ProlougeView OnlineBorn AgainProlouge«I once believed that justice could be found in the court of law, and in the light of day. But I was fooling myself. The darkness only responds to darkness...» The sun shone upon the city of Canterlot, despite the snow blocking its way. The birds were singing, and the citizens of Canterlot were heading to their destination; whether it was job-related or elsewhere. It was rather... peaceful, to say the least. It's a pity, that no one knew how it was during the night. There was one place in particular, where everyone was truly enjoying their morning. Canterlot high, a school for gifted students, was filled with chatter. Every student was simply having a good time, talking to each other, or simply listening to music. Entering the school, however, two individuals were in a heated conversation «So you've been alone on the holidays...for all that time?!» Applejack said, clearly stunned by her friend's words. «Yep.» Sunset Shimmer said with a sad sigh. '' 'cause I don't think I can find anyone who would want to spend time with me. A former bul-no, a former villian from another world who is now roaming in the streets at night, beating up criminals. What would possibly be wrong with that?'' Sunset told herself, half-sarcasticly. «That's awful.» Applejack exclaimed, with a hint of concern in her voice. It was. Trying to get rid of the uneasy topic, Sunset said in a cheery tone : «Don't worry about me. I've got you guys now! __I'll See you later, AJ. __Yeah... later sunset. Making sure she was out of sight, Applejack started texting her other friends. Darkness. The only thing she saw, the only thing she felt, was darkness. But nevertheless, she admired its beauty. She always like dark places. Whenever she was feeling down, she wouldn't go and talk about it with others. She would go hide in a dark corner, until she was fine to come back. Or someone found her. Mostly, it was the latter. She would sit there, alone, and let her mask fall. She was worthless.She wasn't worthy of being her dau-no, her student. She wasn't even worthy of being their friend. She hurt so many people. On both sides of the mirror. Just because she thought she was superior. That she didn't need anybody. She'd be just fine on her own. She didn't need friends, only servants. She was a fool back then. She wouldn't be one now. She had a wonderful life. She had friends now. She was reformed. She was nice to everyone, and they've accepted her, right? Right? Sunset sighed. She couldn't help it. The fact she still had doubts about the whole... friendship thing. It felt... wonderful, to be honest. The Rainbooms were pretty warm and forgiving.They took her in, despite everything she had done, mostly to them. And she was both thankful and ashamed for that. But she didn't deserve them. She would never deserve happiness. She- "Okay Sunset, you do not wanna go there again'' Sunset thought, ''It's all in the past. No need to beat yourself up over it''. If it was that simple. She could still feel the pain... The scars... They were the reminders. ''I got a question for you, miss hero. Should I tell you or should I TELL you?'' a voice asked. In her head. And no, she wasn't crazy. ... yet. However, It did stop her self-loathing. Sunset sighed and told it: ''Whatever. I don,t think I can ever stop you from doing so''. __How are you so sure that their your friend? __Pardon? __Well, look at it this way, Shimmer. The Rainbooms hated your guts already before the Fall formal. Then, the Princess Twilight shows up, like an angel coming from above, fixes everything, and tells them to take care of you. And guess what? Plot twist,They accept! They even become best buddies with you, all the while when every other person in Canterlot high wants you gone forever. But that doesn't mean they can't remind you of your past EVERY. SINGLE. TIME! Heck, they didn't even asked you to join their band until after the Battle Of The Bands. And for what? Did they even tell you the fucking reason? __For fuck's sake, we had this conversation for about a thousand times, and I- __Yeah, Yeah. People make mistakes, they,re humans, blah blah blah. Honestly, they disgust me. Not just them, but all the others as well. You should know better. You're the one who's always cleaning their filth. __No one asked for your approval, dipshit. __You hate me because I was your shitty past, your greatest form, or because I'm right most of the time? __I'm gonna ignore that. __Sure. Do what you want. But if I was in charge... Sunset desperately tried to block her thoughts. Sometimes, she wondered how is she still sane. ''I guess sanity comes with a price'' she groaned mentally. Anyways, back to business. Right now, she was on a rooftop of a building near Pinkie's house. She had nothing better to do, so she went there and waited for the others. The slumber party was gonna start in... 15 minutes. ''I should get out of the costume then'' Sunset reminded herself. Five minutes later, she was in her usual outfit, standing in front Pinkie's door. KNOCK KNOCK She was surprised-like always- when pinkie pie opened the door and pulled her in for a bone-crushing hug. «Hiya, Sunset! Areyoureadyforthemostsuper-duperawesometasticslumberpartyofyourlife?!» pinkie blurted out. Sunset, barely understanding what her pink friend said, while also nearly choking from how strong her grip was, answered with all the breath that was left: «Pinkie... Can't... Breathe...». «Whoops, sorry.» Pinkie apologized, though she was still grinning. Sunset let out a chuckle and said: «It's fine. Just never do that again». Walking to her friends, Sunset, clearly enjoying herself, let out a relieved sigh and thought: ''This couldn't get any better''. She was right. Hopefully, things will stay this way. 'Are you sure you want to submit a new account named ''Anon-a-miss''?' The strange figure clicked on the obvious button. 'Yes'. ... And the truth is... I rather die as the devil ... than live as Sunset Shimmer». Author's Note Hello there, fellow bronies and pegasisters. This is my first time writing a story, so the chances are high that I will fuck it up. Please forgive me for that. This is a prototype of what I have in mind. I just wanted to see how many people would want to read it. Hopefully, my writing will improve 'till some time and I'll start writing the story. If you found any grammatical errors or even simple errors, please inform me in the comments below. Feedback is also appreciated. This chapter was probably terrible, but next chapters will be good, I promise. Thanks again, and I'll see you again next time. EDIT: So, I changed the time of the story's actual release from summer. I don't have an accurate time for posting the chapters, but I'm pretty sure it'll be sometime after the release of Daredevil: Season 3.
Chapter 1: A Beautiful LieView OnlineBorn AgainChapter 1: A Beautiful Lie«I have made many mistakes, but I accept the debt I'm paying because of them. I believe that there is no such thing called failure, because I learned that it's just another opportunity to learn. To show how strong-willed you are, and how much can you struggle to finally achieve your goals. Prison has changed me. I saw my talent. I saw my true potential. But what good are those two when you don't put them to good use? I also found out more about my... enemies. I saw their ways to hurt me. I saw how they're willing to get rid of me, because I am a threat to them. I ignored their insults. I endured. They thought they'll be fine with me behind bars. They thought they're free to do whatever they want, to say whatever they could say, while I presumably rot in this place. In my home. Love blinded me. My love for the city. My love for her. I put up with them, because of my love. But the devil took my throne. My freedom. And everything that mattered. She took everything I worked so hard to achieve. All my accomplishments, my reputation, my work, was gone in one day. But my eyes, they are open now. And she'll never see me coming. I had enough time to consider my options, and I saw the error of my ways. I made my choice.» «What is it that you're saying? » «I want to make a deal ». (Intro) «Piggly Wiggly! » Applejack sighed in frustration. This has been going on for quite some time, and it was not pleasant. She knew she had to ignore them, but it was still frustrating. The day after the slumber party, people started harassing her with her childhood nickname. The cowgirl didn't know how they found out about it, but they did. The only people that knew about it were her family. And Sunset. She couldn't help but think about who this ''Anon-a-miss'' person was. Sure, the girls would shrug it off eventually, saying it's all gossip. But she knew something was up. How can you be calm when the whole school suddenly know about your secret, and after you told it, too? That was enough for her to start