi, Sunset. Hey there, Trixie,” she greeted with a smile. She glanced between the two girls. Supernova was a smart woman; she was not oblivious to the tension in the room. She filed away the scene for future thought (“Huh, romantic tension… interesting.”) and potential teasing (“My little Trixie has a crush!”). For now, there was a more pressing circumstance to attend to.

Ignoring the blushes on the two girl’s faces, Supernova pulled up the plastic chair from the corner of the room to the side of Sunset’s bed.

“So, Sunset,” the doctor began. “We need to talk about your, ahem, situation.” Supernova gestured to her clipboard, handing it to the red-head. Sunset flipped through the first few papers on the board, with Trixie glancing over her shoulder- though the magician kept a little more distance between them.

Sunset’s eyes scanned the pages. “Sunset Shimmer. Age: 18. Parents: None. Records: None. Oh boy, this is going to be a bit of a mess, isn’t it...”

Sunset looked at Trixie, then to Supernova. The doctor saw fear in the teen’s eyes. She took the clipboard back from Sunset. “Trixie said that I would get the details eventually. I’m not going to press you for them now- you’re still fragile and I have a feeling this is a very long story,” she chuckled. “But we need to figure out what to do with you next, and the lack of paperwork makes your options very limited.”

Sunset sighed. “I’m sorry for all the trouble, Mrs. Lula- uh, Supernova,” she stumbled over the formality before continuing. “I really appreciate the help, though.”

Trixie and her mother gave matching smiles. Supernova lay a hand on her daughter’s shoulder and looked at Sunset with warmth. “We’re both here for you, Sunset,” she stated. “And don’t apologize, I’m happy to help.”

The smile faded from the doctor’s face as she prepared to introduce a less than pleasant topic. “Trixie, dear, I need you to step out of the room for a moment.” At Sunset’s panicked look, Supernova elaborated. “Don’t worry, it’s just for patient-doctor confidentiality. I can’t discuss your medical information with anyone else in the room that isn’t related to you.” The red-head let out the breath she was holding and Trixie made her way to the door, shooting a timid smile to Sunset on her way out.

“Now, regarding next steps…” Doctor Lulamoon turned to face her patient. “Sunset, I believe it would be best for you to be in a long-term inpatient program. A mental hospital would be able to provide the level of treatment you need.”

Sunset paled. She opened her mouth to protest, but Supernova held up a hand, cutting her off. “However, your lack of paperwork makes that impossible.” A sigh of relief. Accepting any help was difficult; going to a psychiatric hospital was a very scary thought for Sunset.

Supernova continued. “Given that you live in an abandoned factory- which we need to talk about, by the way- I’m going to assume you don’t have much money. That makes therapy and medication hard to swing. There really aren’t many options without money and documentation, so until you can afford real treatment, I’m going to set some guidelines for you.”

Sunset raised her eyebrows. “Guidelines?”

Supernova nodded. “Just some ground rules to make sure you stay safe. Stuff like curfew, daily check ins, that sort of thing. I’ll work out the specifics and type it up for you, but right now we have something more important to talk about.” The doctor leaned back in her chair with a sigh. “I can’t let you keep living in that factory, Sunset.”

Sunset lurched forward on her bed and gripped the cheap hospital blanket. “Supernova, please I-”

Supernova once again held her hand up, and Sunset fell silent. “You’re legally an adult, so I don’t have the authority to tell you what to do, but I can’t just do nothing.” The mother looked Sunset in the eyes. “You need to find someplace to stay. I’ll help you look, you can even stay at my home for a little while if you need to. You have one month, but after that, I’m going to have to tell somebody.”

Sunset sighed and flopped back against her pillows. “Fine,” she yielded. “Fine, but the factory really isn’t that bad.”

All Sunset got in response was a chuckle.

“Anyways, Sunset, you’ll be discharged tomorrow. We can’t do much else for you here, and people are starting to ask questions about your documentation.” Supernova grinned and Sunset returned the smile. “Let me know if you ever need someone to talk to. I’m here for you,” the doctor said in a reassuring voice as she moved towards the door.

“Thank you, Supernova.”

***

Sunday came and went far too quickly for Sunset’s liking. Soon enough, it was Monday, and Sunset found herself dragging her feet as she made the walk to school. Upon checking her phone Sunday afternoon, Sunset was met with a barrage of texts from the students of Canterlot High. A slew of ‘I’m sorry’s’ and ‘I knew it wasnt you’s’ that reeked insincerity and shame, a deluge of hollow well-wishes that Sunset did not want to deal with.

The worst ones were the many messages from the ‘Rainbitches,’ as Aria had started calling them. “I’m not responsible for alleviating their guilt. They did this to me, they deserve to feel terrible.” Sunset hadn’t bothered looking at any of the messages, instead choosing to focus on the kind texts from her real friends.

As she continued her trek to hell, Sunset tried to clamp down on the simmering ire that sparked in her stomach whenever she thought of her former friends. She knew that anger was a dangerous thing- turning into a literal demon was a lesson that she will never forget- but loathing the Rainbooms was keeping her from turning all the blame onto herself. Maybe it wasn’t entirely healthy, but at least she wasn’t the only person she hated.

The iconic Wondercolts statue came into view, and Sunset slowed her steps even more. Some students loitered about the entrance, and others were filing into the school. All eyes turned to Sunset as she approached the building. Sunset curled into herself, as if trying to become invisible.

It wasn’t working.

The red-head walked fast, trying to get to her locker as soon as possible. Prying stares and empty words followed her. Sunset felt her breathing quicken as she arrived at her destination. “Ah horsefeathers, an anxiety attack is the last thing I need right now.”

A familiar voice broke Sunset out of her panicked thoughts. “Hey Sunny,” Trixie greeted with a soft expression. Adagio, Aria, and Sonata were behind her, each offering a sympathetic look and a kind smile.

Sunset felt herself start to calm down. She returned the smile to her friends and opened up her locker. “Hey guys,” the girl said as she got out her books and slammed the door shut. People were still staring at her, but it was easier to deal with when she had her friends by her side.

The five waked to Sunset’s first period in a sort of cluster, with Sunset in the center. Trixie and the Dazzlings acted as Sunset’s bodyguards, glaring at students who stared and snapping at anyone stupid enough to try and approach Sunset.

“What’re you looking at, huh?” Sonata scowled as a fidgety Spitfire approached, who immediately backed off with a guilty look on her face. Sunset chuckled to herself.

“I love my family,” she thought with a grin.

***

Lunch brought a welcome break to the exhausting day Trixie was having. Sunset wasn’t the only one receiving annoying apologies from remorseful peers. Shutting down their useless attempts at pushing the guilt from their shoulders was getting on her nerves.

Trixie felt a buzz in her pocket, and she pulled out her phone. She looked at the group chat between her, Sunset, and the Dazzlings as she made her way to the library, lunch in hand.

Sunset > Hey guys, Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna wanted to check in and see how I was doing. I probably won’t be at lunch, don’t wait for me.

Sonata > alrighty !

Aria > yeet

Adagio > Eat something later, skipping meals isn’t good

Sunset > Okay, Mom.

Adagio > Shut up

Trixie let out a small laugh at her friend’s antics. “I’m glad I have people like them in my life,” she thought as she approached her destination. Just as Trixie was about to push the library doors open, however, a hand grabbed her shoulder. She spun around and found herself face to face with the Rainbooms.

“What the- why the fuck are you here,” Trixie spat, her grip on her tray tightening. The group in front of her at least had the decency to look ashamed. They avoided eye contact with the seething girl in front of them. Rainbow Dash was kicking at the tiled floor, and Fluttershy looked to be on the verge of tears; each of them had similar looks of guilt on their faces. It was Pinkie Pie who spoke up, breaking the tense silence that had befallen the girls.

“W-we were hoping- uh, we wanted to know if maybe, um-” the pink girl stumbled over her words.

Trixie scoffed and turned to leave.

Applejack scrambled to grab Trixie’s arm. “Wait! Please, Trixie, hear us out,” the farmhand begged. “Ah know we messed up big time, but please…”

Trixie wrenched her arm from Applejack’s grasp. “Fine.” Her voice was stone cold. “You have one minute to convince me you’re worth my time.”

Rarity stepped forward. “We wanted to apologize,” she said with a tremble in her voice. “We know there’s no way we can make it up to Sunset, but we want to try. Please, can you convince her to talk to us?”

Trixie raised her eyebrows incredulously. “Seriously? Are you fucking kidding me?” Trixie’s words were dripping with venom. “No, there’s no way in hell we’re letting you anywhere near her. She’s fragile right now, the last thing she needs is you five coming in and fucking things up again.”

Rarity averted her eyes. Pinkie Pie spoke up again. “Please, Trixie! We need to at least try-”

Trixie barked out a humourless laugh. “No you don’t. You’ve done enough.”

The group collectively flinched. Trixie spun on her heel and trudged into the library, leaving five despairing girls staring after her.

The Dazzlings looked up from their lunch as a livid Trixie threw her tray onto the table and angrily plopped herself down next to Sonata.

Aria nudged Trixie’s leg with her foot. “What’s up, magic girl? You seem tense,” she joked. Trixie only huffed and glared daggers at her food. The three sisters exchanged worried glances. Sonata was the one to make the next attempt at contact with the steaming girl.

“Hey, Trix, what’s going on? We can’t help if we don’t know what’s happening,” the former siren prodded gently.

Trixie let out a loud sigh. “Fine,” she relented and began recounting the incident with the Rainbooms. By the time she finished, Aria had a murderous look in her eyes, Adagio’s fists were clenched so hard her knuckles turned white, and Sonata was stabbing violently at her salad.

Aria slammed a hand on the table. “I can’t fucking believe the nerve of them,” she shouted, earning her a ‘shush’ from Ms. Cheerilee. Sonata nodded her head in agreement, and Trixie sighed again.

Adagio tried to unclench her fists and regulate her breathing. If there was one thing she hated more than anything in the world, it was people messing with her family; and Sunset had become a part of it over the past few months. How dare they?

“You know what?” Adagio started. Her tone was virulent. “Those pompous, asinine jerks don’t get to get off that easy.”

Trixie gave her friend a curious look, while Aria and Sonata leaned in at the deadly expression on Adagio’s face. They knew that look; Adagio wanted revenge.

“We’re going to show them what happens when you mess with our friends.”

***

Of course Applejack didn’t expect Sunset to actually agree to talk with them, but she really didn’t think that Trixie of all people would want to meet. She glanced at her phone for what seemed like the hundredth time in the past five minutes, trying to ignore Rainbow's frantic pacing.

Trixie > Bleachers, afterschool today. Bring the others.

Any other attempts to talk to her had been met with radio silence.

It was fifteen minutes after the bell rang, and there was still no sign of Trixie. Rarity sighed. “What do you think she wants,” the fashionista queried.

Pinkie Pie gripped the edge of the metal seat harder than strictly necessary. “Maybe Sunset agreed to meet with us?” She wondered, desperately trying to cling to the small threads of hope she had been given.

The sound of footsteps reverberating across the metal stands quickly captured the girl’s attention. The five looked anxiously towards the noise. However, it was not only Trixie that they saw walking towards them.

Adagio, Aria, and Sonata were accompanying Trixie as she swiftly made her way to the group of girls clustered at the top of the otherwise empty bleachers. They did not look happy.

Rainbow Dash crossed her arms as the four approached. “What’re you doing here?” She gestured to the Dazzlings.

Trixie narrowed her eyes, and Adagio stepped forward. “We’re all here on Sunset’s behalf. You five need to know your place,” she growled.

Applejack stepped in. “Look, we don’t want any trouble. We just want to apologize to Sunset-” she tried to placate, but was cut off by a furious Aria.

“You don’t fucking understand, do you? You fucked up, so bad,” the punk shouted at the five idiots in front of her. Sonata nodded in support as Aria continued. “The best thing you can do now is stay the fuck away from our friend!”

“No, you don’t understand! We know we fucked up,” Rainbow Dash yelled. “We know, okay? But we have to try! She’s our friend, too-”

Trixie stomped over to Rainbow Dash and slapped her across the face, hard. Rarity gasped and Fluttershy recoiled in surprise. Rainbow brought a hand to her cheek, which was turning red, shock donning her features.

Tears were streaming down Trixie’s face. “You have the audacity to call her your friend after everything you did to her?” She was practically screaming at the stunned girl in front of her. “You fucking broke her!” Trixie’s words echoed across the barren athletic fields, cutting deep and hitting the Rainbooms harder than any slap ever could.

Adagio moved to stand by Trixie’s side, laying a comforting hand on her shoulder. She stared at the Rainbooms with barely-contained rage. “You five imbeciles don’t deserve to be this world’s versions of the Elements of Harmony,” her voice was dangerous. “Sunset Shimmer is the only reason you managed to defeat us, and what did you do when she served her purpose? You threw her away. You ungrateful bastards fucking threw away one of the kindest, most admirable persons I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing.”

Adagio’s face was contorted with fury. She wanted to rub salt in the still-fresh emotional wounds the Rainbooms were nursing. Adagio wanted this to hurt.

Both Fluttershy and Pinkie were in tears at this point. Adagio continued her diatribe against the girls, relentless in her attack. “I mean, you didn’t even pretend to care! You turned on her the second you suspected she was guilty.”

Rarity slammed her hand against the cold metal seating. “It’s not our fault that she was framed,” she shrieked. “We didn’t know it wasn’t her!” Tears ruined her mascara, staining her cheeks with black smears.

Aria interjected once again. “Well, you should have. You morons were supposed to be her friends,” she spat. Rarity shut up immediately. Blow after blow struck the Rainbooms in the heart, and it showed by their devastated expressions.

Adagio sighed, hand still rubbing comforting shapes on Trixie’s shoulder. “We’ve known Sunset Shimmer for a fraction of the time that you have, and we’ve been better friends than you ever were.” She sneered. “We may have been villains, but seriously! All we wanted was attention! You monsters were more vicious and cruel than we ever were.”

And finally, there was silence. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie had nothing to say. They were broken and defeated, the words from Trixie and the Dazzlings mentally mauling them until there was nothing left but heartbroken, remorseful shells.

And they deserved it.

Adagio squeezed Trixie’s shoulder and turned to leave, followed soon after by the other three. Just as they were about to make their way to the bottom of the bleachers, a small voice called out to them.

“Why was Sunset in the hospital?”

The four turned around, slowly. Rainbow Dash looked at them as though she was afraid of the answer. Like the rest of the Rainbooms, she was crying. “Principal Celestia said she was in the hospital. Why?” She repeated her question.

A tense silence hung in the air.

Sonata, who had remained silent throughout the whole ordeal, was the first to speak up. “That’s not our information to share,” she said. “And, quite frankly, I don’t think you deserve to know.”

And with that, Sunset’s real friends left her former friends alone to stew in their misery.

***

“Oh c’mon!”

Trixie threw a piece of popcorn at Sunset’s laptop, which was precariously balanced upon a pile of blankets in front of her and Sunset.

Sunset laughed at her friend’s frustrated expression. “I know, right? It takes them so long to get together!” She picked up the piece of popcorn Trixie had thrown and tossed it into her mouth, shooting a wolfish grin at the blue-haired girl seated next to her, who giggled.

The two girls were relaxing in Sunset’s room, watching- or rewatching, in Sunset’s case- The Office on Sunset’s computer. Sunset had declared it heresy when she discovered that Trixie had not seen the show, and demanded that they marathon the first few seasons afterschool.

“Uhg, they’re taking forever!” Trixie flopped back against Sunset’s pillows. She reached to grab another handful of popcorn, only to come up empty.

“Looks like we’re out,” Sunset said, grabbing the empty bowl. “I’ll go pop some more.” The flame-haired girl got up from her spot next to Trixie and trotted out the bedroom door.

Trixie smiled as she watched her retreat. They still hadn’t spoken about the almost-kiss at the hospital, and Trixie had no intention of bringing it up. “I don’t want to make things weird between us...” The magician shook her head and pushed any thoughts of the almost-kiss away as she loaded up the next episode. “Besides, we were all caught up in the moment. I probably just imagined it,” she uselessly tried to convince herself. There was no ignoring the chemistry between the two, and it was getting harder for Trixie to deny that there was a possibility her feelings were reciprocated.