questioning some people. And that hit a dead end. Anon-a-miss's profile picture didn't give away a good clue about who she (or he ) was, but the colors were a tad bit familiar, with red and yellow streaks of hair. But AJ thought that's just a coincidence, or a simple misunderstanding. Sunset was their friend, after all. But then Applebloom, her younger sister, suggested that the only people who knew about Piggly Wiggly were her family and Sunset. The other Rainbooms were informed after that. Now Applejack, being the good friend she was, told her little sister that it was nonsense. Sunset Shimmer would never do that to her friends. She changed. But she was nowhere to be seen right now. Sunset stood in silence as she watched the lavender skin bookworm walk around her lab-more like a workshop, in Sunset's opinion-in a crazy manner. She was doing another one of her crazy researches about possibly anything that didn't make any sense to her. All in the name of science. And a few other benefits. Sunset let out a small chuckle. She was hiding in the darkness, but she could still see her new friend, doing a research on "Let me guess... magic'', Sunset thought. After she told her about the existence of magic (which she tried her hardest not laugh, seeing her face was so shocked and puzzled), Sunset asked her for another favor, which she hesitantly accepted. It was Twilight Sparkle, after all. Always there for a friend in need, no matter which dimension she was in. Apparently, she didn't know not to trust strangers, which was good in Sunset's case. However, the moment she walked out of the shadows, she was greeted by a short-lived scream. Sunset swore it was high-pitched enough to make her deaf, if she was listening with her heightened senses. Thank god she didn't. Daredevil, on the other hand, didn't mind her reaction. She was used to it. It was actually very entertaining, except for the screaming part. She smirked and said: «I thought you were used to seeing me like this ». Twilight, after realizing that it was just her, sighed with relief. Then she replied angrily: «How can you ever get used to a cosplayer, dressed up in a devil costume, suddenly emerge from the shadows?! ». __Hey, you designed it to be scary! __Because you told me so! __Fine. I'm sorry I did that. Though, it was a bit cute. «Hey!», Twilight said, trying to hide her blush. Daredevil started walking around the lab, examining all the equipment there. She noticed a strange device laying on Twilight's desk. She didn't know what did it do, but she couldn't ask Twilight about it. She didn't want a lecture that took forever. Twilight was really a sucker for science. So was Sunset, but she was less enthused about it. What she didn't know was the fact that she knew how she could make a Heavily-armed suit. Bulletproof, too. She always thought that Twilight Sparkle, Princess of friendship, was always a peaceful per-err, pony. Her counterpart should have held the same similarities. She was right, to some extent. Even so, knowledge wouldn't hurt anyone now, would it? "I'm thankful for the suit at least.", Daredevil thought, "It helped me a lot during my final battle with the Prince. Plus, it showed that my ridiculous idea for a costume wasn't that bad after all. This one is better than my last costume. Though, I still miss the old one". Sunset stopped herself from drowning in her thoughts and turned to Twilight, trying to start a conversation: __So, how have you been? __Well, things have been... rough, to say the least. But I'm doing fine myself. Although, socializing is not a common thing for nerds in Crystal Prep, despite your humble opinion. __Sheesh, and I thought our guys were assholes! Wait... I didn't kick their dad's ass or anything, did I? __No, you didn't. They might be snobs, but they're not criminal material! Most of 'em, anyway. __Heh, figures. Oh well, their loss. Twilight smiled at her friend with appreciation. They only knew each other for two weeks, and not under the best circumstances. But they were warming up to each other. Still, she didn't know who the lady behind the mask was. Twilight suddenly remembered about her gift. Without hesitation, she went and while she was looking for it, she exclaimed: «I made something else for you. Hope you like it». Daredevil, now turning her attention to her, asked: «What? I don't think I requested another suit or anything. You sure?». «You didn't. It's a gift. And it's something I always wanted to see working», Twilight replied. A few moments later, she returned with a stick like figure. Sunset was a bit surprised about the creation, so she asked: «Umm, thanks. But may I ask you what is this?». Twilight, smiled as she heard and went into what Sunset called the 'Lecture Mode'. «This is a modified version of the weapons you used before. I'm no expert in weapons, but I think they were called ''Billy Clubs''. They were useful in combat, but they were pretty old-fashioned. This beauty here is my latest gadget. This will be your signature weapon. As a specially designed baton, it is a multi-purpose weapon and tool that contains 30 feet of aircraft-control cable connected to a case-hardened steel grappling hook. The weapon can also be adjusted to combine both sticks into an Eskrima sick. Most notably, it can be disguised as a blind man's cane. The weapon can be hold by a holster on the side of your suit, on the left leg. «I don't wanna question your intelligence or profession, but why did you choose to turn it into a blind man's cane? I'm not blind, you know.», Daredevil interrupted, curious. «Well, since I thought it would draw less attention if it was a blind person's crane, seeing how it can be tied together. It was just something that came to my mind.», Twilight responded. Sunset was a bit hesitant. Sure, it was handy thing and all, but was it really necessary? She would have said no before, but after fighting the Prince, she was sure she'd need an upgrade sooner or later. She only came to one conclusion: Take it. «Thanks. It is really cool-looking, by the way», Daredevil said in a thankful tone. «You're welcome. I owed you one. You can consider this an early Christmas gift», Twilight responded. "Huh. My very first Christmas gift.", Sunset thought, "It wasn't that common, but it was still something''. After another hour of chit-chat, Sunset said she had to leave. She wanted to go to the second slumber party with the girls, and she didn't want to be late. After saying their goodbyes, Sunset headed straight for Rarity's boutique. She knew it was going to be fun. But she couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to go wrong. "Well, paranoia is something you'll get when you go crime-fighting at night", Sunset told herself. Suddenly, she heard someone screaming for help. She tried to concentrate. It was how her senses worked. After a few moments, she could hear a man's voice: «SHUT UP! No one's gonna hear ya. You're just gonna cause more trouble. Now, you keep quiet an' let me do what I want, or you're gonna be bleeding on the street. I can do it both ways». «HELP! PLEASE, SOMEONE HELP ME!!!», the woman screamed, clearly terrified. "And I thought they would respect the spirit of Christmas'', Sunset thought, ''They literally disgust me. Ponies wouldn't even think of rape. Here, it's just an ordinary thing''. Sunset finally found the source of the voice. Rare Find Alley. ''Okay. Let's do this". She landed on a rooftop when she reached the alley. She then saw the two individuals in question. One of them was a man, clearly in his mid thirties. He wore a black jacket, with a balaclava on his face. And a kitchen knife in his hand. The latter was a woman, presumably in her mid twenties. She wore a high neck jacket, with gloves and a red scarf. She was slowly backing away from the man. He shouted with his raspy voice: «NO ONE IS HERE to save you're sorry ass. It's only me an' you, sweetheart. Now, you give me some o' that action, or...- «The only kind of action you're getting is going to be a kick to the face, and some broken ribs. If you play rough, I might even grab you by the tip of your dick and make it rain... blood», a third voice joined the conversation. «Who the fuck was that?! I'm armed, ya bitch!», the man exclaimed. It was the last words he said, as he was met with a kick to his face. It send him flying, but not high enough before the devil caught him and he was shoved against the wall. «I didn't think you scums had the balls to act with the devil around. Now, you wanna get knocked out, or have each and every one of your bones broken? The choice is yours to make», Daredevil told the man, who was breathing heavily against the wall. «L-ll look m-man! I don't want any trouble. I-I_I Just wanted to have s-some fun! I-». He fell silent as Daredevil started punching him in the face, time after time after time. «STAY! THE FUCK! AWAY FROM HER! Do you understand me? », Daredevil yelled at the nearly unconscious man. The only reply she got was the sound of grunts and groans he was making. «Good.». She then bashed his head into the bricked wall, as the man fell on the concrete, knocked out cold. Daredevil then turned to the woman, who was hiding in the corner, crying. Daredevil asked her: «Are you okay, ma'am? Did he hurt you or anything?». The woman, while still crying after the experience, answered: «I-I'm fine. Thank you, miss-s. *sob*I was s-so scared, I didn't know what t-to do-o!». «No need to thank me. It is my job, after all». She then went over to the man. After taking off his mask, he saw his bloodied and bruised face. "Yeah, It's my job.", Daredevil told herself. She then heard the sounds of a police siren. She informed the woman that she should tell the cops about what happened. The woman nodded and watched as her savior disappeared in to the night. "No wonder they call her the 'Lady Without Fear'", she thought. The time Sunset entered Rarity's boutique, everyone else was already there. She felt a bit embarrassed, seeing she was the last person to enter. But hey, she wasn't that late. The party was even better this time. They sang, they played games, etc. But the best thing they did was taking some outrageous selfies. With some funky clothes! Oh, how silly they looked in them. There was tons of different costumes to try out. Apparently, Rarity had this ''Closet of Shame'', which she had the silliest clothes she made (or the ones she thought were useless) stuffed in. She donated the clothes from time to time, so they were lucky to get their hands on them. However, there was one in particular, which made Sunset's face pale. It was a Daredevil costume, though it wasn't the actual costume. It was... redder than hers, made of... leather? Latex? Sunset wasn't sure. It also had a symbol on the left chest part. Two D's, crossed in each other; With one on top of the another. It was weird, but inspiring to Sunset. She decided to ask Rarity about it. All she said was that it was just an inspiration that came to her min, nothing more. Sunset was relieved to hear that. After taking tons of selfies and doing some weird things with the clothes, they all agreed that they should call it a night. They were all seemingly tired, which was why they went sleep fast. Sunset, on the other hand, was still awake. She was used to being awake in night, but even she was feeling tired. But first, she decided to write to Princess Twilight about her fun with the girls. She wrote: «Dear Twilight. My second slumber party with the girls, and already I feel so much better. I haven't felt so loved, so accepted, in... well... ever! I feel like I finally have a home again. Without all of you to help and support me, I'd be- "Insane? Dead? Locked in a cage for display in front of the town hall?", Sunset thought, but decided to let it go an continued writing: Well, you know what I would be! Anyway, I should get some sleep. But I wanted to let you know, before I do... ... that I love you all. Your friend Sunset Shimmer» Sunset finished writing. Then, she laid on the bad, closing her eyes as she thought about her life. It was truly amazing. She then drifted off to sleep, but not before saying her last sentence. «Friendship is Magic». «If there's one true thing that I learned about life... ... is that life is not a fairy tale. And not everyone deserves a happy ending.». Author's Note Chapter 1 is out, baby! I know it's a bit short, but hopefully, I'll be able to write longer chapters. Even though it took me 4 hours to write this one! I'm starting to read Daredevil's comics, because I want to get ready for the series and write a better stories. Also, for those of you who haven't noticed, I added some Daredevil quotes in the story, and I possibly will in the future. Why? Because their awesome! Also, sorry about the fighting sequence. I know it sucks, and Sunset/Daredevil is a bit ooc, but I'll get better. I swear! Hope you guys enjoy my story. If you like it, please press the like button. If you don't, then that's your choice. If you want to wait a little bit (which is a good idea), you can wait. Be sure to comment as well. Also, thanks for Arthor2017 for giving me the idea for chapter's name. Thanks dude. As always, I'll see you guys in the next chapter. Bye Bye!
Chapter 2: Speak Of The DevilView OnlineBorn AgainChapter 2: Speak Of The DevilTrixie Lulamoon was frozen in place. She stood in shock and disbelief as she examined the figure in front of her. There she was: The devil of Hell's Kitchen. The lady without fear. Daredevil. Unmasked. They were both looking at each other, stunned. They certainly didn't expect this to happen. Finding Sunset Shimmer, of all people, with teary eyes and the local vigilante's outfit was... really unexpected. The Great And Powerful Trixie still could not believe the sight in front of her. It wasn't true, nor it was real. She was just seeing things. Maybe it was the guilt finally coming to her. She did feel bad for humiliating her. But this!? This... kinda changed it. All she could feel now was... Confusion? Anger? Hatred? Guilt? Sorrow? Betrayal? All of them? «... Y-You're not real, a-are you? You're just in m-my head, r-right? You can't be her!», she mumbled weakly. Daredevil only had one thing to say to her companion before she disappeared in the dark. «No». (Intro) (Sunset's POV) I was going to school while listening to my favorite playlist. It was cold outside, but I didn't mind. I've been in some tougher situations before. It wasn't that big of a deal. Once you survived being unconscious, while also falling from a building straight into a dump, you can survive anything! After the slumber party, I told the girls I had to go back to my place, to get my stuff. The real reason was that I had to dump my costume somewhere. It was a bit heavy to carry around in a freaking backpack, and it would definitely draw unwanted attention. As I was making my way to the front doors of school, I noticed people on their phone, laughing at something. When I got close to some of them, they started looking at me in a weird way, like I did something funny. It was... not that great. When I entered the school, everyone suddenly stopped talking. That was odd, seeing how Canterlot high is always filled with sounds of chatter and sometimes music. After I started walking in the halls, they started whispering. I didn't know what was it they were talking about, but thanks to my mutated hearing, I could hear them saying stuff like: «Oh, they look so stupid!» «I wonder how could she post the photos. Maybe it really is her!» «Man, this Anon-a-miss sure knows how to strike!» What the hell are they talking about? Did that "Anon-a-miss'' (I really hate that name.) do something again? Who was it his time? I didn't like the feeling I was getting one bit! As I was making my way to my locker, I could still hear the students whisper about the same thing. None of them told anything so I could make sense of stuff, so I decided to ignore them. When I saw the girls, I waved at them and said: «Hey girls! What's going... on?». I paused when I saw the look on their faces. They did not look happy! Something definitely happened, and It sure can't be good. Applejack approached me, and with a doubtful look on her face, asked: «Sunset... Have ya lost your phone recently?» Huh? I was caught off-guard. I was pretty sure I didn't, otherwise I'd notice. So, I answered the cowgirl's question with uncertainty: «No, It's right here. Why?» «Then you gotta explain this!» I took her phone and looked at it. It was showing MyStable. More importantly, it was Anon-a-miss. I knew it! Wait a minute... These look real familiar. They're... ... They're our pictures! At the slumber party last night! What the fuck!? How did she knew about that? And more importantly, how did she get the freaking pictures? I felt my heart skip a beat when I realized something else. The pictures were from my phone! This... This isn't right! I know I didn't lose my phone, and I'm sure as fuck I didn't tell anybody about them either! Just like ''Piggly wiggly''. People on the street called me the ''Lady Without Fear'', but at that specific moment, I was terrified of what was about to come! And what they told me, only made me feel worse. «What!?», I literally yelled, «How did she get our pictures?». «They're not our pictures, Sunset... », Applejack exclaimed furiously. «... They're yours!», Rainbow Dash finished her friend's sentence, with pure venom in her words. «All those pictures were taken by you». I was beyond confused at this point. Sure, my phone could have been hacked, but... ... who would hack my phone, just to get some stupid pictures? «Wait, but... I've had my phone all this time! How did she-», I told them, only to get cut off by a furious Applejack: «Yeah, how did she? How