A loud vibrating sound abruptly broke Trixie from her overanalyzing.

“That’s not my phone, must be Sunset’s,” Trixie thought. Only…

Sunset’s phone lay silent on her desk, completely powered off. The noise continued, and Trixie’s eyebrows scrunched in confusion. “If it’s not a phone, then what the hell is making that noise?”

The magician arose from her position on Sunset’s mattress. She listened closely, following the sound to a pile of clothes laid haphazardly around a red laundry hamper. Trixie knelt and pushed aside the mountain of shirts and pants, revealing a large book with a strange symbol on the cover; but what was most interesting about the book was that it was vibrating, not entirely unlike a cell phone.

Trixie picked up the odd journal and flipped it open, landing on what appeared to be the most recent page. She felt bad about snooping through Sunset’s personal belongings, but this was too interesting to leave alone. “It must be some sort of magical item,” Trixie concluded as she traced the neat, flowing handwriting that made up the most recent entry.

Dear Sunset Shimmer,

It’s been awhile since we’ve really talked. I wanted to check in, see how you were doing. I sort of feel like you’ve been avoiding me for the past month. Is something wrong? Are you okay?

I’m worried about you. I don’t mean to impose, but you’re my friend and I care about your wellbeing. Please write back soon.

Your friend, Twilight Sparkle

Trixie read the elegant writing with growing curiosity. “Twilight Sparkle? Like, Princess Twilight Sparkle?” The girl hadn’t heard that name in a while. She flipped through the book to a random page and started reading the older entries. They were written in two seperate styles of handwriting, and upon further inspection appeared to be written by Sunset and Twilight respectively.

“Interesting, this must be a kind of inter-dimensional communication device,” Trixie deduced. “Hm. I wonder why Sunset’s been evading close contact with Twilight. That can’t be healthy for her...”

Suddenly, Trixie was struck with an idea. She scrambled to Sunset’s desk and grabbed the nearest pen.

Dear Twilight Sparkle…

Author's Note

I AM SO SO SORRY THIS IS LATE!!!!!

This week has been SUPER hectic, and to be honest I sort of lost track of time :twilightoops: This is another long one though, so I hope that makes up for it a bit!

Shout out to KR Chrome for inspiration for some of Adagio's lines when she was tearing apart the Rainbooms :pinkiehappy:

Anyways it's nearly 1 am so I'm going to try and get some sleep now :scootangel: Hope you all enjoyed this chapter!

Until next time,

~Bitty Bug

Reconnection

Chapter 11 - Reconnection

Dear Twilight Sparkle,

My name is Trixie, I am a close friend of Sunset’s. You’re right, she’s been struggling a lot lately. I won’t go into any details as I’m not sure what she’d be comfortable telling you, and I do not want to betray her privacy anymore than I already have by writing in her book. I don’t know why she seems to be avoiding you, but I believe part of it has to do with her own personal conflictions.

I know you’re a princess, and you must be quite busy, but perhaps you could visit soon? I’d like to formally meet you- and apologize for my behavior at the Battle of the Bands. Additionally, I believe it may be a good idea for you to talk things out with Sunset. She’s been very fragile lately, but I feel that your friendship is one that is invaluable to her; as I’m sure you’ve noticed, she’s not exactly the best at approaching difficult situations that involve her own wellbeing.

I eagerly await your response,

Trixie Lulamoon

Twilight Sparkle was shocked, quite frankly, to receive such a sensitive and not-at-all-egotistical note from none other than the human version of Trixie. She read the entry again, noting how articulate and caring the human Trixie appeared to be. One thing was missing though…

“Ha,” Twilight thought with a smirk. “At least this confirms the third-person speaking isn’t permanent,” the purple alicorn chuckled to herself as she dipped her quill in ink and began her response.

Dear Trixie Lulamoon,

I thank you for your compassionate message, and I’m glad Sunset has a friend like you to lean on over there. I certainly agree with you and want to visit as soon as possible. Would tomorrow, Saturday, be alright? I could stay the weekend.

Sunset Shimmer is very important to me. She’s a wonderful person and an incredible friend, and I want her to be able to talk to me when things get bad. Thank you for helping me reconnect with her, I greatly appreciate your thoughtfulness.

Warmly,

Twilight Sparkle

Twilight finished the entry with a flourish and drop her quill into the inkwell with a satisfying plop.

“Huh,” Twilight pondered as she waited for Trixie’s reply. “When Sunset said she had made some new friends, I definitely did not expect one of them to be Trixie Lulamoon of all ponies- er, people.”

Soon enough, Trixie’s clean cursive writing was once again spreading across the page. Twilight leaned forward and read the words as they appeared on the worn, yellowed pages.

Dear Twilight Sparkle,

Tomorrow would be perfect! Sunset and I will meet you at the statue along with our other friends. You’ve met them before, but I think it would be best to explain in person.

Thank you for being there for Sunset. She needs all the support she can get right now.

We’ll see you soon,

Trixie Lulamoon

The purple pony smiled to herself and shut the journal, though she was a bit confused about the mention of Sunset’s other friends. “Eh, I’ll see them tomorrow. No use worrying,” she thought as she left her desk.

***

Saturday morning brought with it a warm breeze as the harsh weather of March softened, paving the way for the upcoming Spring. Five girls stood outside the otherwise empty school, chatting and smiling as they waited for the arrival of another.

“I still can’t believe you stole Sunset’s journal,” Sonata joked at Trixie.

Trixie scoffed. “It wasn’t stealing, I just borrowed it while Sunset wasn’t looking!” She crossed her arms, and Sonata laughed.

Sunset wasn’t paying much attention to her friends’ playful back-and-forth. She anxiously tapped her foot, sending glances to the Wondercolts statue every few seconds, as though she feared a ghost would pop out at any moment. As she looked to the marble structure for what must have been the hundredth time in five minutes, a fist punched her lightly in the arm.

“Hey pony girl!”

Sunset glared good-naturedly at Aria, who nudged her again. “You got that worry face on. What’s on your mind?”

Sunset bit her lip. Still unused to sharing her feelings, she considered giving a generic ‘I’m fine’ with the hopes that her friends would drop it, but she knew better. The four had made it clear to Sunset that they were dedicated to her recovery.

After a minute of quiet contemplation, in which her friends waited patiently, Sunset sighed. “I’m just nervous about seeing Twilight again,” she admitted. “I pushed her away after the Rainbooms ditched me. I feel really bad about how I treated her.”

Sonata smiled and wrapped her arms around Sunset’s body. “Don’t worry, Sunny! Twilight’s super nice, she won’t hold that against you,” she said as she squeezed her friend tightly.

Everyone laughed as Sunset awkwardly tried to return the hug- a task made difficult, as her arms were pinned to her sides by Sonata’s strong grip. “Besides,” Adagio added through a giggle. “It’s a common thing for people to push others away when something stressful occurs. Your reaction was completely natural.”

Sonata finally released Sunset, who smiled at each of her friends. “Thank you, guys,” she said earnestly. “I really appreciate the reassurance.”

The four grinned back at Sunset just as the portal started glowing. The girls turned and watched as the statue spat out a disoriented Twilight Sparkle.

Sunset nervously shifted on her feet before walking over to the pony-turned-human and offering a hand and a timid smile. “Hey Twi,” Sunset said as Twilight graciously took her hand and got to her feet. The two just looked at each other for a moment before Twilight tackled Sunset in a hug that could rival Sonata’s.

Sunset froze for a split second before returning the embrace in full. The two simply stood in each other’s arms for a minute, enjoying their reunion.

“I missed you, Sunset,” Twilight said as she released the other girl from their embrace.

Sunset sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck. She was about to respond, but was beaten to the punch by another voice.

“What did we say, Sunny? Told you she’d be good about it,” Aria smirked as she approached the two. Adagio, Sonata, and Trixie followed close behind.

Twilight’s jaw dropped when she recognized the three former sirens. She looked to Trixie, who just smiled and shrugged. “Wh- how did- they’re-” Twilight stumbled over her words as she looked between the three sisters, who each gave smiles with varying degrees of mischief.

Sonata’s expression was open and welcoming. Aria was amused, and appeared to be enjoying every second of Twilight’s bewilderment. Adagio’s grin was downright predatory and her eyes were lidded. “Hey there, Princess,” she purred.

Twilight’s face flushed and she let out a tiny squeak. She turned back to Sunset. “Them?” She questioned. “They’re the friends you mentioned?”

Sunset laughed at the wide-eyed expression on her friend’s face. “Don’t worry, Twilight,” she placated. “They’re cool now, I promise.”

Trixie nodded in agreement. “I was skeptical at first too, but we’ve all been hanging out for a few months and they’re really now that bad anymore.”

Aria feigned offense with a dramatic scoff. “Not that bad? What’s that supposed to mean, magic girl?” The punk slung an arm over Trixie’s shoulder and brought her in close, ruffling her pristine blue hair.

Adagio ignored the spectacle and strut up to the flustered princess with her usual confidence, though her expression had softened into something more genuine. “All jokes aside, Twilight, we really are different. It’s a long story, but we’re pretty much just humans now.” She stopped in front of Twilight and met her gaze with nothing but authenticity. “I know this is all pretty shocking, but Sunset and Trixie have become our family. We’d never do anything to hurt them- or you, by extension,” Adagio finished with her signature smirk.

Twilight bit her lip and cast her eyes to the ground, contemplating the influx of new information. Finally, she sighed and met the elder sister’s gaze once more.

“Alright,” she said. “If Sunset trusts you, then I guess I can try to as well.”

Sonata let out a cheer as she scooped a very shocked Twilight into a bear hug. “New friend!”

Once she was finally freed from Sonata’s vice-grip, Twilight straightened herself up. After she patted down her skirt, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to find Trixie grinning at her trough hair still messed up from Aria’s earlier teasing. “Welcome back to the human world, Princess,” she said warmly. “It’s nice to officially met you, now that there isn’t some sort of magical threat looming over everyone.”

Twilight smiled. “It’s nice to meet you too, Trixie.” She turned to address the rest of the group. “Now, I believe we have a lot to catch up on. Should we go to Sugarcube Corner to talk?”

Sunset winced at the name of her ex-friends’ usual hangout. “Eh, maybe not there. I don’t want to run into the Rainbooms.”

“Ah, sorry...”

Silence descended on the group, which was broken by Sonata just as it was starting to get uncomfortable. “Trixie and I found this super cute café just down the road, why don’t we go there?”

Sunset smiled at the blue girl. “Sounds great, thank you Sonata.”

As the group started in the direction of the café, Sunset couldn’t help but feel a tiny ball of dread settle in her stomach. “Yet another difficult conversation,” she thought anxiously. “Hope you’re ready for some depressing shit, Twilight.”

***

Several coffees and sugary pastries later, Twilight was nearly caught up in everything that had happened over the past months. Sunset kept up her nonchalant facade throughout the entire explanation. She and the others took turns speaking, sometimes interrupting each other to interject details that were forgotten.

“...then a few days ago I was released from the hospital, and Trixie and the Dazzlings gave the Rainbooms the verbal beatdown of the century- thanks again, guys- and now we’re here,” Sunset finished the story with forced calm in her voice. Reliving the months of pain was difficult, but necessary. Twilight needed to know what happened.

Trixie had gotten good at detecting when Sunset was uncomfortable, even when the girl was trying to hide it. She silently laid a hand over one of the red-head’s clenched fists underneath the table, working her fingers around until their hands were joined. Sunset relaxed slightly, and shot Trixie a grateful smile. Trixie pretended not to notice the light blush that dusted Sunset’s freckled cheeks.

The quiet that had blanketed the table was tense as Twilight processed the horrors Sunset had barely lived through. Twilight’s jaw was clenched tightly, and her eyes held a rage that Sunset had never seen before.

A loud bang broke the silence as Twilight slammed her hand on the table, startling the girls seated around her.

“How dare they?!” Twilight barely managed to keep her voice down as she let the rage simmering in her heart leak out. “Those bastards were supposed to take care of you, for Celestia’s sake!” Her wild gestures nearly knocked over her half-eaten blueberry muffin.

The Dazzlings exchanged shocked glances. They thought the Princess was all ‘friendship and rainbows;’ they had no idea she could be so severe. Adagio was sort of loving Twilight’s newfound intensity.

Twilight let out a humourless laugh as she continued her rant. “I mean, I never should have trusted them. I didn’t take the differences of our worlds into account. I can’t believe I mistook them for my friends.”

Sunset’s eyebrows drew together. “What do you mean, Twi?”

Twilight huffed and took an angry bite of her muffin. “My friends never would have been so horrible,” she lamented. “I made the mistake of thinking they were the same Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie from my world. The ones that I’d trust with my life, the ones that I’ve been through so much with.” Anger flooded Twilight’s senses, and it was visible through her tense posture and flaming eyes. “The ones that never would have betrayed you.”

Twilight looked up at the stunned faces in front of her. Her voice was venomous when she spoke again.

“I want to speak with them.”

Sonata blinked. “Uh, we sorta beat you to the punch, Princess, remember?”

“I don’t care,” Twilight bit back. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. It only half worked. She continued with a little more control over her anger. “I don’t care. I want them to know that they’re essentially dead to me now.”

There was a beat of shocked silence before Aria burst into laughter.

“Damn, Princess, I didn’t think you had it in you!” The punk guffawed, soon joined by the rest of the girls.

As the giggles died down, Sunset looked over to Twilight, who had softened a bit during the laughter. “Honestly, Twi?” Sunset chuckled one last time, and her voice faded into seriousness. “Fuckin’ have at it,” She was just as angry as Twilight was, if not more so.

Adagio spoke up, bringing Sunset and Twilight out of their respective hateful thoughts. “Well, as much as I love seeing Twilight get all worked up,” she shot a flirtatious wink to Twilight, who squeaked. “I suggest we move onto less depressing topics for the time being.”

Sunset gave Adagio a grateful glance, Aria shrugged, and Sonata and Trixie nodded in agreement. As the conversation switched to more uplifting subjects, Trixie felt a hand softly squeeze her own underneath the table. She fought a blush as she realized that she and Sunset had never unclasped their hands. Looking up at the red-head seated next to her, Trixie was met with a warm smile. She understood the silent message Sunset was trying to convey.

“Thank you.”

For inviting Twilight over? For offering comfort? For what, Trixie didn’t exactly know; but what she did know was that she loved the feeling of Sunset’s hand in her own, and that she never wanted the other girl to stop smiling.

Author's Note

First chapter of two tonight! Again, sorry for the tardiness (and for the shameless TwiDagio I sprinkled in :twilightblush: )

~Bitty Bug

Cleansing

Chapter 12 - Cleansing

Sunday found five girls seated silently around their usual booth at Sugarcube Corner. Untouched food was scattered across the table, neglected by the present company as they contemplated the scathing anger, harsh words, and disappointed glares that Twilight had made sure they would never forget.

I can’t fucking believe you five. I fucking trusted you to take care of her, and what do you do? You fucking left her when she needed you the most.

Applejack’s hat was pulled low over her face. She was too ashamed to even look at her friends.

Do you even know what you did to her?

Rarity’s heart felt like it was being crushed between two walls of stone.

She tried to kill herself. Twice.

Rainbow Dash was taking it harder than anyone else. It was rare to see the athlete cry, but she hadn’t stopped since Twilight had given them that particular bit of information.

The Rainbooms were shattered. The verbal slaughter that the Dazzlings and Trixie had delivered paled in comparison to what Twilight brought them just moments ago, before she stormed out of the quiet café.

You five disgust me. Celestia help you if you get into any more magic trouble, because I won’t be there to save your careless asses.

Quiet sobs mixed with the late March rain that blew against the building’s windows. There wasn’t a dry eye at the table as the five lamented over their mistakes. Pinkie Pie’s hair seemed to be permanently greyed, and Fluttershy was shakily rubbing her bunny, Angel, in a desperate attempt to find some sort of comfort.

Maybe Twilight was beating a dead horse in paying the Rainbooms a visit.

Maybe it didn’t matter. They certainly deserved it.

All the Rainbooms knew was that they felt like absolute shit about what they- and their sisters- did, and it was clear that there was no way in hell for them to make amends.

***

Sunset Shimmer was having a surprisingly good day. Trixie, the Dazzlings, and Twilight had all slept over at Trixie’s house, and five of the six were currently enjoying lunch at the kitchen table as they waited for Twilight to return from her visit with the Rainbooms.

Sunset gazed contentedly out of the window. Rain was her favourite kind of weather, and never failed to soothe her when she was feeling down. As Trixie entertained the others with show magic, Sunset turned her attention back to the papers that Supernova had given her the day prior.

“Guidelines, huh?” She thought with a sigh. “I was hoping she would forget about them by the time I checked out of the hospital.” But, of course, Supernova Lulamoon did not forget.

Teal eyes traced the words on the crisp papers in front of her, inattentive as Sonata cheered at Trixie’s card tricks.

I will be confiscating any and all sharp objects that you own, as well as anything that can be used for suicide.

You will be sending me or Trixie updates by phone every hour that you spend outside of school, excluding time you spend with Trixie, so that we know you aren’t doing something destructive.

You will notify one of us when you go to bed and when you wake up, as well.

In addition, I’m going to give you some papers about healthy coping mechanisms and cognitive behavioral therapy. You must actively try and implement these things into your life.

These guidelines will be in effect for the next two months, after which we will meet up and I will determine if you are safe enough to drop some of these restrictions.

Sunset flipped through the packet Supernova had given her. The doctor had already promised to accompany her back to her factory afterschool on Monday so she could find and take away all the dangerous items. “Uhg,” Sunset’s nose wrinkled as she reread the guidelines. “I mean, this makes sense and it’s all fair, but I definitely don’t have to like it.”

Sunset’s petulant thoughts were interrupted by a series of knocks against the door, followed by the sound of Twilight entering the house and slipping off the raincoat she borrowed from Trixie.

“Hey guys, I’m back,” Twilight’s cheery voice rang out as the purple pony-turned-human breezed into the kitchen.

Adagio shifted in her seat, moving to put her feet up on the table. “You look surprisingly happy, Princess,” she snickered as Trixie shoved her feet off the surface. “Yelling at the Rainbitches feels great, doesn’t it?” The elder sister continued, unphased by Trixie’s glare.

Twilight gave a small laugh as she took a seat next to Sunset. “... Maybe a little bit,” she admitted, grabbing a sandwich from the plate at the center of the table and taking a bite. “I usually try not to let my anger get the best of me,” she said through her food. “But Celestia above, they really messed up.”

Sunset grinned. It was nice spending time with both her Equestrian and human friends. Twilight seemed to be getting along shockingly well with the Dazzlings, despite their mischievous personalities clashing with her innocence.

Trixie got up from her spot at the table and started collecting the empty plates strewn about. “So,” she said as she put the dirtied dishes in the sink. “What do you guys want to do now?”

Sonata suddenly brightened. “Oh! Can we try that computer game that Aria mentioned?” The former siren exclaimed with excitement. “Golfing with pals, right?”

Aria snorted and Sunset barked a laugh. “Sounds great, Sonata.”

As the six migrated to Trixie’s room, Twilight grabbed Sunset by the arm. “Um, Sunset?” The Princess’ expression had sobered into something more serious. “Is it okay if we talk alone for a second?”

Sunset felt anxiety flare in her chest. “Calm down, idiot, it’s just Twilight. It’s nothing bad,” she tried to calm herself as she gave Twilight a shaky smile.

“Sure thing, Twi.” Sunset turned to Trixie, who was lingering at the base of the stairs leading to the house’s second level. “We’ll be up in a sec, go ahead and start the game without us.”

Trixie nodded and shot Sunset a supportive expression before dashing up the stairs.

Twilight sat back down at the table, and Sunset followed. The Princess’ hair formed a curtain around her face, hiding it from Sunset’s view. The two were silent for a moment before Twilight spoke up, her voice trembling.

“Please never shut me out again, Sunset.”

Twilight lifted her head and met Sunset’s eyes. Sunset let out a small gasp when she saw the tears gathering in her friend’s eyes. “I was so worried about you,” she continued. “I understand that depression is a difficult thing to deal with, but I can’t try to help if you don’t talk to me.”

Sunset looked down at the table. “I know. I’m sorry, Twilight. It’s just-” her words caught in her throat, and she tried to push past the anxiety. “I’m only just learning how to talk about this stuff. I’m so used to keeping it to myself...”

Twilight reached across to the table and gentle brought Sunset’s hand into hers. “I know I’m not here in the human world a lot, but you can always talk to me with the journal if you ever need to rant.” Sunset met Twilight’s watery eyes. “I don’t know what I’d do if you succeeded...”

Sunset lunged across the table and brought Twilight into a hug, her own tears just starting to fall. “I won’t try again, I promise,” she choked out. “I promise...”

After a few moments, the two separated. Sunset looked at Twilight. “I’m not going to push you away anymore, Twi,” she said earnestly. “I’m sorry. I was just upset that no one was listening to me about the whole Anon-a-miss thing.”

Twilight smiled and wiped her eyes. “No, I’m sorry. You were right to be angry with me, I should have realized that those five aren’t the same as the five from my world.”

Sunset chuckled. “How about we agree to stop apologizing to each other? Otherwise I don’t think we’d ever stop,” she joked.

“Deal,” Twilight giggled. “Let’s go join the others.”

As the duo ascended the stairs, Sunset felt a warm feeling settle in her heart. She hadn’t felt this light in a long time.

***

All too soon, Monday came, and it was time to bid Twilight adieu. Early morning sunlight mixed with the residual smell of Sunday’s rain to create a peaceful atmosphere, only broken by six sets of footsteps as the girls approached the Wondercolts statue. It was early enough that they were the only people there. Trixie had suggested they leave early so as not to draw unnecessary attention to Twilight’s presence.

“Well, I guess this is goodbye, Princess,” Adagio said with a smirk. “It’s been wonderful spending time with you,” she purred, relishing in the flustered blush that erupted on the shorter girl’s face.

“Um, it’s been, ahem, nice to see you as well, Adagio,” Twilight managed to stutter out, ignoring the amused look she was getting from both Sunset and Trixie.

The Princess was still recovering from Adagio’s flirtatious farewell when Sonata leapt forward and pulled her into another one of her crushing hugs. “You have to come back soon, this was SO fun!” Everyone laughed at Twilight’s flabbergasted expression. Aria simply gave Twilight a mischievous look and a wave over her sister’s shoulder.

When Sonata finally released Twilight, it was Trixie’s turn to say goodbye. She gave the other an amicable pat on the shoulder. “Thanks for coming over, Twilight. I’m glad you and Sunset got to talk.”

Twilight grinned. “Thank you for making this possible. You’re a great friend, Trixie.” The magician retracted her hand, shooting one last smile at her new friend as she stepped back, allowing Sunset to approach.

The two girls looked at eachother for a moment before Sunset enveloped her friend in a warm hug. “I promise I’ll write you every day,” she mumbled into Twilight’s shoulder. “I’m not going to shut you out again.”

Twilight pulled away with a bright smile on her face. “Just remember that I’m here for you,” she said as she stepped away. Twilight turned to the rest of the group. “It was really great to get to know you all. I hope I’ll see you all again next time I visit.”

And with that, Twilight stepped through the portal.

The group was quiet for a moment before Aria strode up to Sunset and slapped her playfully on the back. “Welp, that was fun. She’s less of a stick-in-the-mud than I thought she’d be,” the punk quipped. Sunset nudged her friend in the ribs with a smile, and the group light-heartedly started moving towards the school.

Sunset was escorted to her locker, then to her first period by her friends, as usual. As she waved goodbye to her group with a smile, she pulled out her phone for the first time since Friday. Seeing the recent messages from anyone but her real friends would always leave her feeling upset, so Sunset had gotten into the habit of leaving her phone off most of the time.

The red-head sat down at her desk as the screen brightened and unlocked. Almost automatically, Sunset opened up her messaging app and stared at it for a second. An idea flickered through her head, and she acted on instinct. With a few taps and a smile, a notification popped up on the screen.

>Are you sure you want to block this number?

Sunset’s smile grew as she hit ‘yes.’ “Goodbye, Rainbow Dash,” she thought cheerfully as she started tapping again, repeating the process four more times.

In less than a minute, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie also joined Sunset’s list of blocked numbers.

Sunset leaned back in her seat and pocketed the device as the bell rang and Miss Harshwhinny began her lecture. “I should have done that a long time ago,” Sunset thought as she got out her textbook. “That felt amazing!”

***

Trixie and Supernova watched as Sunset shoved open the door to her factory.

“Home sweet home,” she muttered sarcastically as she let her guests in. Supernova immediately gave Sunset an expectant look, and the teen sighed. “All the dangerous stuff is in the Maintenance closet, and I’ll go grab my pocket knife. You can check my room and bathroom after that if you want.” Sunset spun on her heel and rushed to her room, leaving Trixie and her mother to explore the Maintenance closet.

By the time Sunset returned with her cutting knife, Trixie had checked the kitchenette and Supernova had raided the closet. She collected the rope leftover from Sunset’s first attempt, a rusty saw, and a broken screwdriver in the plastic bag she had brought. Sunset trotted down the stars and dropped her blade into the bag.

There weren’t many words exchanged during the ordeal. The red-head led her guests upstairs, opting to lean against the wall and watch as Supernova searched first through her bathroom, then her makeshift bedroom. The only things worth taking were a pair of scissors and the only remaining bottle of over the counter medication that Sunset hadn’t swallowed during her second attempt.

Sunset felt a pang of anxiety as she watched Supernova collect her coping mechanisms, but she forced it away. “This is good,” she affirmed. “I don’t want to go down that path anymore.”

“This is the first step towards something better.”

Author's Note

Thank you all so much for the kind messages you gave me on my update, I really appreciate the understanding and support! I hope you enjoy these two chapters!

Things are going to mellow out a little after this; life is starting to look up for Sunset, and now that all that drama is done with, things can heat up between her and Trixie :trixieshiftright:

Also maybe I was a liiiiiittle too harsh with the Rainbooms, but like I said, it starts looking up from here :trollestia:

~Bitty Bug

Lovey Dovey Bullshit

Chapter 13 - Lovey Dovey Bullshit

April had begun quietly, and Sunset definitely wasn’t complaining. The students of Canterlot High had finally stopped pestering her for forgiveness, mostly due to her friends fiercely protecting her from any unwanted contact. Sunset knew she couldn’t hide from the student body forever, but she just really didn’t want to deal with them yet. Not while she was still fragile, though she was in a better place than she was during March. A few of the ‘healthy coping mechanisms’ that Supernova had given her were working, much to Sunset’s surprise, so her mind was starting to be a little nicer to her. Despite her initial grumbling, Sunset was committed to recovery; she had reasons to fight, now.

Sunset woke up feeling less shitty than usual. She shot a quick text to Supernova letting her know she was up and allowed herself a small smile. “Huh. I guess even trash like me can have good days too-”

Sunset winced at the compulsive beratement. Her mind was starting to be nicer to her, yes, but thinking positive was very new to the girl. It was extremely difficult to unlearn years of negative thinking and self hatred.

“Positive thinking, Sunset,” the red-head reminded herself as she threw off her covers and arose from her bed. “Uh, let’s rephrase that,” she thought, shooting a quick glance to the list of positive coping skills on her desk. She reached for the day’s clothes and tried to ‘reframe her mindset,’ as the paper suggested.

“I’m not a perfect person and I’m still healing,” Sunset thought with a sigh, feeling a little silly. She pulled on her pants and continued the thought. “But, um, that doesn’t mean I can’t feel okay sometimes, I guess.” She rolled her eyes at herself, pulling her long-sleeved shirt over her head and tying her sweatshirt around her waist. Having to manually change her thinking felt stupid sometimes.

Sunset grabbed her backpack and a granola bar before she left her factory, beginning the long walk to school. The weather was starting to warm up, slowly eliminating Sunset’s excuse to wear long-sleeved shirts. She pushed that thought from her head and simply tried to enjoy the sight of the wildflowers poking up from the cracked concrete that paved the abandoned lot she lived in.

Sunset picked a small blue flower from the path and let herself smile. She played with the flower a bit before subconsciously tucking it into her pocket and continuing her walk with a little more pep that before.

***

“You have to tell me more about your world’s magic, by the way,” Trixie reminded Sunset as they walked towards the library for lunch.

“I don’t think the rules transition to this world,” Sunset replied.

Trixie cursed under her breath. “Well, still, I’m really curious.”

She held up her hand, and Sunset gave a small look of surprise as sparks lit across her friend’s fingertips. A familiar feeling stirred in the air around them; this was no show magic.

“That still surprises me,” Sunset thought as she tried to wipe the shock off her face. Trixie had shown her some of her magic in the past, but it was still odd to the former mage. “Before I met the Rainbooms, I didn’t think humans could use magic at all. And even then, I thought it was just an anomaly.”

Trixie smirked at the awe still evident on Sunset’s face. “Magic runs in my family, but I’m sure I don’t need to tell you how weak it is here,” she sighed. “I wanted to see if any of your world’s knowledge would make it stronger.”

Sunset was quiet for a moment as the two approached the library’s doors.

“Well,” she said as the smell of books invaded her senses and the two made their way to where the Dazzlings were sitting. “There’s definitely Equestrian magic in this world now. Maybe some stuff transferred over…?”

Trixie brightened, and Sunset felt a flutter in her chest upon seeing the hundred-kilowatt smile that Trixie gave her. “Let’s test it!” The magician was practically vibrating with excitement as she and Sunset sat down in their usual spots next to each other. The Dazzlings looked up from their lunch.

“Test what?” Sonata’s voice inquired before Sunset could respond.

Trixie looked ready to burst. “Sunset’s going to teach Trixie Equestrian magic!”

There was a beat of silence as Aria and Sonata’s jaws dropped. Adagio only raised an eyebrow. Once the former two recovered from the initial shock, they immediately bombarded Trixie and Sunset with questions.

“What the actual fuck?”

“How does it work here?”

“Can a human even learn magic?”

“Does human magic work the same as our magic?”

“Will you idiots shut up!” Aria and Sonata shut their mouths at the sound of Adagio’s irked voice. With the barrage of confusion silenced, Adagio continued. “It was only a matter of time before the magician asked for magic lessons, it’s not that surprising,” she huffed and shifted her eyes to Sunset. “If you need any help we’d be happy to lend a hand, though I believe the three of us know just as much as you do.”

Sunset smiled sheepishly. “Yeah, we were just going to test a few things out,” she said. “Like if any Equestrian theorems and laws work here.”

Sonata leaned forward. “Let’s all get together this weekend!” The blue girl looked about as excited as Trixie, who was eagerly bouncing in her seat.

Aria smiled, leaning forward as well. “We can meet at Sunset’s factory,” she suggested. “That way, we have plenty of space if things go haywire.”

Trixie’s smile was impossibly wide. She squealed and pulled Sunset into a close hug.

Sunset’s blush did not go unnoticed by the Dazzlings.

***

Sunset sat in her Astronomy class, only half listening to Ms. Inkwell excitedly lecture about constellations. She doodled aimlessly, little stars and crescent moons adorning the page in front of her. The red-head let her mind wander, an act that had become less dangerous over the past few weeks.

Sunset was certainly excited for the ‘magic lesson,’ but the thoughts her mind settled on were of the upcoming experiment. Her doodles unconsciously turned to hearts as she pretended not to stare at Trixie while the astronomy-lover diligently took notes. A stupid grin spread across Sunset’s face.

“There’s that deep-in-thought look again. What a cutie...”

She didn’t even bother reprimanding herself for the cutesy thoughts monopolizing her mind; not this time, at least. Sunset had long ago recognized that her feelings towards Trixie weren’t just platonic. She knew it was pointless to try and shove those thoughts and feelings away, so she just let them happen now. After all, what’s wrong with some harmless crushing over someone?

Sunset momentarily blinked out of her mental drooling as Trixie shifted in her seat. The blue-haired girl caught Sunset’s eye and gave her a quick smile before returning to her schoolwork. Sunset smiled back, even though the other couldn’t see it.