did she know about my nickname? How did she get the pictures from your phone? It was you all along! You're ''Anon-a-miss''!». Wait... WHAT!? No. There is literally no way in hell they would believe that! This can't be happening! I'm probably still sleep, having another nightmare. There's no Anon-a-miss. There's no argument actually happening. It's all a fucking dream! But it felt so real. «We trusted you, Sunset! We thought you were our friend!» «How could you do this? After all we've been through together?». Rarity's disappointed tone was worse than a thousand bullets. Same went for the others. Why would they think that? I've been through a lot, too! I thought they believed that. Was I wrong? Out of desperation, I begged them: «No, wait, you guys!... I didn't do this! I could never hurt you! You know I couldn't_» «But you did!», Pinkie Pie cut me off, half-sentence, «You must've just been pretending to be our friend, when all along you were after our secrets! You secret-stealer!». I could no longer hold back the tears that were forming in my eyes. I didn't care about it at this point! I just wanted them to believe me! I just wanted my friends to believe me! «No! NO! I don't know how she got this stuff, but it- it wasn't me, I swear! I'm not this person!». After that, all I got was a slap from Fluttershy. She was crying when she told me this: «No, you're not! You're not the person we thought you were! You're not our friend!». I begged them. I hoped it would convince them. Or I tried, and failed miserably. «No, I... I Am. I promise! I-». But Applejack cut me off before I could say anything else. «This is it, Sunset. You're not gonna take advantage of us anymore. I'm sorry, but you did this to us. Tell whatever secrets you want... ... But we won't have to listen». No! No, no, no, no, no, no, no! NO! They can't just walk away like that! They didn't even listen to me! Why? I pleaded them, begged them to listen, but they ignored me. They had hurt in their eyes. But I had more. I fell to my knees, and started crying loudly. Never in my life, I felt so hopeless. Not when my dad died. Not when my mot-Celestia cast me out. This time, I was truly alone, with no support. I cried, and cried, until I thought I would pass out. But I didn't. It wasn't enough. It never was. The next few days were hell for Sunset Shimmer. She lost her reputation. Everyone's trust. Her friends. Her family. She couldn't take it. After all this time, she thought she found a second chance. She found friends; something she didn't have for most of her life. She learned the magic of friendship, didn't she? She thought she did. But that was all gone now. And she found something she thought (and prayed) would never come again. Loneliness. Loneliness was the reason she became an arrogant bitch. Loneliness was the reason she was thirsty for revenge for three years! And it was here, again, threatening to take her sanity away. Right now, she was making her way to the church. She really could use a confession right now. About a year after she entered this world (and after she got to know it more), she learned about religions. Back in Equestria, everypony would praise Celestia, because she was the almighty alicorn that raised the sun and the moon. She was also the ruler of Equestria, so there was no wonder ponies would consider her a god-like figure. This world, however... didn't have someone like that. But most of its residents believed in a higher power. The one who created everything, and gave every creature life. God. Apparently, Canterlot city was more of a Christianity fan. It was more common, so Sunset decided to look into it, and she found herself getting more and more into it. Until she met a certain person that made her truly a believer. Father Lantom. He was always warm and welcoming to everyone. Even Sunset, despite her past and her actions. He really was like a good friend, if not a father figure. As she entered the church, he noticed that not a lot of people were there today. It wasn't odd, seeing that people would want to spend more time with their families, rather than being in a church. Sunset would have been like them, if... ...If only she had a family. She sat on one of the tables that was there, shivering from the cold. She did want to tell the Father about all the fun she had, and the progress she made. He was always happy to hear it. Sunset didn't want to tell him about the recent events that happened in , but she was sure Father Lantom would be comforting, as always. She waited for a while. After a few minutes, she could hear the familiar sound of footsteps. It was him. «Oh, you are here! I was surprised to see you here again in Christmas. I thought you were having fun with your friends», he exclaimed. Sunset, with whatever force she could find, put on a smile and told him: «Good to see you again, too, Father». Lantom sat beside the redheaded girl. «So, what brings you here? I suppose it's not about another evil crime lord. And it sure is nice not to hear from him for a while.» «No, it isn't. It's more... complicated, than that». Father Lantom finally noticed something was not right with the girl. The last time he saw her like this was... ...well, after that incident at the ''fall formal''. She wore a blank expression on her face, but he could see her bloodshot eyes, and the dried tears on her face screamed that she had cried for quite some time. That was concerning. «My daughter, something has happened, hasn't it? Tell me, what's been bothering you?». Sunset, however, just stared in front of her. How could she tell it? It was too painful. «It's just... my friends, father. They... they left me.» Father Lantom remained silent, allowing the girl to explain everything. And she told him everything: Anon-a-miss. Her friends dumping her. The bullying. And how helpless she was. «I know that I've been an ungrateful bastard before -sorry-, but does it mean that I can't have a second chance? To live a normal life, with friends? With a family?». Father Lantom stood silent for some time. He considered the girl's state, and his words. He then spoke: «People can be... harsh to one another when it comes to mistakes. In your case, past. Not everyone is forgiving like god. God forgave you, and let you have another chance, as he always does with people who seek redemption, and forgiveness. Therefore, you are forgiven by god, so that is more than enough. But redemption is not always easy. You have to earn everyone's trust. Their forgiveness. If you're sincere about your apology, then you can be sure they will understand, and some will even help you along the way. But some people will hold a grudge against you, no matter what you try. They won't care about what you have to say, or how willing you are to right your wrongs. They'll only care about themselves, and how hurt they were. With people like these, sometimes, the only sane way might be to just let go. Stop trying. You'll never be able to get them to listen to you, so why should you bother? But you shouldn't let them discourage you. You should keep trying, and go to people who believe you. You can't force them to forgive you, no matter how stupid they are behaving. Remember, god will deal with them. But based on what you just told me, I find it rather upsetting, that even the first option didn't work as it should have. It is quite childish, in my opinion; to hold a grudge for so long, even after you got to know the person more. But since you had the reputation for being the bad girl, you became an easy target. But here's my advice: Try again. They will, eventually, listen to you, even if that is going to take some time. Also, look for others that believe you. I'm sure not everyone believes you are the culprit. You did mention you had another friend, am I correct?». Sunset nodded. Then suddenly, she got up from her seat and told her companion: «That... thank you father. That actually gave me an idea». Father Lantom, who could only stare at the woman's sudden change of attitude, slowly gave her a thankful nod. «Just... be careful out there, my child. I take that the teens can be quite... cruel to your state in the present.» Sunset said her prayers before she got out of the church. She waved the priest goodbye before that. For now, she had a suspect. And she needed her to talk. Trixie Lulamoon was in front of her locker, when suddenly, someone tapped on her shoulder. Trixie groaned and responded with a: «What do you want from the great and powerful Trixie now?». «Hello, Trixie.» The harsh tone made it clear that she meant business. And Sunset Shimmer was far from friendly at this point. Trixie, however, was amused by the latter's attitude. «Ah, miss Sunset. How are you, dear? I'm pretty sure you had your fair share of fun with your friends?». Sunset Shimmer, who was suppressing the urge to punch the selfish bastard in the face, only responded: «Save it, Trixie. I know what you're doing». Trixie took on a look of curiosity, so she asked: «Oh, prey tell». «You're Anon-a-miss, aren't you?». Sunset expected the girl's face to pale, or to quickly deny it. What Sunset didn't expect was that the girl in front of her, suddenly start laughing. «Ha, I wish! She stirred up this school more than Trixie ever could! Whoever she is, I'd like to thank her!». Sunset felt something snap inside of her. If it wasn't the motherfucking Trixie, then who else would want to ruin Sunset so badly? Sunset asked Trixie: «So... you don't know who she is , do you?». «Why, I assumed it was you! You tricked your friends, stole their secrets, and posted them for all to see!». As she walked past her, she finished her stupid rambling: «I couldn't have done it any better». And when she left, she left a hopeless Sunset Shimmer behind. "Sunshit Shitter'' ''Go back to your world, bitch!'' ''Stop posting my secrets, you whore!'' ''Way to go, Anon-a-miss!'' ''She-demon'' These were the kind words that Sunset's been hearing for the last two days. They were brutal, they were unpleasant, but they were there, nonetheless. In just a few days, she lost everything she ever loved. In a few days, all the friendships, the hard work, and forgiveness she had earned was gone with a press of a button. ''At least I have some Twilight's left,'', Sunset thought, '',though none of them can really help me with my problem. Let's face it, I brought it upon myself''. She told Princess Twilight about most of the stuff that happened. Though, she didn't mention the hateful words and all the shoving she got from the students. What was her response? A lecture about the possibility of Windigos being here, in this world. And also finding your family, which Sunset didn't have one, at the moment. ''Stay strong''. How much stronger she could get? She would break at some point! ''Remember who you are''. That was exactly the problem to begin with. Her past fucked up her present! ''Find your family''. Again, it didn't do her any good! Now that she thought about it, she was starting to question all the time she spent with the girls. Was it ever real? There was a sound, however, that made her stop her internal monologing. As she tried to block out the annoying thoughts inside her head and concentrate, she could hear a couple arguing about something. «So, you think you can cheat on me and walk away with it?», the man told his girlfriend. «I didn't cheat on you! Why do you think so badly that I did?», the woman responded, afraid. «Then who the fuck was that guy, huh? Who was the fucker that just walked out of your Apartment?». «He was just a friend, for fuck's sake! He came there to help me with my-» «I don't care about why he came there. All I care about is that he was in there for too long, and when he came out, he had this goofy grin on his stupid face! You think I'm an idiot?» Sunset could hear them briefly. She didn't know why, but she had a feeling that this was not going to end well. So she jumped on the building closest to them. «I don't know why he was like that! We were just friends, but you're acting so bitchy about it.» She wasn't lying. Her heartbeat showed it clearly. «Ha, and I would fall for that like a stupid kid! I know you're lying, and when you lie to me and cheat on me at the same time...» Sunset listened in horror as she heard the sound of a knife coming out of his pockets. «... You're gonna regret it, bitch!». And that was her cue. «AAAAAAAAAAHHH, FUCK!», the man screamed in pain as the billy club hit his hand hard. While not tearing through his flesh like a throwing knife would do, it still had enough force to make his hand bleed. And make him scream like a bitch. «What the fuck, man!? I-I-I thought you'd only beat up scums!». Daredevil only responded with a: «You didn't count yourself, did you? Wanting to kill this woman when she didn't do anything wrong is a pretty shady thing in my opinion». «You- You stay from this! It's not your FUCKING BUSINESS! She's my girlfriend, and I do whatever I WANT to do with her!» «SHUT UP! You think you own her? You think she's a pet? She didn't even do anything! I sensed it. What made you suspect that in the first place?», Daredevil shot back. «Heh, just look at the long line of exes she left behind! She must've been a whore to drive them away like this! She-» But he didn't get to say anything, as seconds later, he was met with a bone-crushing blow to his jaw. Daredevil could feel the blood that spilled on her hands. The sound of his jaw breaking after the impact, echoed in her mind. Another person being misjudged by their past. Another person nearly dying because of everyone's carelessness. Another person paying the price because nobody could turn a blind eye. And suddenly, something snapped inside of her. All the anger, the frustration, the sadness that was eating her from the inside. All the emotions that were forgotten and left ignored. Her own rage. Her hopelessness. Her helplessness. And she took all of it out on the bastard in front of her. She started punching, and kicking the man repeatedly. Every hit becoming stronger than the last one. ''You secret-stealer!'' ''Way to go!'' ''Too many secrets.'' ''Traitor'' ''How could she?'' She could feel her knuckles, starting to bleed. They were already sore, but she didn't care. She didn't notice, because she was too lost in her beatdown. ''Thief!'' ''Spill all the secrets.'' ''What kind of monster would do this!?'' ''She caused my breakup.'' ''Can't believe she's getting away with it!'' ''How can you do this?'' Sunset was hurt. And she needed to kill someone to calm herself. ''You're not our friend!'' She could still feel the pain from when Fluttershy had slapped her. ''You bitch!'' ''Go back to your world, whore!'' "Motherfucker!'' ''Go die in a ditch!'' ''Just die already!'' ''Monster!'' "She-demon!" "Anon-a-miss!'' «AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!». «Please stop! Y-You're killing him-m! STOP!», the woman shouted, terrified of her savior's brutal takedown. Sunset finally stopped. She stopped and looked at the man who was unconscious on the ground. He was bruised and beaten to death. By her. She could feel his breathing was much slower. His face... ... it was like looking at Freddy Krueger now. She wasn't thinking straight. She could have killed him! She never thought of killing another person before! It just wasn't right! She hadn't even realized the tears that were streaming down her face, mixing with the dried tears from before. She hated herself right now, but more importantly... ... she hated this world. She looked at the woman she just saved. But the look in her eyes... it wasn't thankful... ... it was afraid. Afraid of her. She couldn't be there anymore. She couldn't risk being caught by the cops again. So she ran. She didn't know where she was going, but she still ran. And ran. And ran. And ran. And ran 'till her lungs gave out. She was so tired, she had to duck inside an alleyway. After she made sure no one was there, she collapsed on the ground, And she started crying again. She didn't have the chance to live a normal life. She didn't deserve a normal life. Not that she could ever be normal. So she cried. And cried until she heard footsteps. And she saw her. Trixie was walking in an unusual manner. She wasn't in the best mood right now. She was also drunk out of her mind. She felt betrayed as a friend. How could she lie to her like that? She knew her for a long time. They weren't on the best terms with each other, true, but they became friends nonetheless. Or it was the point that she had a crush on her. As much she didn't want to admit it, it was true. She didn't notice it at first, but the way she smiled, the way everything seemed to stop when she saw her, her beautiful face... She couldn't help it. She was in love, and she knew it. But right now? She felt hatred like never before. She was stupid by not finding out sooner. It was pretty obvious. "I just need a few more drinks... or a fix. Both would be great to get my mind off of that stupid bitch", Trixie thought. Upon entering an alleyway, she found what she was looking for: The town's local drug dealer. She didn't do drugs. She tried before, but they weren't her type. Drinks, on the other hand, were a bit better. But she still hated the hangovers. Fucking hangovers. She hadn't been caught drinking, but that didn't matter right now. Her 18th birthday was just a month away, so no big deal. Walking her way to the man, she said: «Hey. Umm... do you have anything that can get The Great And Powerful Trixie really high, so she could forget about someone?». The drug dealer, who wasn’t that patient , replied: «I have some shit. You have to be more clear. Plus, I'm still not so sure you don't have the cops on your back or anything.». Trixie just said: «Just give me something