Sunset wasn’t blind. She had seen the looks, the blushes from Trixie. She remembered their little moments together; outside of Sugarcube Corner, when the magician saved her from her locker, the almost-kiss at the hospital. Sunset figured the other girl might have a crush on her. If she were to take the initiative, her feelings would no doubt be reciprocated...

But thinking was one thing; action was another. “It wouldn’t ever happen. She doesn’t deserve to have someone as… difficult as me.” Sunset sighed. “Depressed, massively anxious- oh yeah, and I’m a magical pony from another dimension! I’m a lot to deal with.”

As Sunset continued thinking, now outright ignoring her teacher, she looked down at her paper. She immediately stopped doodling as she noticed the ludicrous amount of hearts that were scattered across the page, forming constellations of their own.

“It wouldn’t happen,” Sunset thought as she glanced back at Trixie once more. She shook her head and finally started scratching down some notes.

***

That night, like many others, the Dazzling’s kitchen was alive as the girls cleaned up the remains of their dinner. Adagio scrubbed their plates and handed them to Aria, who put them in the dishwasher. The cook of the family was exempt from cleanup, of course.

“They aren’t even being subtle about it,” Aria gossiped as she put another plate into the dishwasher. “Even Sonata’s noticed! I mean, did you guys see them at lunch today?”

Sonata nodded from her seat at their small dining table. “I have my money on Trixie asking Sunset out,” she said with a grin.

Adagio laughed. Her siblings had figured out about Sunset and Trixie’s feelings by themselves. Though the trio was reformed, that didn’t necessarily mean they lost their love for drama; it was what they knew best, so of course they were highly attuned to things like the ‘SunTrix situation,’ as Sonata had dubbed it.

Adagio finished washing the last of their dishes and passed it to Aria, who scoffed. “Oh please, Trixie’s too chickenshit to ask.” Sonata rolled her eyes as the two dried their hands and joined her at the table.

Adagio nodded in agreement with Aria. “You have to be forward with this kind of thing; Trixie is confident, but she’s not forward with her feelings.”

At that comment Sonata and Aria exchanged glances, wearing matching smirks. Adagio narrowed her eyes at the two. “What,” she asked flatly.

Aria’s smirk deepened. “Well, you were definitely pretty forward with a certain purple Princess,” she said teasingly.

Adagio’s eyes narrowed further. “What’s that supposed to mean?” She demanded.

Sonata picked up where her sister left off. “All we’re saying is that Trixie and Sunset aren’t the only ones with a crush,”

Adagio’s cheeks burst into a blush. “Wh- absolutely ridiculous, I- shut up!” The former siren’s sputtering certainly wasn’t helping her case. Her sisters broke into raucous laughter. “She’s just easy to fluster!” Adagio insisted.

Aria wiped mirthful tears from her eyes. “Yeah and so are you, apparently,” she grinned.

Sonata playfully poked at Adagio’s red cheeks, remaining unphased when her hands were violently swatted away. Adagio grumbled something that sounded vaguely like ‘go fuck yourself’ as she pushed back her chair and stormed from the room.

Sonata covered a snicker behind her hand, watching her sister’s graceless retreat. “You think we pushed her too far?”

Aria waved a hand dismissively. “Nah, she’s just being difficult. You know she isn’t savvy to her own lovey dovey bullshit,” she responded. “She’ll admit it eventually.”

***

Trixie counted the glow-in-the-dark stars covering her ceiling for the fifth time. She was so excited for her ‘magic lesson;’ sleep was impossible!

“Alas, it’s only Monday,” she thought morosely, turning over in her bed. She willed thoughts of magic from her mind. “Getting all excited won’t help me sleep,” she huffed, letting herself relax. Without the distraction of magic, however, Trixie’s mind shifted to another heartracing topic, dispelling any drowsiness that had managed to creep in.

This definitely wasn’t the first time she lost sleep thinking about the Sunset Shimmer.

Thoughts of Sunset flooded Trixie’s mind. The girl’s rare, but radiant smile. Her speckled eyes and freckled cheeks. The feeling of her breath on Trixie’s lips.

Trixie felt her face grow warm in the darkness. Her thoughts took a lewd turn, one that she refrained from entertaining in the past. Tonight, however, she hesitantly allowed her imagination to run wild- just a little bit.

Her mind conjured beautifully devious images of Sunset. How her hands would feel exploring Trixie’s body. The taste of her lips, her tongue. The delightful sounds she’d make-

Trixie bit her lip hard enough to taste blood. “Nevermind! Trixie is not thinking about that!” But the hot arousal pooling between her legs told a different story.

Trixie slammed her eyes shut, clenching her legs together and pretending to sleep until the real thing finally overtook her. Thoughts of Sunset followed her into her dreams, teasing her mind and leaving her restless.

Author's Note

A little fluff chapter, now that the earthshattering stuff is done with!

Sooo I've been on the fence about adding a smut chapter at some point, kinda teased it at the end there. What do you all think, yay or nay?

Also if enough people are interested, I might make a spinoff/sequel focused around Adagio/Twilight :trixieshiftright:

How you all enjoyed!

~Bitty Bug

Fallout

Chapter 14 - Fallout

Rainbow Dash stared at the heavy wooden door in front of her, not making any move to knock. An awful feeling had settled in her stomach long ago, but seeing the door that lead to Principal Celestia’s office made the feeling intensify tenfold. She clenched the already wrinkled sheet of paper in her hands tightly, paying no mind to the small tears forming around the edges.

If there was one thing Rainbow Dash was bad at, it was admitting she was wrong. This time, however, the undeniable fact of her falsity had punched her straight in the stomach several times over. There was no fixing what she and her friends had done to Sunset, but this was the least she could do.

Taking a breath and steeling her nerves, Rainbow Dash knocked on the door.

“Come in.”

The athlete entered the room uncertainly, keeping her eyes downcast; the normally sunny Principal was downright terrifying when she was angry.

“Um, hey Principal Celestia,” Dash started, her voice shaking as much as her legs. “I have some information on the people that contacted Anon-a-miss... and also some of the people who bullied Sunset.”

Principal Celestia was quiet for a moment before Rainbow Dash heard her sigh. “Alright. What do you have and why have you taken so long to share it?”

Rainbow Dash wilted under the cold look the Principal was giving her. She swallowed past the lump in her throat and chose to ignore the second part of the question.

“Uh… here,” Rainbow awkwardly thrust the paper she was holding onto Principal Celestia’s desk, looking up for the first time since she entered the room. “That’s most of the accounts that contacted Anon-a-miss and who owns each account,” she explained as Celestia picked up the paper, scanning its contents.

“And how did you get these names?” The Principal questioned, her gaze unwavering as she met Dash’s nervous eyes.

“Me ‘n the soccer team asked around as much as we could.”

“I see,” Celestia replied. “And the bullies?”

At this, Dash averted her eyes again. “Um, Gilda was roughing her up a bit and uh, Spitfire and some of the soccer team… and me all locked Sunset in a locker.”

A dreadful silence covered the room as Celestia processed the information. The seconds felt like hours to Rainbow Dash as she stared at the floor, too ashamed to properly face the Principal.

Finally, Principal Celestia snorted out a humourless laugh. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised,” she said, and Rainbow curled into herself even further.

Celestia reached for her pen and started scribbling something onto one of the sticky note pads scattered across her desk. “Here,” she said, handing the note to Rainbow Dash. “Give this to Coach Wind Rider. You and the rest of the soccer team, regardless of who did or did not attack Sunset, will be given detention for the next month.”

The worn look on the woman’s face seeped frustration and disappointment as she continued. “I understand the soccer team made it to the championships. I have half a mind to ban the team from participating, but since you all got these names,” she gestured to the paper Dash had given her, “I will allow it.”

“Thank you Principal Celestia,” Rainbow Dash said, releasing a small breath of relief. She quickly made her way to the door, when Celestia’s voice stopped her.

“Miss Dash?”

Rainbow shuffled her feet and turned around, anxious to leave.

Celestia seemed lost in thought for a moment before she spoke again. “...Thank you for taking responsibility for your actions. You are one of the few students who have come forward about their treatment of Sunset during that whole disaster.”

Rainbow only winced as she turned back around, leaving the room without another word.

***

The kitchen was quiet and dark, a lone figure occupying a space at the table.

Lofty was a patient person. Having essentially raised Scootaloo from a child, she and her wife had to be. Between baby Scootaloo’s many stubborn fits and her adventurous spirit, Aunts Lofty Heights and Warm Holiday learned to balance their niece’s loud personality with kind tolerance and calm indulgence.

… So where had they gone wrong?

Lofty pinched the bridge of her nose, staring at her phone. The soft light from the device was the only illumination in the room. It highlighted the heavy bags under the woman’s eyes as she read things that made her stomach flip. Secrets, accusations, friendships crumbling; hatred projected for the world to see. And at the center of it all, the masterminds behind such a terrible plot, was the same baby she and her wife had loved to pieces.

“I thought we raised Scooty better than this…”

The sound of the front door opening and closing made Lofty look up. She gave a weak smile and put her phone down as Holiday walked into the kitchen, flipping the lights on before sitting down across from her with a small smile of her own.

“Hey sweetie,” Holiday said softly as she took Lofty’s hands in her own. She could see that the worry lines on her wife’s face had deepened since they heard the news about Anon-a-miss. “What were you doing, sitting in the dark like that?”

Lofty only sighed. “I’ve just been thinking about Scooty again,” she replied. “I can’t understand why our baby would do something so mean. I feel like we failed her...”

“Oh, sweetie...” Holiday cupped a hand against her wife’s cheek, rubbing away the tears that had begun to slip from her tired eyes. The couple had lost more than a little sleep thinking about the Crusader’s actions and questioning their role as Scootaloo’s surrogate parents. “We have to remember that this was Scootaloo’s decision, not ours. We couldn’t have known, and there isn’t anything we could have done to prevent it,” she said. “All we can do now is make sure she grows from her mistakes and doesn’t hurt anyone like this again.”

Lofty sniffled and nodded. “She’s a good kid, Holly. She really is,” she murmured.

“I know, sweetie. I think that temper of hers just took over.” Holiday leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to Lofty’s forehead before standing up. She walked to the pantry and began pulling foods out. Her wife soon joined her in preparing the night’s dinner as the two tried to ignore the sadness in their hearts.

***

The Apple Family was in fragments after the reveal of Anon-a-miss. The warmth and love that had surrounded Sweet Apple Acres was noticeably absent, and it showed on the stony faces of its inhabitants. Gone were the playful mud fights, the happy communal work of picking apples, the family cooking together each night. The usual chores that came with running a farm were just that, now; chores.

Granny was lost in thought as she moved about the kitchen, alone. She felt just awful about how she treated Sunset Shimmer. The Apple matriarch absentmindedly stirred the spaghetti sauce, lamenting over her actions. “Ah shoulda known it warn’t her. After Ah got to know her after the Fall Formal, how kind she always was...”

A part of Sunset’s detention after the Fall Formal was helping Granny Smith clean up the cafeteria and its kitchen. The teen had been nothing but polite and helpful, and even continued to help clean after her sentence was served. “And this whole family just spat in her face.” Granny frowned as she continued cooking.

The older woman had been in contact with the respective guardians of Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle in the wake of the Anon-a-miss fiasco. The families had collectively agreed on appropriate punishments for the three. The trio were mega grounded, and their phones were confiscated for the foreseeable future. They were also forbidden any sort of contact with each other until they proved they could be trusted again.

Which was going to take a very long time.

“Soup’s on,” Granny Smith half-heartedly called as she finished up the spaghetti and set out the silverware, mentally preparing for another tense, unhappy family dinner.

***

The resort’s breakfast bar served food 24/7. Waffles, pancakes, bacon, eggs; anything breakfast related was always readily available.

Cookie Crumbles was currently taking advantage of that.

After learning of Sweetie Belle’s role in the Anon-a-miss disaster, Hondo Flanks had suggested they take a vacation from their lives as parents. Oh, they were absolutely furious with their daughter, but the two decided that sometimes it was best to let the kids figure things out for themselves.

That didn’t mean Cookie’s mind was entirely free of anger and guilt, but drowning her thoughts in a pile of syrup was helping. After all, there was nothing some late-night waffles couldn’t fix, right?

… Right?

Cookie Crumbles sighed as she poured far too much syrup onto her food. “That Sweetie Belle and her rascal friends… I certainly hope they learn something from all this. I mean, it’s just embarrassing, really,” she thought, taking an indignant bite of her soggy waffles. “Rarity is a responsible girl. She’ll set Sweetie straight, I’m sure.”

***

Soccer practice that night was tense. Most of the team hadn’t spoken a word to Rainbow Dash all night. After another scrimmage full of overly aggressive kicks and silent keep-away from Rainbow, Coach Wind Rider blew his whistle.

“Alright everyone, let’s call it a night,” Coach Wind Rider’s gruff voice snapped as the team congregated at the sidelines. “I can tell nobody’s heart is in it today.”

Rainbow Dash lingered a bit as her teammates packed up their gear and started leaving the stadium. The warm nighttime air felt suffocating to her as she made her way to the bleachers, intending to have some time alone before going home to yet another night of procrastination and pretending her heart didn’t hurt.

Rainbow huffed a sigh as she heard someone approaching her on the metal seats. “Wonder who’s come to chew me out this time,” she thought.

“Hey, Dash.”

Rainbow was silent as Spitfire sat down next to her.

Spitfire sighed and ran a hand through her vibrant hair. “Look, Dash,” she began. “I don’t blame you for ratting us out to Celestia.” Rainbow’s head lifted, shock donning her features. Of all the people to be understanding about the situation, Spitfire seemed like the least likely.

The normally brash teen leaned back on her elbows. “To be honest, I feel pretty shit about what we did to Sunset,” she continued. “And I know you feel worse.” Rainbow Dash said nothing, but guilt flashed across her features.

Spitfire gave her friend a clap on the shoulder as she stood. “You did the right thing, Dash,” she said, making her way down the bleachers and pretending not to notice the tears leaking from Rainbow’s eyes.

***

Twilight Sparkle tossed and turned in her bed, her wings flaring out and knocking her covers off. Guilt simmered in her stomach and her thoughts raced.

“Anon-a-miss… Gabby Gums… I should have seen the connection sooner!” She turned over onto her side for the nth time that night. “I feel like such a fool...”

After returning to Equestria and calming down, the similarities between the two events slapped the Princess in the face. She should have known! She could have stopped the damage sooner, she could have done something!

Twilight whinnied and launched herself onto the floor with a thump. She got to her hooves, shaking herself out slightly, and moved to her window. “I need to get out for a bit, clear my head...” Igniting her magic, Twilight silently opened her window and peered out into the dark night sky. She slowly spread her wings and leapt out, catching herself in the air with a strong flap.

Wind whistled through the alicorn’s ears as she soared over the quiet town of Ponyville. The darkened homes and shops passed swiftly beneath her as she flew, gradually gaining altitude and losing sight of the familiar streets.

Soon, there was only Twilight, the clouds, and the beautiful expanse of silky night and shining stars. The Princess took in a deep breath of fresh air, smiling at the sensation of sublime solitude.

She flew until her wings ached, a feeling that was less prevalent now that she was used to extra appendages. Twilight spotted an especially fluffy-looking cloud and banked towards it. She touched down on its soft surface…

… Only to realize it was already occupied by another pony.

“Oh! Excuse me, I didn’t realize somepony was here...” Twilight trailed off as she recognized the pegasus she was now sharing a cloud with.

Rainbow Dash grinned up at her friend. “‘Sup, Egghead.”

Twilight giggled and settled in next to Rainbow. “Good evening, Rainbow,” she responded.

“So, what’s got your feathers in a ruffle, Twi?” Possessing the grace of a manticore, Rainbow Dash always got straight to the point. “You don’t take night flights unless something’s up,” she continued.

Twilight blinked. “I suppose I should be used to her bluntness by now,” she huffed internally.

The alicorn hesitated for a moment before sighing. “I’m just still caught up on the whole Anon-a-miss thing in the human world,” she mumbled eventually.

“Oh yeah,” Rainbow said, scratching her cheek. “Hey, come to think of it, wasn’t that whole thing a lot like the Gabby Gums incident?”

Twilight groaned and shoved her face into their shared cloud’s fluffiness.

When she finally lifted her face, which was covered with puffy bits of cloud, Rainbow at least had the decency to look a bit sheepish.

“Heh, I guess you already figured that out, huh.”

“No shit, Rainbow,” Twilight deadpanned as she shook the cloud bits from her face, and Rainbow barked out a laugh. “I’m just so upset with myself for not connecting the dots sooner,” Twilight continued. “I could have saved Sunset so much pain and suffering!” She buried her muzzle into the cloud once again.

Rainbow looked out into the inky sky for a moment as she gathered her thoughts. “Well,” she said eventually, “You can’t always expect to handle things perfectly when a crisis comes up. When we look back, we always see exactly what we should’ve done and how we should’ve acted, but we never really think about the things we did right.”

Rainbow blew a clump of messy hair from her face and shifted into a new position. “Dwelling on ‘what ifs’ and ‘should haves’ will only drive you crazy,” the pegasus said. “You did the best you could with the information you were given. All you can do now is accept that and move on.”

Twilight stared at Rainbow Dash. Every once in a while, the cocky, impetuous pony had a moment of great wisdom. It was rare, but it never failed to amaze Twilight and her friends.

Rainbow Dash yawned. “Well, whatever. That’s all the past; right now it’s night and I’m tired, and you should be too.”

Twilight let out a laugh that quickly turned into a yawn. “Yeah, you’re right, Dash.” She felt like a weight was lifted from her shoulders as she snuggled into the cloud’s feather-soft surface.

The night hung lightly in the air as together the two ponies drifted into a peaceful slumber.

Author's Note

Hey guys! I’m sorry, I really hate to leave you with another filler chapter :ajsleepy: The chapter I intended on releasing next (the magic lesson one) wasn’t quite polished, so I’d rather give y’all another filler than a rushed, unfinished chapter.

Also, I changed Aunt Lofty and Aunt Holiday’s names slightly; usually the names in the MLP world tend to have multiple parts, so I made them a little more ‘balanced.’

Hope you guys enjoyed! I’ll be back to better chapters next week :twilightsheepish:

Magic Lesson

Chapter 15 - Magic Lesson

The five magic users had been eagerly awaiting the coming of the weekend, and after what felt like ages, it was finally there.

Sunset dashed down the stairs to meet the series of knocks at the factory door. She flung it open with an excited smile that was mirrored on the faces of her friends.

Upon seeing her Sunset, Sonata flung herself forward, trapping the red-head in a hug. “Sunny! Ready to do some magic?” She chirped, earning a laugh from Trixie and an eyeroll from Adagio.

“You bet I am,” Sunset responded with a grin as Aria pried the ecstatic girl from her figure.

“Sorry about her,” Adagio sighed as she entered the factory’s foyer area. “She’s been practically vibrating since we woke up.” The elder siren’s voice was nonchalant, but Sunset could see the excitement hidden in her eyes.

Sunset shut the door behind them and led the group towards the large doors taking up the center of the far wall. She gripped and turned one of the doorknobs, shoving her shoulder against the rough metal surface. The doors were forced open with a loud screech, revealing the factory’s main floor. The area was mostly empty, save for some broken equipment and several layers of dust. Broken light fixtures overhead swayed back and forth, disturbed by the sudden use of a room long forgotten.

Aria whistled at the sight. “Damn pony girl, you’ve got a whole-ass party room in here,” she joked, making her way into the expansive room. Sunset rolled her eyes and followed the others inside.

Trixie made her way to a nearby conveyor belt, disturbing the thick coating of dust around the area by setting down the backpack she had been carrying.

“I brought the stuff you asked for, Sunset,” Trixie said as she wiped off some of the dust on the conveyor belt and hoisted herself up so that she was sitting comfortably, her toes just barely skimming the ground. As per Sunset’s request, the backpack contained a few items that, in Equestria, would aid in teaching a beginner mage.

“Awesome! I guess we can just dive right into it, then.” Sunset said, clapping her hands together. Aria and Sonata had settled on the floor in front of Trixie's conveyor belt, and Adagio had chosen to stand next to Sunset facing the other girls.

“So I guess the first thing to do would be magic basics,” Sunset started. Aria laughed as Trixie unzipped the smallest pouch of her backpack and pulled out a notepad and pen. Sunset giggled as well before starting the lesson.

“Magic can be considered as a type of energy,” she began. “In and of itself, it can’t be constructed or destructed, but it can construct and destruct other things.”

Trixie nodded in understanding, pausing her furious scribbling. “Like in physics, conservation of energy,” she said. “Energy cannot be created nor destroyed.”

“Exactly,” Sunset smiled.

Adagio added in. “Also similar to physics, magic follows what this world calls the ‘uncertainty principle…’”

“... Which states that, when dealing with dependant variables,” Aria picked up where her sister left off. “The more you know about one thing, the less you know about the other.”

Sunset nodded as Sonata piped up. “With that being said, magic is useless without some sort of… adaptor, I guess. In Equestria, every being has some way of using magic. Earth ponies were stronger and more in-tune with nature, pegasi could control weather, and unicorns could actively manipulate magic with their horns.”

“As sirens, we used our voices,” the blue girl subconsciously reached for the necklace that wasn’t there anymore. “Which sorta transformed into our amulets when we were banished here.”

Trixie looked up from her notes, and Sunset smiled at the thoughtful look on her face. “So,” Trixie inquired, “Would that mean that any human could use magic with the proper ‘adaptor?’”

The Equestrians fell silent for a moment as they processed the thought.

“Huh,” Sunset said, breaking the quiet. “I think you’re right, but with how scarce magic has been up until now, I think only humans with the most magic potential would be able to do so.”

Adagio hummed in agreement. “That would make sense. The Rainbooms’ counterparts are the elements of harmony, so they probably gained magical potential when the element of magic came over.”

“And that would definitely explain why I can do some magic,” Trixie said, unipping another pouch in her pack and pulling something out. “Not only does magic run in my family, but I also have this!” She presented a worn-looking wooden rod. It appeared to be handmade and very old, but it was far from frail. Intricate carvings of vines ran up and down the wand, forming words in what looked like Latin;

Potentia connexionis

Sunset only raised her eyebrows, but the Dazzlings all gasped. Aria and Sonata stood and Adagio reached out a shaking hand. Trixie, though confused, allowed the elder siren to gently take the artifact from her hands.

“It can’t be,” Adagio whispered.

Aria shook her head. “What the fuck…”

Sonata only stared, her eyes never leaving the wand.

“Uh, guys?” Sunset broke the trance that had befallen the sisters. “Care to explain what’s up?”

Adagio ignored Sunset and looked up, meeting Trixie’s eyes. “Where did you get this?”

Trixie gulped at the intensity she found in her friend’s gaze. “It’s been in my family for generations. Like I said, magic runs in my family.”

Adagio was silent for a beat before releasing a shaky sigh. She handed the wand back to Trixie and stepped back.

“Guys? Hey, what’s going on?” Sunset asked again, exchanging a worried look with Trixie.

Sonata, surprisingly, was the first to speak. “Are you aware of Mage Meadowbrook’s eight enchanted items?”

Sunset’s eyebrows scrunched together for a moment. Then it clicked. “Oh no way,” she breathed. “That’s the Wand of Distribution?!”

Sonata only nodded.

“Uh, hellooo?” Trixie waved a hand. “Confused human here, what the fuck is going on?”

***

Trixie listened patiently as the Dazzlings finished explaining the significance behind her wand.

“So you’re telling me,” Trixie started. “That one of the members of the original Elements of Harmony used the Equestrian version of this wand to help banish you to the human world...”

Adagio nodded.

“... And there are seven other items like this...”

Another nod.

“...And I’m probably related to her human counterpart?”

“Yup,” Adagio said, popping the ‘p.’

Trixie’s eyes held a deep fascination as she looked at her wand. “... Fuckin’ cool,” she whispered.

Sunset laughed. It took a second, but soon the Dazzlings joined in with snickers of their own.

“Well this has been an exciting start to our lesson,” Adagio said as the laughter subsided.

Sunset grinned. “You got that right.” The red-head brushed a lock of fiery hair behind her ear.

Trixie looked up at her friends with a mischievous smile. “Well, now that we’re all on the same page, let’s see what this thing can do!”

***

The sun had reached it peak in the sky. Sunshine leaked through the factory’s dusty windows. The girls had quickly found that simple Equestrian magic seemed to hold its laws on the human side of the mirror, and even worked well with human magic.

And apparently, Trixie was a prodigy.

“Now!”

At Sunset’s command, Adagio, Aria, and Sonata eached launched an apple into the air, keeping their location spread across the whole of the factory’s main floor.

Trixie felt the now familiar sensation of electricity running through her veins as she thrust her wand outward. A deep purple aura sparked from the tip of her wand and surrounded each of the apples before they hit the ground. The fruits were carefully floated to the conveyor belt housing Trixie’s almost-emptied backpack, where they were stacked into a small pyramid.

Trixie grinned and wiped the sweat from her forehead, adjusting her wand in her hand. Already she was starting to master levitation, much to the surprise of Sunset and the Dazzlings.

“Damn, Trix! That’s number ten, done!” Sunset call as she jogged over to where the other girl was standing. She snagged Trixie’s notebook from the conveyor belt and marked off another tally onto the now-completed list of intermediate levitation techniques that Twilight had provided through Sunset’s journal. “You’re a regular natural at this!”

Trixie beamed at the praise and reached for one of the apples she had just magicked. “Thanks, Sunset,” she said, taking a bite out of the fruit as the Dazzlings approached.

“What I would like to know is how a human is already this good,” Aria snarked, grabbing a water bottle from Trixie’s bag and tossing it to the budding magician.

Trixie caught in in her unoccupied hand and took a long drink. “I probably have a high magical potential because of my family’s history,” she said when she finally came up for air. “Gods, magic really takes a lot out of you, huh,” Trixie remarked as she shed her hoodie, revealing a white tank top that showed off her strong arms and small, perky bust.

“Ha, yeah, I guess so...” Sunset stumbled, distracted by the sight of Trixie’s arms and chest. The blue-haired girl didn’t wear sleeveless shirts often, but Sunset was often thrown off when she did. Adagio, Aria, and Sonata all exchanged smirks as Sunset tried to pretend she wasn’t looking at Trixie.

Trixie raised an eyebrow at Sunset’s awkward response. “Alright, weirdo,” she said jokingly before brushing past the flustered girl and reaching for the bird’s feather she had brought. “I’m going to practice that lightweight object levitation spell again, I was kinda shaky on it last time.”

As Trixie moved towards the center of the floor to practice, the Dazzlings descended onto Sunset like sharks to minnows.

Sunset feigned impassiveness, though internally, her heart was racing. “What,” she said flatly, as the former sirens affixed her with evil looks.

“Oh, nothing, Sunny,” Adagio said lightly. “You just look a little… bothered, is all.”

Sonata took over with a playful laugh. “Yeah, you’re getting a little red in the cheeks, there,” she commented, making Sunset’s blush deepen.

“I-I’m not- I wasn’t-” the flustered girl stammered, before being shushed by Aria.

“Careful, Sunset,” the punk said, pulling Sunset closer by the front of her shirt. “Your libido is showing.”

And with that, the Dazzlings left to ‘help’ Trixie with her magic, leaving a very red, very flustered Sunset Shimmer to scramble after them.

***

The sun set in beautiful reds and golds, showering Equestria in its brilliance. Twilight watched from her window, her journal open to the most recent update from Sunset.

Hey Twilight!

The magic lesson today was a total success! We decided to have a sleepover since Trixie was a bit worn out from all the magic use. She’s a real prodigy; she burned through those levitation spells like it was nothing, and we managed to start on teleportation as well!

Today, we learned that, at the very least, the basics of Equestrian magic still hold on this side of the mirror. So far, Equestrian magic appears to mingle with the tiny bit of preexisting human magic very well. Trixie was able to perform her human magic at an even higher standard of what she can usually produce.

We’ve all decided to keep testing to magical limits and properties here. I’ll keep you updated on our findings. Next time, we’re going to test if I can ‘pony up’ at will, given the abundance of Equestrian magic now present in the human world.

Wish us luck!

Sunset Shimmer

It was certainly interesting, to say the least. The scientist in Twilight was excited to hear of the discoveries, but the Princess side was a little worried. “Magic has gone haywire there twice now… I just hope Sunset is safe.”

Twilight shook her head and smiled as she watched the last rays of Celestia’s sunlight give way to Luna’s nighttime. “Sunset is a talented mage. She knows how to be careful.”

“Hey, Twi!”

Twilight glanced over her shoulder as Spike entered the room. “Hi Spike,” she smiled at her assistant.

Spike yawned as he made his way to his bed. “How’s Sunset’s magic experiment go?” the dragon questioned, eyes sleepy.

Twilight magically lifted his blanket and tucked him in. “Actually, it went really well.”

“See? I told you there was nothing to worry about.”

The alicorn raised her eyebrows with a smirk. “And apparently, Trixie is a prodigy,”

Spike’s sleepy eyes snapped open, now fully awake. “What?!” He yelled, his blanket flying from his figure as he sat up.

Twilight laughed. “That’s what I thought!” She magically caught the blanket as it fluttered to the ground and dropped it into Spike’s lap. “She’s already almost mastered levitation.”

Spike scratched his head, his eyes still wide. “Man… Alternate dimensions are weird.”

Author's Note

FINALLY!!!!!!!!

Sorry it's been a bit since I've had a consistent update schedule; I'll be back to regular posting after today!

This chapter kicked off the magic arc of the story. There will be a lot more magic (and Sunset being gay) to come! :trixieshiftright:

Hope you enjoyed!

~Bitty Bug

Home

Chapter 16 - Home

Bleary eyes blinked up at a barren ceiling, and a hand swatted at the obnoxious alarm that was blaring. Hot, humid air stagnated in the in room, aiding in the formation of sweat on Sunset’s brow. An unusually hot spell for April had surprised Canterlot, and nobody hated it more than Sunset Shimmer.

Groaning, the teen hefted her body up from the uncomfortable mattress and made her way to the bathroom. Upon moving into the factory when she first arrived in the human world, Sunset had quickly found that the poor insulation made cold days colder and hot days hotter. Every Winter and every Summer was suffer time for Sunset, quickly turning her love for warmer weather on its head.

The frigid water of the shower was a welcome relief from the boiling temperatures the day was already reaching. Sunset relished in the icy blast as she let her mind wander. Her thoughts drifted from school to her friends to her classes as she stood beneath the pounding water.

Eventually, her mind settled on her stay at the hospital, and the deal she made with Supernova. “I need to find a better place to stay,” the red-head thought, cleaning the sweat from her skin. “And fast. Supernova’s deadline is coming up in a few days.” Sighing, Sunset finished her shower and turned the water off, stepping out into the bathroom and getting dressed.

Jeans and a lightweight long-sleeved shirt were today’s outfit. Despite the blazing heat, Sunset was certainly not going to wear warm-weather oriented clothes; still afraid of the inevitable questions about her scars, Sunset would rather burn in the sun’s heat.

The girl tied her flaming hair up into a messy ponytail and grabbed her backpack. Mentally preparing herself for the day, Sunset descended the steps and let herself out into the daytime.

The walk to school was just as miserable as the sweating teen had expected, making the air-conditioned halls of the school feel heavenly. Sunset exchanged her books and closed her locker, leaning her forehead against the cool metal.

“Gods above, you look wretched,”

Sunset lifted her head at the sound of Trixie’s voice and let it plonk back down onto her locker with a groan. “Yeah, I feel worse,” she responded as Trixie leaned up against the locker next to her, the Dazzlings following her lead and moving to Sunset’s other side.

The four were all dressed in shorts and short-sleeves, barring Aria, who had her own scarred arms covered by a jacket. The punk met Sunset’s eyes and gave her a sympathetic look.

Sunset flipped around, leaning her back against the row of lockers as her friends started up their usual pre-class chatter. Sunset smiled and participated as best she could, but her mind was still focussed on Supernova’s deal regarding her home situation.

You need to find someplace to stay.

I can’t just do nothing.

You have one month.

A hand waved in front of Sunset’s face, snapping her out of her thoughts. Sonata retracted her hand and gave a small smile. “You doing okay, Sunny?” Sonata’s question was gentle, and the others looked at the red-head with worry evident on their faces.