good, okay?». «Let's see... I have some of Gao's heroine. Think that'll be enough?», the man responded. Trixie asked: «Who's Gao?». The man only replied with a: «None of your business. Now, do you want it or no?». Trixie just replied: «Okay, okay. Just give it to me». She took the heroine and checked her pockets to find the money to pay the man. All she got was air. She didn't have money. The drug dealer noticed the terrified expression of the girl, and asked her: «Hey! Would you kindly give me my money, or else?». Trixie, whose face was whiter than a chalk, mumbled: «It's j-just that, the g-great and powerful T-Trixie... d-doesn't have a-ny money r-right now! I c-can p-», she gasped as she she felt a sharp object on her neck. «You don't have my money, huh? Then I guess I'mma have to kill ya for it. Unless you have something so important that can save your blue ass, you're dead.» Trixie was beyond terrified at this point. She didn't know what to do. She only came here for a fix, but now... She would die if she didn't tell him anything! She searched her mind for possibly anything important that could spare her life. Until she remembered something. Daredevil's identity. Sunset Shimmer. This was a really big thing, especially for criminals. She always was a pain in the ass for them, so it would do, right? Right? But she couldn't tell him that. They would kill Sunset. Trixie hated her, but she didn't want her dead! But wait... Sunset practically didn't exist in this world. She was a pony from Equestria, so she wouldn't be in that much danger. It would take them ages to find who Sunset Shimmer is. Plus, if she was Daredevil, she could take care of herself. It was her life, or Sunset's identity. And all she could think of right now was herself. The man barked: «I'm waiting». Trixie thought: "I'm sorry'', before she told the man: «I know who Daredevil really is!». The man started laughing at her attempt. «Bullshit. How could you know who she really is?» «Because I saw her! I know who she is. Please, trust me!» The man sighed in irritation, then responded: «Fine, but if you lie about it, you won't be able to see tomorrow! Got it?». Trixie nodded frantically. «Her real name is Sunset Shimmer! She is a student from Canterlot High!». The man thought for a while, and then suddenly let her go. «You better pray to god that this is true! Now get lost!» As soon as she was freed from the man's grasp, Trixie started running to her home, and she didn't look back. The man, however, started to call someone and told himself: «Oh man! The Prince is gonna be happy to hear this!». Author's Note And here you have it, folks! There will be hell to pay from next episode! I was listening to ''NF_Paralyzed'' while writing this chapter, so it kinda inspired me. Sunset is gonna have a tough time after this, especially after her biggest secret will most likely be spread across the underworld. Sorry these first few chapters were a bit rushed. I just wanted to get to this part a bit faster, so I could write them sooner. Hopefully, it didn't turn out that bad. And just a tiny request: Can anyone draw Sunset in Daredevil's black vigilante outfit, or the armored one? I'd appreciate that, but I'm not forcing anyone to do it. You can put in the comments below. Thanks. Thanks again for staying with me until now, and hopefully, I'll see you next time.
Chapter 3: CondemnedView OnlineBorn AgainChapter 3: CondemnedAbacus Cinch, the principal of Crystal Prep Academy (CPA), looked at the girl in front of her with curiosity, while also uncertainty. She knew the girl so well, and that was the problem. She was her daughter's best friend as well. Cinch was a bit... afraid, of how the girl would react to her words. NO! She was Abacus Cinch! The principal of one of the best schools that ever was in Canterlot. She was meant to be feared, not afraid. And she will show that to this girl, sitting in front of her. But the fact that the girl was none other than Sour Sweet, made her a bit nervous. First off, she was schizophrenic, which made her mentally unstable. Second, she was still unpredictable, even if she wasn't schizophrenic. Third, she had a questionable past, and that was a reason for why she was in here in the first place. And at last, there was her skills, which were unmatched by possibly anyone in the world. She could be the right girl for the right job. ''Damn you, Blueblood!", Cinch thought, ''If it wasn't for your ''special requests'' and all that nonsense, I would've been running my school without any worries. But no! You just had to endanger me, my family, and my school's reputation, which is the very thing I worked so hard on!''. Cinch sighed, but tried her best to compose herself. She was strict. She was fearsome, and she would have it stay that way. She was still nervous about the whole deal, but in the end, she kept it together. She began: «Mrs. Sour Sweet. Age: 18. Parents: Mr. Pointdexter and Mrs. Candy Stick. Your father was an FBI agent, while your mother was... a prostitute. Thought they are both deceased now. Your father, during a mission, was shot in the chest by a sniper and died hours after. Your mother, after your father's death, was so depressed and emotionally devastated that turned into prostitution. After killing one of her clients, she was sentenced to life in prison. Sadly, she committed suicide after a year, leaving you alone for yourself. Is that information correct, Mrs. Sweet?». Sour Sweet, who flinched as she was forced to remember her memories in such way, only responded: «Right. Am I being interrogated here? I thought you wanted to, you know, TALK WITH ME OR SOMETHING!». The principal winced at her sudden shift of tone, but continued nonetheless: «No, Mrs. Sweet. You're here because your skills have been noticed by certain... individuals, and they were willing to know more about you». «Is it illegal? 'Cause that would be sooooo FUN!», Sour Sweet exclaimed. «It depends. As we both know, you have amazing talent in archery. The student body exclaims that you never miss the target! You can throw anything of your desire: A knife, a book, a pen, or even a simple plastic card, and it would still hit the mark.» «And it would be DEADLY!» «Yes, I've been informed about the ''Incident'' that happened at the last Friendship Games. The Canterlot High students would never forget about the day that one of their students nearly went in a coma, because you, a 15 year old girl, unintentionally hit his forehead with a Baseball, bare-handed. And what amazes me, Mrs. Sweet, is the fact that you did it without even looking properly at him!» "Hopefully, that was unintentional.'', Cinch told herself. «Huh! They don't call me ''Bullseye'' for nothing! Plus, that hairy motherfucker was already hitting on Sunny Flare. HE SHOULD HAVE SEEN IT COMING!» «Language, Mrs. Sweet. While I am aware of what he had done, especially if it was done to my own daughter, but that wouldn't convince the parents, would it? The only way to solve the problem peacefully, was to either pay his medical bills (Which was a bit ridiculous, considering it was just an accident), or take Baseball out from the Friendship Games. As you are well aware, we all decided it would be best to choose the second option. But let bygones be bygones, Mrs. Sweet. I will let that slide, if you accept my client's request. Trust me, it would be better than you think!». Sour Sweet thought about that for a few moments. It was silent for minutes, before Sour Sweet suddenly burst out: «Ok, I'll do it. BUT IT BETTER NOT HAVE TO DO ANYTHING WITH SEX!». Cinch was, naturally, taken aback by this. But after it sank in for her, she let out a small gasp and responded: «Oh, heavens no! It is something entirely different. Though, it needs physical force. Where in the name of Faust did you get that idea?». Sour Sweet only put on a devious grin and said: «Oh, I just missed the point. Please, tell me EVERYTHING!». (Intro) Sunset Shimmer was heading to the Sugarcube Corner, in search of her former friends. She was going to try one last thing, and hopefully, it would work. Meanwhile, she couldn't help but think about what exactly happened last night. "I totally lost it last night! I could have killed that guy!", Sunset thought, shivering while doing so. "Oh, and that would have been wonderful! He deserved it anyway.'', a familiar voice in her head responded. "Shut up! I don't kill criminals, because it's not the right thing to do.'' "But you do leave them bleeding on the street." "It's still better than outright murdering them! I just let the cops handle it from here." "And that's gonna get us both in trouble someday. But apart from that... You're just gonna pretend that you didn't see that Trickster bitch? You know, from what I remember, you didn't have that oh-so-scary cowl of yours attached to your head, did you? And I'm pretty sure she wasn't just in your