Sunset opened her mouth to dismiss their concern, then closed it. She took a deep breath, calming the initial flare of anxiety that always appeared when her friends noticed something was wrong. She still felt generally uncomfortable asking for help, but it was getting a little easier.

“Eh, I’ve just been worried about my living situation,” Sunset admitted, averting her eyes. “I didn’t want to bring it up, but while I was in the hospital, Supernova said I had to find a real place to stay.” The girl cleared her throat. “I was given a month to find somewhere to go, and that month is almost up. I have a few more days to find a home and I have no idea what to do.”

The Dazzlings silently exchanged a glance. Trixie looked like she wanted to say something, but was cut off before she could speak up. “I know you want to offer to let me stay at your place, Trixie,” Sunset smiled. “Supernova offered too, but I don’t feel comfortable being a freeloader.”

Trixie pouted, but she knew better than to protest. Sunset needed somewhere permanent.

Sunset looked at her friends. “It’s okay, I’ll figure something out. Honestly, I feel a bit better just having talked about it.”

Sonata pull the five together into a group hug, earning a laugh from the red-head. “We’re here for you, Sunset,” she said, tightening the embrace. Various noises of agreement came from Adagio, Aria, and Trixie.

Sunset gave her friends a genuine smile as Sonata released them. “Anyways, I’m really happy with the results from Saturday, what do you think about-”

As Trixie and Sunset talked excitedly about magic and the group began walking towards Sunset’s first class, the three sisters once again met eyes, silently communicating in a way that only they could understand.

Adagio gave a slight nod at Sonata’s wide eyes and Aria’s scrunched eyebrows, a promise to continue the conversation later.

***

The next few days passed too quickly for Sunset’s liking, and soon it was Thursday; two days until the next magic lesson, yes, but also two days until Supernova’s deadline.

Sunset and Trixie conversed lightly as they ate their lunches, waiting for their other friends to arrive.

Trixie’s eyebrows scrunched together. “I wonder where the sisters are,” she said. “They’re usually here before us.”

Sunset hummed in agreement. “Yeah, it’s a little weird-”

The red-head was cut off as the library doors slammed open and Adagio, Aria, and Sonata rushed into the room. Cheerilee halfheartedly shushed the three upon their boisterous entrance, but they didn’t seem to notice as they took their seats across from Sunset and Trixie.

Trixie blinked in surprise. “Hey girls, where have you been?”

Sunset had never seen the trio so excited. Sonata beamed at them and looked to Adagio, who was smiling as well. Even Aria had a delighted grin on her face.

“You’re moving in with us!”

Sunset blinked in surprise at Sonata’s joyful outburst. “W-what?”

Aria ruffled Sonata’s hair, pushing her slightly and looking at Sunset. “The three of us have talked it over and we’ve decided that you’re going to live with us,” she said, still smiling.

Adagio finally stepped in, holding up a hand as Sunset tried to object. “We have the space for another person, we’ve already cleared it with our landlord, and we aren’t taking ‘no’ for an answer.” The elder sister leaned forward, staring Sunset down. “You’re our friend, Sunset. This is a good solution, and we want to help you.”

Sonata reached across the table and took Sunset’s hand. “You won’t be a freeloader! You can help me clean and shop for groceries!”

Aria chimed in as well. “Seriously, Sunset. You’re a part of our family now, and family helps each other out.”

Sunset looked at the three with tears in her eyes. She turned to Trixie, who smiled encouragingly and nodded.

“I-” the red-head choked on her words. “Thank you,” she whispered, wiping the moisture from her eyes and giving her friends a watery smile.

Sonata squealed and jumped up, nearly tackling Sunset to the ground in a hug before yanking at her arm. “C’mon let’s go let’s go let’s go!”

Aria laughed at Sunset’s confused look. “We were late to lunch because we were talking with Celestia,” she snickered. “We got the five of us the rest of the day off to help you move in.”

Trixie grinned and stood from her seat. “Well then what are we waiting for?” She grabbed Sunset’s other arm and helped Sonata drag her towards the library doors, Aria and Adagio following close behind.

Sunset giggled as she and her friends exited the school. “I guess getting a little help here and there isn’t so bad, after all.”

***

Adagio unlocked the door to their apartment, holding it open as Sunset and Trixie walked in, each carrying an armful of Sunset’s possessions. Aria entered next, carrying Sunset’s laundry hamper, which contained all of Sunset’s clothing. Last came Sonata, who had Sunset’s backpack slung over her shoulder.

It had only taken the group one trip to the factory to get all of Sunset’s meager possessions. All she had were her clothes, school supplies, and various odds and ends from her desk and bathroom.

Sunset breathed in deeply, taking in the homely scent of the apartment. It smelled like spices and happiness, and Sunset immediately felt her nerves calm. She looked around, noting the nicely sized kitchen and dining area, which was connected to a cozy-looking den that held a couch, an ottoman chair, and a large T.V.

Adagio closed the door and move in front of Sunset, gesturing for her and the others to follow. “Your room is down here,” she said as the five walked down a hallway just off the main living area. The carpeted hall held two rooms on each side of the wall, and one room at the very end. Sunset’s room was the first door on the left. Adagio continued the mini-tour. “Across from your room is Aria, and next to you is the bathroom. Sonata’s room is next to Aria’s, and my room is the one at the end of the hall.”

Adagio opened up Sunset’s door, revealing a spacious area. A queen-sized bed took up the right wall, across from which was a desk. On the left wall, next to the desk, was a closet. A large window greeted the group on the wall across from the door, letting in the afternoon sunlight and washing the room with brightness.

Sunset felt her eyes grow wet again as she set down her stuff, the others following her in and doing the same. She turned to Adagio, giving her a look that said more than she could ever find the words to articulate. Adagio just smiled warmly.

The rest of the day was spent helping Sunset settle into her new living space. The group laughed and talked and joked, and Sunset had never felt more carefree and relaxed.

Sonata and Trixie prepared lunch for everyone, and the five sat down in the dining area for what, to Sunset, felt suspiciously like a family meal. As Adagio, Aria, and Trixie talked about the upcoming magic session, Sonata turned to Sunset, who was watching the scene with a content smile on her face.

“Welcome home, Sunny,” the former siren said, beaming at her friend.

***

Nighttime fell silently, and Sunset was out like a light. The combination of an active, emotional day, a full meal for dinner, and a comfortable bed to sleep on resulted in the red-head passing out pretty early.

Adagio, Aria, and Sonata sat in the living room, each sipping from a mug of tea. Trixie had gone home about an hour earlier, and the trio had been chatting ever since they found themselves alone.

“It’s taking them so long, ‘Dagi,” Sonata whined from her place on the couch, curled up into Aria’s side.

The punk nodded in agreement. “Seriously, I think it’s time we give them a little nudge in the right direction.”

“Hm...” Adagio took a sip from her drink, considering the predicament. Trixie and Sunset were taking forever to get together, and it was getting to be painful for the sister to just watch as they danced around their affection. “I think you’re right, we should do something. But what, and when is the perfect moment?”

Silence fell for a few minutes as the sisters lost themselves in thoughts and potential plans. Finally, Sonata sat up from her comfortable position on the couch. She smiled enthusiastically. “I think I have an idea,” she said.

Adagio’s smirk grew as the youngest sister explained her plan. Aria looked just as excited as Adagio felt.

“Perfect,” Adagio thought earnestly. “Those two have avoided their feelings long enough, it’s about damn time they get together.”

Author's Note

Hey everyone! Good news, Trixie and Sunset will have some romantic development in the next chapter! Thanks for being patient, I know it's taken a bit to get there.

A little fun fact for y'all; this story is now 122 pages in google docs :derpyderp2:

More gayness, magic, and mischievous Dazzlings next week!

~Bitty Bug

Romantic Development

Chapter 18 - Romantic Development

Adagio > Trixie, dear, I was thinking about the magic experimentation we have scheduled for tomorrow

Trixie > owo

Adagio > … Anyways

Adagio > You once mentioned that you play an instrument, correct? I was thinking, maybe it would be possible for you to use music in the same way that Sunset and the Rainbooms can

Adagio > The Rainbooms may be the Elements of Harmony in this world, but they were still just human before

Trixie > woah so by that logic i could use music as an adaptor as well

Trixie > damn thats absolutely worth a shot

Trixie > great idea!!!

Adagio smirked down at her phone triumphantly from her place on the couch. “Perfect,” she thought, locking the device. Sonata hadn’t even made breakfast yet, and already the plan was being put into effect. Waiting a week had been difficult- mostly for Sonata- but Adagio wanted to make sure the timing was perfect.

A pair of arms wrapped around Adagio’s shoulders as an excited Sonata squealed in her ear. “This is going to be so great!”

Adagio snorted and removed Sonata’s arms from around her figure just as a bleary-eyed Sunset stumbled into the living room.

“What’s gonna be great?” The tired teen plopped herself down on the ottoman next to the couch.

Sonata froze, clasping her hands behind her back. “Nothing!” The girl squeaked. Sunset raised an eyebrow.

“She never was a good liar,” Adagio thought, face palming heavily. “Sonata, why don’t you go start breakfast,” the elder sister said before Sonata could sick her foot further into her mouth.

“No prob, bob!” Sonata rushed out, escaping off towards the kitchen.

Adagio turned to Sunset, who still had a confused look on her face. “She’s just excited for her gourmet foods class today, something about learning a new recipe,” Adagio casually lied.

Sunset still looked a little skeptical- she was no stranger to deceit, after all- but Adagio’s feigned nonchalance was enough for the red-head to shrug off the odd occurrence.

Soon enough, Sonata had waffles for everyone served on the table. Even after living with the sister for a week, breakfast with a family was a new, but not unwelcome experience for Sunset. Watching Aria and Sonata quibble over who got to use the syrup first, laughing when Adagio stole it for herself, and digging into a homemade meal with people she loved made her heart swell with happiness.

***

The bell rang, signalling the beginning of lunch. Sunset arose from her seat and started making her way to the cafeteria, as usual. And, as usual, she tried to ignore the pitiful looks and apologetic glances of her peers.

“They don’t actually feel bad about what they did to me,” she thought as she shoved her way past Micro Chips, avoiding his attempt at conversation. “They only want me to validate their useless words so they can pretend they didn’t do anything wrong.”

Suddenly, two figures appeared on each side of her, each grabbing an arm.

“Hey pony girl,” Aria said from Sunset’s right side. Adagio offered a smirk from Sunset’s left.

Sunset laughed, fully linking her arms in Adagio’s and Aria’s. “Hey, girls, what’s up?”

“Oh nothing, we just thought we’d walk you to lunch,” Adagio said, flipping her hair and putting on charming smile.

Sunset quirked an eyebrow. “C’mon, Adagio,” she said. “I’m not an idiot.”

Adagio snickered. “Well, we may have a tiny bit of an ulterior motive.”

“You need to ask Trixie out.”

Sunset stopped dead in her tracks, making her friends stumble beside her. She didn’t speak, as the two sisters guided her to a side of the hallway where they wouldn’t be in the way.

Adagio glared at Aria, who only shrugged. “What?” She asked. “No use beating around the bush.”

“You could be a little more tactful, you-!” The elder sister pinched the bridge of her nose with one hand and sighed, keeping her other arm linked with Sunset’s. She turned to face Sunset. “Aria is an idiot, but she’s right,” she said gently. “You two obviously have it bad for each other.”

Sunset bit her lip. She could feel the anxiety rising in her chest.

Adagio and Aria exchanged a look. Aria linked her left hand with Sunset’s right, and Adagio began rubbing comforting circles into Sunset’s bicep with the hand that wasn’t already linked with the panicked girl’s left arm.

“Hey, Sunset, talk to us,” Aria prodded lightly.

Sunset took a deep breath and melted into the grounding touch of her friends. The hallways were nearly empty now, leaving the three girls in relative silence. “I… I don’t deserve someone like her,” she started. “Things with the depression have been getting a little better, but it’s still so hard some days. I feel like...”

She took another breath. Sunset felt slightly more comfortable with asking for help, something she stoutly refused to do when she was friends with the Rainbooms. It was nice being able to talk to her friends, but it was still rather difficult for the healing girl.

The red-head tried to focus on Adagio fingers drawing soft shapes into her arm and Aria’s fingers clasped in her own.

“I feel like I’ll ruin her if she gets too close.”

Aria’s grip tightened. Adagio swallowed thickly.

Sunset’s gaze remained solidly on the ground. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes.

She felt two pairs of arms wrapped closely around her as she cried. Sunset buried her face into Adagio’s shoulder, allowing herself to take comfort in the embrace of her friends.

After a few minutes in which the only sound was Sunset’s quiet sobs, the red-head finally dried her eyes. She felt gross, and a little bit foolish, but…

“Celestia above, I feel better.”

Sunset smiled and pulled away from the group hug. Adagio and Aria met her eyes. Adagio was the first to speak.

“She’d be lucky to have someone as wonderful as you for a girlfriend, Sunset.”

Aria playfully nudged her friend. “Adagio’s right, Sunny. You two are perfect for each other.” The trio started walking again, still arm-in-arm. “Now let’s go get some lunch.”

***

The school week had been largely uneventful. Trixie’s classes dragged on, as most Fridays did for the girl.

“Especially now that we have magic stuff on Saturdays,” Trixie thought with a huff. Little doodles of moons and constellations decorated her completed math worksheet, a way to pass the time until the bell rang for lunch.

“Orion: the hunter. Fought the scorpion, Scorpius. Ursa Major: the big bear. The mother Callisto, turned into a bear by Hera. Ursa Minor: the small bear. Son of Callisto, turned into a bear by Zeus.”

Trixie went over the myth behind each constellation she drew in her head. Her pen glided across the paper, creating a sky full of stars between each correctly solved calculus problem.

“Cygnus: the swan. The grieving brother, Cycnus, was transformed into a swan when-”

The shrill whine of the bell broke Trixie out of her thoughts. She smiled as she rushed to put away her things.

“Hey Trix!”

Trixie turned as she walked out the door. Sonata gave a bright smile and waved.

“Hey Sonata,” Trixie greeted as Sonata fell into step beside her. “What were you doing outside my class so early? You usually meet Sunset and I in the library.”

Sonata looked like a deer in the headlights for a brief moment before she schooled her features back into a smile. “Actually, I wanted to talk to you about Sunset for a second.”

“Oh, okay,” Trixie blinked, a small frown on her face. “Is she alright?”

“Oh, yeah, she’s okay! Adagio and Aria are walking her to lunch,” she chirped. “I just wanted to talk about your massive crush on her!”

Trixie tripped over nothing, stumbling for a moment before regaining her balance. A massive blush was alight on her cheeks. “W-what?!”

Sonata suppressed a giggle behind her hand. “Don’t worry, Adagio didn’t rat you out! I figured it out myself,” she said.

“Well, shit.” Trixie sighed, running a hand through her long hair. “Is it that obvious?”

Sonata nodded. Trixie groaned.

The former siren gave her a comforting pat on the back as they continued their walk. “Hey, don’t worry, she totally likes you back!” At Trixie’s disbelieving look, Sonata blew a raspberry. “I’m serious! I wanted to tell you that you should ask her out.”

“I...” Trixie moved her gaze to the tiled floor. “Trixie doesn’t know, Sonata. She’s way out of Trixie’s league.”

Sonata knitted her eyebrows together. “I know you aren’t really good with the whole ‘subtext’ thing- I’m not either- but she really does like you.”

Trixie met her friends eyes, only to find complete sincerity. The two pushed open the doors to the library, where Adagio, Aria, and Sunset were already seated. As soon as Sunset saw Trixie, her eyes lit up. She waved, offering a small half-smile.

Trixie felt a flutter in her stomach. She gave a goofy grin and waved back.

“Maybe Sonata’s right...”

***

Once again, it was time for a magical experimentation. Sunset found herself alone in the old factory; the sisters had told her to go ahead, opting instead to let Aria continue her nap.

“They’ve been acting weird lately. Something’s definitely up,” the red-head thought. “Does it have something to do with our conversation before lunch?”

Making her way to sit on the decrepit conveyor belts, Sunset pulled out her phone. She fiddled around on the device for a few moments before it lit up with an oncoming message to the groupchat.