mind. Believe me, I would've known". That, caught Sunset's attention. Honestly, she'd been thinking about it as well, and it was worrying. She was sure that everything that happened was real, but she didn't know if the other girl believed what she saw. And that girl was Trixie, of all people. The very girl that hated her with every fiber of her being. Surely, Sunset didn't want her running around, knowing her secret identity, now, did she? That would be... so not cool. "So, what do you suggest, doctor? Should I go straight up kill her and her family? Or should I hang her from a roof, making her swear she wouldn't tell anybody a word about it?", Sunset told her, half-sarcastically. "Maybe. But you should make her keep quiet, one way or another". Sunset decided to just deal with it another time. As she got closer to Sugarcube Corner, she examined the sight in front of her. There it was: The Rainbooms, all sitting on the same table. Sunset nearly panicked as she saw her ex-friends. They lacked... well, whatever made them, them; Happiness, energy, hope. Sunset let out a shaky sigh, but she decided to go in anyways. So, she gathered up all the courage she could find, and walked in the shop. As soon as she entered the place, she was greeted warmly by a certain rainbow-haired teen. «Hey! Get out!», Rainbow dash yelled at the newcomer, with pure venom in her words. Yep! She totally expected that. It didn't change the fact that it still hurt, though. Sunset sighed, and tried to speak. Although, Applejack decided against it. She interrupted her with: «You're not welcome here, Sunset!». Sunset tried once again. She began: «L-Look, I know everyone here is upset with me. Heck, I bet Rainbow Dash wants to put me in a grave right now! But I swear to god, I'm not Anon-a-miss! I have proof! Look!». She then handed her journal over to them, and they started to read it. The letters she wrote to Twilight about Anon-a-miss, of course. Not the more... private stuff. At first, everything seemed to be in slow motion. She could hear the ticks and tocks of the shop's clock. Time seemed to have slowed down for a decent amount. Each second passed like it was a day. She could feel the tension in the air. It was stress-inducing for Sunset Shimmer, who was watching the scenes with pure nervousness. As for the girl's side, they were simply reading the journal. Their facial expressions shifted from anger, to indifference, to confusion, and finally, hesitance. There was silence for a good five minutes, but Sunset (who was now a bit calmer), knew that everything was going to be fin- «You bitch!» That... was unexpected. «W-What!? What do you-» «You even tricked Princess Twilight! You forced her to believe you! Who do you think we are?», Rainbow Dash shouted at Sunset. Sunset was stunned. She felt her world come crashing down at her. She lost. It was over for her. Nothing to convince them. Nothing to make them belie- And that was when she felt something else. Something more than desperation. More than sadness, more than sorrow. Anger. A feeling that she knew was mutual, thanks to her friends. But when Fluttershy said: «Please, Sunset! Stop doing this! I promise, if you stop confess being Anon-a-miss, we might be able to forgive you. We might even be friends again». It was when Sunset snapped. «FUCK YOU!» «Pardon!?», Rarity responded, with shock. «You held a grudge on me for, how long it's been, a year? You've been lying to my face about being my friend, so much for my family! I've been through hell over these past few days! I've been shoved in the hallways! I've been blackmailed! I've had to endure all the insults they threw at me! And the great thing is, you bastards weren't even there to see it! You were so caught up with your own stupidity, that you completely forgot about another friend that you had! You didn't give me the benefit of the FUCKING DOUBT! Not when I was crying my eyes out in front of you! Not when I was being bullied by your so-called Wondercolts! And all of it was for something I didn't even do. We weren't even friends, were we? You never believed that I was reformed, did you? You always thought that I was a monster, waiting to come out and strike? You thought all you were doing was keeping the monster at bay? That you were the heroes of the story!? Well, guess what, you aren't! I always thought that you were some sort of saints! I always viewed you as the people who wouldn't turn their backs on a friend in need. Instead, you showed you are nothing more than a bunch of hypocrites who think they can play god with me, just because you're a rip-off of the actual Elements of Harmony!». Applejack could only respond with a straight "Go to hell!" tone: «Now look who's talkin'! You really should know your place, Shimmer! You're gonna be sorry about that one day!». Sunset let out a dry chuckle, and told her: «Or what? You're gonna start becoming a bitch like everybody else? Sorry, too late for that». That did it. Rainbow Dash jumped out from her seat and attempted to punch Sunset in the face. Sunset, however, was completely unfazed by this. She simply dodged the poorly executed attack and before the multi-colored girl could try anything else, grabbed her by the wrist. And she twisted it. To everyone's shock, Rainbow Dash let out a loud scream as she felt her arm break. She couldn't hear the sickening *CRACK* that it made, but Sunset could. She held Rainbow by the broken arm, ignoring the athlete's cries of pain, and started to make her statement: «Not so tough now, are you, Rainbow Dash? Anyways, here's what's gonna happen! I'm gonna find the bastards who calls themselves Anon-a-miss, make them confess in front of the whole school, and get rid of this problem as soon as possible. Then, I'm gonna enjoy seeing all you motherfucker's begging me to forgive me, just like I did after the Fall Formal». She then let go of Rainbow. The girl fell down on her knees, grunting as she tried to examine her broken arm. The other girls rushed to her side, trying to help their friend. However, Sunset simply turned her back on them and then got out of the shop. After she grabbed her journal that was thrown in the corner, of course, and she started walking. After walking for some time, and making sure she was out of sight, she collapsed, and she started crying. She would deal with other things later. After another exhausting day in school, Sunset walked out of the school's front doors as fast as she could. She wanted to go home, and she prayed that she wouldn't have to face another angry student. Not because she was afraid of what they would do to her. Because she was afraid of what she would do to them. Lately, she'd been acting strange. First, she nearly killed someone. Second, she broke Rainbow Dash's arm in self-defense. Or she thought it was self-defense. As she was heading out from the school, she could still sense everyone glaring at her. It was nothing, though. She was used to them, and she learned best to just ignore them. Meanwhile, she saw someone approaching from afar. It was... Spitfire? That was interesting. The captain of the city-wide champion soccer team was not someone who would want to do anything with the former bully. "It's probably because of Anon-a-miss.", Sunset thought. "No shit, Sherlock!", her other side responded. But something was off. She sensed four more people getting close to her. That was not good. Before she could walk out of there, she heard someone say: «Well, if it isn't the big bad bully herself. How are you doing, Shimmer?». Sunset replied: «Well, you know, like shit. What do you want?». «We want justice, you whore!», Soarin, another member of the Wondercolts answered. «Relax, Soarin. I know you're angry, but we have to be patient. Reasoning always comes first.», Fleetfoot answered. Sunset wanted to ask why, but after a few moments, she got it. They wanted to teach her a lesson. Probably. «So, let me guess. You guys think I'm Anon-a-miss, and that I posted something stupid about you. Now, you want payback. Right?», Sunset responded. «Oh, not at all, Sunset. You see, when Anon-a-miss started, we thought you wouldn't do something stupid like that. We believed you, and that was it. But when you hurt one of our friends, we started questioning ourselves. If you are that unstable about the whole deal, you must have something to hide. Actually, when we started thinking about it again, we realized that everything made sense!. You pretended that you're not Anon-a-miss, so that you could still gain secrets from your friends. When that didn't work, you lashed out at them. But the thing is, we don't care about the secrets. Well, most of us don't». Sunset asked: «So, what else? If you're not here for the secrets, then what?». «It's because of Rainbow Dash!». Sunset heard a new person speak. She knew that voice. It was Gilda. «What about her?» «You broke her arm, you