Aria > hey nerds we wont be able to make it to todays lesson

Aria > ur on ur own lol

Adagio > … What Aria means to say is that Sonata was feeling sick, so we’re staying home to take care of her

Aria > yeet whatever

Aria > have fun ;)

Sunset lifted an eyebrow. “Yeah, they’re definitely up to something.” She sent out a quick ‘alright then’ and pocketed her phone just as the factory’s doors swung open.

Trixie walked in, this time without her usual backpack. “Hey there, Sunny!”

“Hey, Trix. Did you get Aria and Adagio’s message?”

“Yeah,” the blue-haired girl rolled her eyes, moving to sit next to Sunset on the conveyor belt. “Classic Sonata. Guess it’s just you and me,” Trixie smirked, nudging Sunset with her elbow.

Sunset laughed and nudged her friend back. “Let’s get started then.” She pushed herself off the broken equipment.

Trixie beamed, reaching for a black case that Sunset only just took notice of. “What’s that?” She wondered aloud.

“Oh, did Adagio not tell you?” The budding magician grinned, unhooking the metal clamps and opening the case. “She thought it might be possible for me to pony-up, too!”

Sunset blinked, mouth slightly agape as Trixie pulled out a beautiful, polished viola. The blue-haired girl was practically radiating excitement. “So, I guess Adagio didn’t tell you, but I play a lot of instruments and we were thinking that maybe since the Rainbooms were human before magic came here then I would be able to wield magic using the same adaptor and since I’m already pretty good at magic and pretty good at music so it might actually work I mean it just makes sense and-”

Sunset laid a hand on Trixie’s, cutting off her rambling. Trixie blushed. “Sorry,” she smiled sheepishly. “I’m a little bit excited.”

“I could tell,” Sunset laughed. She pulled her hand away. Trixie hadn’t even noticed they had subconsciously tangled their fingers together.

“Well, let’s see what happens!” Sunset said, moving to give Trixie some space.

Trixie beamed and lifted her viola from its resting spot, getting into position. She closed her eyes. The instrument fit underneath her chin like a puzzle piece falling into place. She looked perfectly at home with how the polished wood fit in her grip, and as she raised her bow to play, Sunset’s heart skipped a beat.

A hauntingly beautiful melody floated from Trixie’s instrument. It started soft, delicate, as though fearful of itself before dipping and growing louder.

“No way...”

Sunset didn’t know what she expected to happen, but she was still shocked when a bright blue light began to emanate from Trixie.

The music continued, the tone climbing higher and higher before tumbling back down, graceful and almost tragic.

Light. Pure, blue light shone brighter than Sunset thought possible, enveloping Trixie entirely.

The violist preformed complicated finger patterns across the neck of her instrument like it was nothing, and the sound subsequently trilled and swelled and painted invisible stars across an invisible sky.

The heavenly glow radiating from Trixie lifted her off the ground, her hair suspended around her as though she was under water.

Harmonies created themselves out of what looked like nothing, one instrument playing an entire orchestra, it seemed. The room fell away as the girl brought the music to an especially high pitch.

Pony ears and a long ponytail not dissimilar to Sunset’s appeared in a flash.

The low, quiet melody returned, gracing Sunset’s ears with its eerie sounds.

A horn made of that incredible light grew from Trixie’s forehead, then solidified itself as though it had always been there.

Trixie brought the song to its cadence, dipping and rising and trilling in impossibly fantastic ways. Just as her bow ceased its movement and the song came to an end- as the whole world held its breath for a moment- the blue light made one last alteration to Trixie’s form.

Sunset gasped.

“Wings?!”

Brilliant blue wings, the same colours as Trixie’s hair, unfurled from her back. They kept Trixie afloat with strong flaps, sending dust flying beneath her feet.

Trixie hovered in the air for a moment as she lowered her instrument to her side, opening her eyes. Their purple hue appeared deeper than before, and her pupils were blown. She let out a shaky breath. Her wings flapped subconsciously, but she could feel every odd movement from the foreign limbs.

“Holy fuck, Trixie,”

Trixie didn’t react to Sunset’s words. The red-head’s neck was craned slightly in attempt to make eye contact with the still-floating girl. The magician still hadn’t spoken, and her gaze was unfocused.

She could feel everything.

Every thread of her clothing. Every shift of her bones and muscles. The blood pumping through her veins, the thump of her heart. Dirt under her fingernails, plaque on her teeth, sweat on her skin. But most of all, she could feel magic. It thrummed throughout her body, a strong, pulsating sensation, simultaneously giving her life and taking her breath; overwhelming in the best possible way.

And now, she could feel a warm hand gripping her own.

Trixie’s eyes refocused, and she looked down. She saw Sunset with a look of concern on her face. She saw her viola resting on the ground by Sunset’s feet. She saw her hand clasped in Sunset’s.

The girl sucked in a breath as, all of a sudden, her pony extremities dissipated in a flash. Trixie prepared herself for a rough landing, but was surprised when strong arms caught her, belonging to the worried girl that was still clutching her hand.

“Trixie!” Sunset lowered them to the floor, still holding on to her friend tightly.

Trixie collapsed against Sunset, leaning into her warm touch. The magician was panting slightly. “S-Sunset?” She stammered. “Sunset, what just happened?”

The only sound was Trixie’s laboured breathing as she lay curled in Sunset’s embrace, eyes closed. Sunset drew comforting shapes on Trixie’s hand with her thumb, searching for an answer.

“I-I think you’re an alicorn,” she finally said.

Trixie snorted. “That’s a little dumb,” she joked, making Sunset laugh.

The two lay there on the dingy factory floor, cuddled in each others arms as Trixie recovered from the magical experience. As her breathing finally started to even out, Trixie looked up at Sunset. Her fiery hair seemed to shine in the low light of the facility, and dust motes swirled around her in a makeshift halo.

Suddenly, Trixie’s vision was filled with teal as Sunset met her eyes. For a moment, the two just looked at each other, taking in the others appearance.

And then, Trixie leaned in.

The kiss was soft, barely a touch. Sunset gasped lightly at the gentle feeling of Trixie’s lips against her own.

Trixie started to lean back, but Sunset pulled her back in.

Their second kiss was fierce, almost desperate as Trixie grasped Sunset’s shirt and Sunset tangled her fingers in Trixie’s hair. The two pulled each other closer.

Eternities seemed to pass as the two melted in eachothers arms.

When they finally separated for air, Sunset and Trixie had matching smiles on their faces.

Their faces still close, Sunset laughed. Her breath tickled Trixie’s reddened cheeks lightly.

“Took us long enough, huh?”

Author's Note

Now KISS!!!

Trixie's song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDK-k-2Au80

Uhhh also please ignore the fact that the 'plan' was essentially Step 1: gently prod them, Step 2: wow trixie can play music, Step 3: profit

Sonata doesn't lead for a reason :rainbowlaugh: she's definitely not the 'planning' type

~Bitty Bug

Finally

Chapter 19 - Finally

“WHAT IN THE NAME OF TARTARUS?!”

Starlight let out a surprised squeak and Moondancer jolted from her stolen place on Rarity’s throne, the book she was reading with Starlight flying from her magical hold. She whipped her head upwards. “Twilight, what in the world?”

Twilight was pacing back and forth in front of her throne, her shared journal with Sunset firmly grasped in her magic. She read the words as they appeared on the page, willing them to come faster, to offer any sort of explanation for what Sunset was telling her.

Starlight got up from her seat next to Moodndancer and cautiously moved to stand behind Twilight. “Um, Twilight,” she said carefully. “Twilight? What’s going on?”

Twilight did not answer. She just continued reading.

Moondancer moved to stand next to Starlight. Finally, after a few more moments of agonizing silence, Twilight turned to her companions with wide eyes. “The human Trixie can pony up,” she said.

“And she’s an alicorn.”

Starlight and Moondancer’s jaws dropped.

“What?!”

“An alicorn? Are you sure?”

Twilight nodded, her eyebrows scrunched together. “That’s what Sunset said.” She continued pacing. “This is so strange, this world’s Trixie isn’t an alicorn. How is this possible? This shouldn’t be possible!” Her breaths came in short puffs as her mind malfunctioned.

Starlight and Moondancer shared a glance. The two moved to each side of their friend, each offering a comforting presence. Moondancer leaned up against Twilight’s left side, and Starlight wrapped a hoof around her from the right.

Moondancer magically took the journal from Twilights grasp and read the entry. She quirked an eyebrow. “Well,” she started. “This is certainly odd, but you have two very smart unicorns and one alicorn genius in the room. I think we can come up with a theory.”

Twilight blushed. She took a few deep breaths and gave her friend a shaky smile. “Thanks Moony. I needed that.”

Moondancer smiled back, handing the journal over to Starlight. “What do you think,” she asked as the other unicorn took the book in her own magic.

Starlight read the entry. Then she read it again.

“Huh.”

“What?” Twilight and Moondancer said in unison.

“This reminds me a lot of Starswirl’s Theory of Many Realities.” She set the journal down on Twilight’s throne and looked at her friends. “I mean, he did say that there were an infinite amount of alternate worlds aside from our own. What if-”

Twilight nodded, ruffled her wings. “Of course!” she exclaimed. “I mean, we already knew the human world was an alternate reality from this world, but you’re saying that maybe it’s more different than we thought.”

“Exactly,” Starlight grinned. “We thought it was an exact translation from this reality...”

Moondancer picked up on Starlight’s thought. “... But maybe it’s a translation of a different reality!” She adjusted her glass and shuffled her hooves. “Or even an amalgamation of a few!”

Twilight squealed excitedly. The three ponies looked at each other with wide grins.

“Heh,” Starlight half laughed. “So, I guess this means that in some alternate reality, Trixie is an alicorn princess?”

Twilight nodded. There was a lull of silence.

Then Starlight burst into laughter.

“Oh boy, our world’s Trixie would hate that,” the unicorn guffawed, a few tears spilling out of her eyes. Moondancer joined in with a few giggles...

***

Trixie the unicorn dropped the hayshake she was holding.

“Trixie senses somepony laughing at her expense…”

***

...“Definitely,” Twilight chuckled. Her smile faded after a few moments of shared laughter. “But what is she the princess of?”

Quiet fell once again as the three tried to come up with an answer.

Moondancer hummed. “I think we should ask Celestia. She might be able to shed some light on this.”

Twilight sighed. “Yeah you’re right. But in the meantime, I’m going to write Sunset back. I think she’d be interested in our theory.”

The three friends shared a smile. Moondancer and Starlight went back to their place on Rarity’s throne and resumed their reading. Twilight trotted back to her throne, picking up her journal and quill.

***

Sunset Shimmer woke with a smile. Spring sunlight filtered through the curtains of the guest bedroom- no, of her room- as she stretched and threw her blankets off. Her journal sat silent on her desk. She had gotten a message from Twilight the night before, but had fallen asleep before answering. “I’ll check it later,” she thought as she rose from her bed.

Sunset could hear the sounds of the sisters getting ready for school. Sonata making breakfast, Aria finishing her homework at the last minute, Adagio watching T.V.

It truly felt like a home.

She stood and changed into her clothes for the day; jeans and, surprisingly, a t-shirt. It was the first day of May, and almost a whole month since the red-head had self-harmed. The scabs had healed over into tentative pink scars. Her body was covered in them, but they were healing. Just like her.

She slipped on a sweatshirt over her torso. “Baby steps,” she thought. “Wearing short sleeves at all is brave. I should be proud, even though it’s a small accomplishment.”

Breakfast was its usual hectic affair, and soon the four were off to school. Senior year was almost at its end, bringing a whirlwind of emotions with it. But, for today, Sunset just let herself relax. It was Friday, after all; she and her girlfriend had some magic to practice tomorrow.

Adagio pulled her car into the parking lot and turned the engine off. The four got out, chatting as they walked to Sunset’s locker.

“I mean, how does the sun move if Celestia doesn’t do it? I just don’t think it make any sense!” Sonata’s confused comment was met with two face palms and a chuckle.

Sunset covered her laugh with a hand as Adagio threw up her hands in defeat and Aria tried to explain (“For the third fucking time, Sonata”) how the sun worked. She unlocked her locker and exchanged her books, humming to herself.

She shut her locker and came face to face with a certain blue haired magician.

“What’s got you all happy this morning?”

Sunset smiled at Trixie, leaning to give her a peck on the cheek. “I dunno,” she responded. “I guess it’s just a good day.”

The five began walking, Sunset and Trixie linking their hands together as they moved. Trixie leaned into Sunset lovingly. “Well, I’m glad.”

As they approached Sunset’s first period, Adagio tapped Sunset on the shoulder. Sunset turned, quirking an eyebrow. “What’s up?”

Adagio gave her trademarked smirk. “Aria, Sonata and I have a surprise for you after school.”

Sunset looked at Trixie, who shrugged. “Alright then,” she responded.

The shrill whine of the warning bell broke the friend’s conversation.

Sonata grinned. “We’ll see you later, Sunny!” She started to leave, dragging Aria with her. Adagio waved and followed her sisters.

Trixie snickered. “I guess we’ll see what they mean later,” she said, and Sunset laughed. “I’ll see you at lunch.”

The two kissed, and Trixie started off towards her class with a smile and a blush on her face. Sunset grinned as she took her seat. The bell rang shortly after, and Ms. Harshwhinny started her lesson. Not even the teacher’s usual strict attitude could dampen Sunset’s happiness that day.

***

The day’s classes passed quickly for Sunset. English, study hall, Latin, and finally, chemistry. School was over in the blink of an eye, and Sunset was out of her seat the minute class was dismissed. She dashed through the halls, quickly exchanging her books and running to meet her friend’s at Adagio’s car.

Sonata, the first one there, waved at Sunset as she approached. “Hey Sunny! You ready for the surprise?”

“Sure,” Sunset chuckled. “But shouldn’t we wait for the others?”

The youngest sister pouted. “I guess,” she said, drawing out her words dramatically.

It didn’t take long for the others to get there. By the time all five girls had congregated by the car, Sonata was practically bouncing with excitement. Trixie was trying not to laugh at the spectacle.

Adagio sighed as she arrived, unlocking her car. “Sonata, would you stop your bouncing?”

The blue girl shook her head. “Too excited! Can we show her the surprise now?” Sonata rapidly poked at Adagio’s shoulder. Sunset snorted.

The puffy haired girl shook her off, and Aria rolled her eyes. “No, idiot,” the punk said. She pulled Sonata away from the elder sister. “It’s at the house. We have to, you know, go there first.”

“Uhg, fine!”

The group piled into Adagio’s car. The ride to the apartment was filled with chatter as the girls exchanged stories from the day and Sonata vibrated in her seat, much to Aria’s annoyance. Once they arrived, Sonata was first out of the car. She open the passenger side door and grabbed Sunset, yanking her out of the vehicle the second her seatbelt was off. Sunset stumbled behind the girl as she dragged her into their home.

“Come on come on come on come on come on- Adagioooo, where is it?!”

Adagio face palmed as she, Aria, and Trixie entered the apartment. She closed the door behind her and threw her keys onto the kitchen counter. “Aria, would you be a dear and grab it before Sonata explodes?”

Aria snickered. “My pleasure, but seeing her burst would be a lot more entertaining.”

The pigtailed girl walked to the hallway where the bedrooms were, disappearing into her room. She came back holding a manila folder, which she tossed onto the kitchen table, where the others had sat down.

Sunset looked at it with curiosity. “What’s this,” she asked.

Sonata looked like she was going to die from excitement. “Just open it!”

Trixie smiled, resting her hand on Sunset’s atop the table. “Better do it, she might actually combust,” the magician whispered to her girlfriend.

Sunset laughed and reached for the folder. She undid the small metal clasp at the top and opened the flap. Her fingertips brushed against a single, thick piece of paper. Sunset’s eyebrows scrunched together. “All that excitement for a piece of paper?”

Sunset pulled the paper out, orienting it so she could read the text. Her heart stopped as she read the contents of the paper.

“Name: Sunset Shimmer. Sex: Female. Date of Birth: Seventh of June, 1999.

Place of Birth: Canterlot City, Canterlot.

Mother’s Name: Sunspot. Father’s Name: Solar Flare.”

She looked up at the Dazzlings, who were watching her reaction with smiles on their faces.

Trixie looked over her shoulder, scanning the paper that was still clutched tightly in Sunset’s hands. She gasped. “Sunset, this is...”

“A birth certificate,” she confirmed. The wonderstruck girl traced the words on the paper. “B-but how…?”

Adagio smirked. “We know a girl.”

“Her name is Chrysalis!” Sonata shouted helpfully.

Aria rolled her eyes. “We would have gotten it sooner, but the bastard insists on initiating contact first, and she goes off the grid often.” She gestured to the paper. “We have all the other official-type papers in the works as well. Obviously had to make up a ton of the information, but pretty soon you’ll be a real person in this worl-”

Sunset launched herself across the table, pulling all three former sirens into a hug.

“Thank you...”

***

Sunset looked up as Aria walked in with the refilled bowl of popcorn. She smiled and grabbed a handful, slightly disturbing her and Trixie’s comfortable blanket cocoon on the couch. On the screen, Lilo and Stitch was almost over. Stitch waddled over to the alien official in his alien handcuffs.

This is my family.

Adagio had long since fallen asleep on the ottoman, and soft snores could barely heard over the movie’s sound. Her curly hair fell haphazardly around her face, which held a peaceful expression.

I found it, all on my own.

Sonata subconsciously leaned into Aria as the punk sat down. Her magenta eyes were half closed. Aria slung an arm around the younger girl, pulling her close. She leaned her head on top of the sleepy girl’s own.

It’s little,

The five were surrounded by a happy, sleepy atmosphere. Their new Friday night movie tradition at Sunset and the sister’s apartment had been a welcome change to the stress of school and excitement of magic. It was nice just to relax together.

And broken,

Sunset’s sweatshirt had been taking off long ago, exposing her healing scars. Trixie idly traced the raised lines on Sunset’s wrist, her attention on the movie as it finished up.

But still good.

Sunset sighed happily, relishing in the feeling of Trixie snuggling closer to her. She looked around the room, taking in the sight of her friends. Her family. “Yeah…” She smiled, closing her eyes.

“Still good.”

Author's Note

I didn't really expect this to be the last chapter, but I think it fits pretty well. There will be an epilogue next week to help tie this in to the sequels I mentioned earlier.

Speaking of sequels! The future of this fic will include: a oneshot smut chapter between Trixie and Sunset, a side story centered around Adagio and Twilight, and a future story that ties it all together! The TwiDagio story and final story might be one big fic, but I haven't decided yet.

In other news, I have quite a few other fics planned! I'll be taking a small break so I can stockpile a bunch of chapters for everything, so that way I can stick to a consistent uploading schedule and I won't have big gaps between chapters like I did for this story! I think you'll like what I have planned :trixieshiftright:

Honestly, this fic has been quite the adventure. I started not really knowing where it was going. I just wanted a way to take out some of my own depression, and it turned into something that I think is pretty cool. I'm excited to show you all what I have in store for this story :pinkiehappy:

Thank you all so much for the continuous love and support I've received, and thank you for being patient during the breaks I needed to take between some of the chapters. I really appreciate everything you've given me.

I'll see you next time :twilightsmile:

~Bitty Bug

Epilogue

Chapter 20 - Epilogue

A rough and turbulent river sent a spray of water outwards to the gloomy shore. Water droplets hit Adagio’s face as she breathed in the scent of storms and sadness. The darkened sky held clouds black with rain, which torrented down on her figure. Her siren figure.

She peered into the darkness. “Someone’s here,” Adagio thought, though she didn’t know how she knew. She ruffled her fins uncertainly as she tried to name the creeping feeling she felt on the back of her neck.

Then she heard it.

Blending with the sounds of the rushing river and the downpour around her, Adagio heard heart wrenching wails coming from below the water.

She wiped the rain from her eyes and looked further, trying to pierce the darkness with her gaze. She could just barely make out the figure of… something. Something, huddled in on itself, at the bottom of the river. Crying. Sobbing. Screaming.

Adagio’s mind felt fuzzy. Something was wrong, she just couldn’t place it. The horrible feeling in her stomach, the chills down her spine… something was really, really wrong.

The wails grew louder, harmonizing with the storm. The river rose, waves crashing onto the banks relentlessly. They grasped at Adagio’s hooves, trying to pull her beneath the surface. Adagio resisted, straining against the water, but to no avail. This water was different. She somehow knew that she wouldn’t be able to swim, despite her aquatic form.

And then, she was drowning. Water flooded her lungs and panic gripped her senses. Her gills fluttered in the riptide she was caught in, trying desperately to offer some relief to the burning in Adagio’s chest. She tried to swim to the surface, but the water didn’t care. It dragged her under, and as it did, the screams only grew louder. Louder, louder, louder still, the mysterious figure’s cries infected her mind.

Just as Adagio was starting to run out of breath, her water-blurred eyes caught sight of what seemed to be emitting the horrid sound.

It was a stone statue in the form of a swan, beak open in a disparaging cry. Cracks had begun to form along its outspread wings. Adagio floated closer, and it’s shrieks somehow got even more piercing than before.

She thought she saw a strange glow emitting from the swan’s chest, but the murky water and loss of air made the distinction difficult. Her vision soon began to fail her, her lungs burning painfully. As she slowly lost consciousness, Adagio realized that she could no longer tell which one of them was screaming.

Author's Note

It’s been awhile, huh? Sorry for the absence- I have some really good stuff cooking up, but life has been... extremely hectic. I don’t know when I’ll be able to start posting consistently, but I hope it’ll be soon.

Until then, I hope you enjoyed the epilogue; all will be explained in due time :trixieshiftright:

Magical Exposition

Chapter 17 - Magical Exposition

Sunset shoved the factory’s main doors open, disturbing the thin layer of dust coating the floor. She looked around the empty processing plant, walking in and trying not to breathe the musk present in the air. The Dazzlings were close behind.

Sonata sneezed as she entered the room. “Jeez, this place gets grosser every time we come here,” she said with a sniff. “How did you live here?”

“You get used to it,” Sunset replied, trying not to sneeze as well.

Aria scoffed and plopped herself down on one of the broken conveyor belts. “Yeah, well, I’m glad you’re out of this shithole. You’re much better off with us.”

Sunset laughed and went over to ruffle Aria’s hair. “Aww, you care!” She said jokingly.

Aria stuck out her tongue, moving to ruin Sunset’s hair in return.

Adagio watched the scene affectionately. She’d never admit it to anyone, but she loved her family.

“I’m surrounded by idiots,” she sighed as she leaned up against the same conveyor belt Aria was occupying.

Sonata giggled, joining her sisters on the derelict machinery. “But you looooove us!”

Any protest Adagio might have offered was cut off when the factory doors were pushed open once more. Trixie strode into the room, the same backpack from their previous magic session slung over her shoulder.

“Hey guys!” She chirped, setting the bag on the ground where her friends were gathered.

Sunset’s brain malfunctioned for a hot second as she took in her friend’s outfit. Jean-shorts and a blue tank-top emphasized Trixie’s arms and hips, and Sunset had to fight a blush.

Aria held back a laugh at Sunset’s reaction, instead swooping in and saving the girl from embarrassment. “Hey Trix. You been practicing?” Sunset shot Aria a grateful glance.

Trixie smirked. She pulled out her wand with a dramatic flourish. “Absolutely,” she said, thrusting the wand upwards.

A strangely electric sound filled the air, and with a static pop-

-Trixie was gone.

There was silence for a moment while Sunset and the Dazzling’s jaws dropped.

A second ‘pop’ echoed across the factory floor as Trixie reappeared on the opposite side of the facility. “I mastered teleportation!” her voice was faint from the distance as she yelled to her friends.

With yet another ‘pop,’ Trixie was back. “Teleporting small objects got too easy, so I moved on to self-teleportation.”

Aria shook her head. “Okay, I seriously don’t get how you’re already this good at magic. I mean, clearly you have a lot of magical potential, but…”

Sunset nodded. “Self teleportation is an advanced spell.”

Trixie took a step back as Sonata poked at her wand. “Could it be the wand?” She questioned. “Maybe it’s making her better at this than she normally would be.”

“Actually, the opposite would be true,” Adagio said. “Weilding a powerful item means nothing if you can’t control it.”

Sunset averted her eyes. She knew the truth of that first hand.

The conversation continued, but Trixie was quiet, her face scrunched as she thought. “Well,” she said, interrupting the Dazzling’s theorizing. “I’ve been practicing human magic since I was a child. I think since Equestrian magic is blending rather well with the magic that was already here, it means that I pretty much have years of experience.”

Sunset hummed. “That would make sense. Magic is like a muscle. The more you use it, the easier it gets.”

“So, since you’ve been using it for your entire life,” Adagio added, “You’re already experienced enough to pick up on things very quickly.”

Trixie grinned. “Cool!”

***

The group spent the next few hours teaching Trixie various advanced spells. She was quickly becoming even more precise and powerful with her magic usage; it was as though she had been born a unicorn. Nothing proved to be a challenge for long. By midday, Trixie could summon a small rain cloud, bring a withered flower back to life, create a temporary magic shield…

“Aaaand now you can levitate living things,” Aria said, checking off ‘levitate ppl’ from the list Sunset and Adagio had compiled, alongside ‘weather shit,’ ‘growing magic,’ and ‘shield thingy.’ Sonata gave a loud whoop from her place upside-down in the air, surrounded by the purple glow of Trixie’s magic.

Trixie laughed and gently lowered Sonata to the ground. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and gratefully accepted the water bottle Sunset offered. Moving the sit on the ground next to Sonata, who hadn’t yet stood, Trixie yawned.

Sunset felt a flurry of butterflies in her stomach. “Damn she’s adorable,” she thought with a small smile. “I can’t believe she’s a prodigy. If we were in Equestria, I think her magic could rival my own, maybe even Twilight’s!”

“Heh, just wait until Twilight hears about this.”

“Hey Sunny, can we see if you can pony up on-command now?” Sonata’s question broke Sunset out of her thoughts.

“Oh yeah,” Adagio said. “We sorta forgot about that, didn’t we?”

Sunset snorted. “Eh, I don’t blame us. Trixie’s magical abilities were more interesting.”

Trixie blushed. “Well, I wouldn’t say that, but it was certainly fun learning more advanced spells.”

Aria punched Sunset lightly on the shoulder. “Well, let’s see it pony girl!” Sunset playfully glared at Aria before moving to stand in front of where the five had gathered.

The girl took a deep breath, closing her eyes. “Man, ponying up with music was easy,” she lamented as she controlled her breathing. “I don’t know if it’s even possible to do it without my horn or my music as an adaptor.”

The factory was quiet as Sunset tried to call upon her magic, using the same techniques she used as a unicorn. She felt the spark deep inside herself, though accessing it was proving to be quite difficult.

Seconds passed, then minutes. Nothing felt like it was working. No meditative breathing, mental centering, or spiritual reaching was bringing the spark forward. “It’s like it’s right there,” Sunset huffed, trying to keep her temper under control. “I just can’t fucking reach it!”

She was about ready to give up when she heard Sonata’s voice, no louder than a whisper.

“You can do it, Sunny!”

Then Aria’s, Adagio’s too.

“C’mon, pony girl!”

“Just breathe, focus!”

And finally, Trixie.

“I believe in you Sunset...”

And suddenly the spark wasn’t so distant anymore. Sunset inhaled sharply. “I can feel it...”

She thought of her friends. Adagio, Aria, Sonata, Trixie; their kindness and support, the generosity they showed Sunset when she was at her worst. All the times Sonata made her laugh. When Aria shared her pain with her in the school’s bathroom. Adagio’s unwavering loyalty when she hunted down the Rainbooms.

And Trixie. Everything about Trixie.

Sunset reached out, farther and farther until the spark was hot in her mind.

“Woah...”

Someone spoke, but it was all white noise to Sunset as she clutched tightly to the feeling of magic- the feeling of friendship- in her heart. The spark wasn’t just on the inside anymore. It was red and bright, radiating from Sunset, enveloping her in its warmth and lifting her lightly off the ground.

The light surrounded Sunset’s ears, transforming them into pony ears atop her head. Her hair shimmered and lengthened into a fiery ponytail. Finally, the red light gathered at the base of her forehead. A long unicorn horn formed, identical to the one she left behind when she fled from Equestria.

Sunset opened her eyes. Black rings circled the outsides of her glowing teal irises, a remainder from her first transformation in the human world. She floated to the ground, her feet touching the concrete floor ever so softly. Her long sleeved shirt and baggy jeans contrasted heavily against her now almost ethereal appearance.

Aria wolf whistled. “Hot damn, Sunset!”

“Holy fuck,” Sunset blinked, letting out small laugh. “I actually did it!”

“Wow...” Trixie uttered. Blinking out of her daze, the blue-haired girl smiled brightly at her friend. “That was… That was incredible, Sunset!” She leapt up and bounded over, nearly tackling the red-head in a hug. Sunset eagerly returned the embrace.

Soon, another pair of arms was thrown around Sunset. “Group hug!” Sonata shouted, pulling Aria and Adagio in with her.

Sunset smiled a bright, genuine smile.

She felt happy.

After a few moments, Sunset broke the group cuddle. “So, uh,” she started, “I guess ‘friendship’ is a viable adaptor.”

There was a beat of silence before Aria burst into laughter. The rest of the group dissolved into giggles soon after.

***

It took a few minutes for everyone to calm down, but when they did, Adagio announced that they should test Sunset’s magical capabilities while her pony form lasted.

“It may be possible,” she reasoned, “For Sunset to use her pony extremities in the same way she would if she were in Equestria.”

Sonata nodded. “The loud blue one used her wings when she ponied up, so why wouldn’t a horn work?”

“Worth a shot,” Sunset said with a shrug. She was internally excited at the possibility of having her unicorn magic back, but she didn’t want to be disappointed if it didn’t work.

Sunset closed her eyes and reached inwards, grabbing onto the magic she felt flooding her body. It was much easier than before. She mentally focused on the center of her forehead, feeling the magic rush to the spot.

She smiled. “It feels just like it did in Equestria.”

The familiar sensation was a comfort. Sunset had missed the feeling of having her horn, of having her magic readily available.

She exhaled, raising her chin.

“Wh- hey!”

“Wowie!”

“Uh...”

“Sunset, dear, please open your eyes.”

At her friend’s outcries, Sunset’s eyes snapped open. The teal aura of her magic surrounded her friends, holding them aloft in the musky air.

“Oh, uh,” Sunset tried to hold back a snicker. “Pfft- sorry guys!” She gently lowered her friends to the ground.

Adagio stood with a huff, brushing the dust off her figure. “Well, I guess that answers that question.”

***

Sunset reclined in her bed comfortably. “Man, having a real bed is great,” she thought with a smile. Her shared journal with Twilight was propped up against her legs, open to the most recent entry.

Dear Twilight,

Today was rather eventful. Trixie apparently isn’t just a prodigy- I think if she were in Equestria, her power could definitely rival my own. We think it’s because she already knew human magic before Equestrian magic mingled with it.

Also, I can now pony-up at will! It turns out, all I needed was my friends- no way are you fucking kidding me OKAY now I get it, alright, friendship is literally magic. Wow. Sorry for not listening the first time, I guess.

Anyways, how was that thing that Luna sent you to check up on? I hope it was a false alarm… If it was, and you aren’t busy, you should come by for a visit soon! It would be great to see you.

Sunset Shimmer

Author's Note

IM ALIIIIIIIIIIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am SO SORRY!!! Shit got really rough for a bit there; on the date I was initially going to upload I got into my first big car accident (luckily no one was hurt but my car was totaled and I had to deal with all that jazz) and then the next week I had to go to the ER, AND I got slammed with a ton of school work to juggle on top of all that. So, needless to say, I haven't had a ton of time to write...

...Until now! I present to you; the exposition chapter that might be important later ( :pinkiegasp: ), immediately followed by the gay you've all been waiting for! :yay:

This story will being coming to a close pretty soon, but there will be all of the following: a spinoff following a TwiDagio story, a sequel to both this story and the TwiDagio one, and a bonus oneshot for SunTrix sexy times :trixieshiftright:

Hope you all enjoy!

~Bitty Bug