ass! Who the hell you think you are? Some kind of a Daredevil?», Soarin exclaimed. Sunset couldn't help but grin at the comment, and said: «Something like that». «The thing is, Sunset», Spitfire spoke up, «we didn't want to do this. But when you hurt our friend, and a well-known member of our team, there's gonna be a price to pay. You forced our hang, girl. You should have seen it coming!». «What!? You seriously think that-» But she was cut off with a forceful punch to the face. It took a few moments to comprehend what just happened, but then it clicked. They just didn't want to teach her a lesson. They wanted to kill her. That's the reason why Gilda is here. You wouldn't just bring someone like her in and expected her to just compromise. Unless you knew what would happen. "I'm being overdramatic. There's no way in hell they would even think about killing me, let alone trying!», Sunset thought. She then heard the *clink* of a knife coming out. Then something snapped inside of Sunset. «C'mon, girl. Don't make us do what we don't want to do! We'll just teach you some manners and leave. Isn't that ri-» She was cut off by a kick to the stomach. Sunset was tired. She was tired of everything that happened to her. She was tired of Anon-a-miss. Tired of everyone trying to make her a villain, especially when she wanted to be better. She couldn't take it anymore. They wanted a bully? She would show them one. A monster. She looked at her surroundings. Two of them were at her right, three at her left, all ready to attack. Sunset launched herself forward at Spitfire, and kicked firmly to her chest. This sent the athlete girl flying, until she finally hit the wall. The others watched in shock and fear, as the bacon-haired girl ran towards them, and decided to fight back, for their sake. They were too slow, however, as Sunset reached them and tackled one of them on the ground. She then started punching the stong male violently. Her fists had connected with the right side of her opponent's jaw with a disturbing amount of force. The impact was far greater than anything that her body should have been capable of producing. Or that's what they thought. The others watched in pure horror as the fiery-head girl started beating down Soarin, in the most brutal way they ever laid eyes on. They didn't have the courage to go and help their friend. Instead, they decided to disperse. Sunset noticed this, and let go of the nearly unconscious Wondercolt. She then yelled: «Where the fuck do you think you're going!?». The two girls suddenly froze when they heard her voice. Sunset took advantage of this, as she started running in their way with a speed that would rival a cheetah.They screamed, but that didn't change anything. When She was finished, she took a moment to relax. She was panting heavily, and she realized that her left arm was bleeding. Apparently, Gilda somehow managed to stab her when she was beating her down to a pulp. "That lucky piece of shit!", Sunset thought. It took her some time to realize what she'd truly done. She looked at the grotesque imagery in front of her, and she gasped. Spitfire and Fleetfoot were laying on the concrete floor, unconscious. Their faces were drenched with blood. One of them even had a dislocated shoulder. Soarin was only a few meters away. She could hardly hear him breathing, but he was alive. His face, however, was now a pool of blood. A broken nose, some teeth shattered (oh dear god!). He was... not looking fine. Gilda was just behind her. Surprisingly, she was still awake. She asked her: «Lesson learned, am I right?». She then got close to her, watching in amusement as the helpless girl was slowly crawling to her knife. Sunset noticed the knife, and before Gilda could even reach the thing, stepped her foot on her hand. After getting tired of the girl's screams, she kicked her in the face and said: «I think you should know better than to just resort into violence. Then again, you never were a thinker, so A for effort! Now listen carefully to what I'm going to say! If anyone of you bastards try to do anything like this ever again, I'll assure you, this would be the start of what I'm gonna do to them. So, consider this a warning». She decided that it was time to go, but before she could exit the place, she heard someone say: «Sunset Shimmer! Where in the face of earth do you think you're going?». "Shit". The principal's office was strangely quiet. Normally, it would be considered concerning, since principal Celestia was always warm and welcoming to her students. She would always start the conversations, and she would always make sure it was convincing enough for the troubled students to open up. However, she never had been in a situation like this. Sunset Shimmer, a girl she knew so well due to her past, was sitting in front of her. The last time it happened was when she had to give an explanation about what happened at the Fall Formal. This time, it was even a more shocking event she witnessed her do. Celestia caught the former bully in the school's gym, with four more students, all scattered over the place. All of them were seriously injured and were caught in a near death state. All while Sunset Shimmer was standing there, with bloody hands and a bruised face. She came to conclusion that she was the one who was responsible, as much to her dismay. She looked over to her sister, who gave her a reassuring look. Though, Celestia knew she was as nervous as she was. She sighed, and then began to speak in a stern voice: «Miss Shimmer, I've been watching you for a while. After the incident at the Fall formal, we kept a close eye on you. And needless to say, you were doing as you were told by Princess Twilight Sparkle: Seeking redemption and forgiveness from the students. We all thought you changed after that,» "Heh, now that was funny.", Sunset thought. «But after what I saw today, I can't believe anything anymore! Tell me, miss Shimmer, why did I found you in the gym, with four other students in a near-death state? Surely, there's gotta be an explanation!». Sunset thought for a few minutes. What could she tell her? The fact that her students were trying to kill her? Or how she decided to defend herself, simply by changing the roles? "Like she would believe me! No one in this school gives a damn about me! Everyone wants me gone! Why should she be any different?", Sunset asked herself. «I'm waiting», Celestia told her. «They tried to kill me! But don't worry, I beat them to it!», Sunset responded. Celestia's eyes went wide as she heard the girl's statement. That could've not been the case! Perhaps it was more to it than that. «Excuse me, but why would you think that they wanted to kill you? Was there something you did t anger them? Or were they intentionally tried to harm you in a way? Please, explain now.» «For fuck's sake, why's the first thing that comes to your mind is that I did something? Am I that much of a hassle?» «Language, miss Shimmer. Why would you think that-» «Because I'm sick of everyone trying to put the blame on me! I'm always the bad guy! I'm a monster! A bully! Someone who deserves to burn in hell for what she's done! The whole school blames me for everything bad that's happening to them! I'm the source of all the misery they have to endure. But that's only what the students think. Let me tell you what I think about it!» Celestia tried to speak, but was interrupted by Sunset. «Everyday, I wake up from another nightmare! I always blame myself for what happened during the Fall formal! I can never truly forgive myself for what I've done in the past. And the worst part is, everybody else agree with me! Don't let them fool you! You think they're the best kids in the world. Always obedient and friendly to one another. Always there for a friend in need. You think they're forgiving and kind. Well, guess what? They aren't! I could never convince myself that they forgave me so easily! Especially my friends, who dumped me when they saw the first sign of trouble! The friends that gladly took every chance to remind me of my past, and simply rub it in my face! I was always a monster to them! A she-demon! Someone who tried to murder them! How could they forgive me? Whenever I help people, they always look at me like I'm gonna kill them any second! Whenever I save someone, I'm always feared by the people I save! I'm always viewed as some sort of a monster! And they're not wrong, because I am one! I cut myself because I'm a monster! I endure anything they throw at me because I'm a monster! I'm literally the devil in disguise! So go ahead! Say whatever you want to say! Do anything you want to do! But remember this. When you want to punish someone, make sure you have enough information about the whole thing! Make sure to consider what the victim says! Don't accuse them of something they didn't do, just because they always were the easy target!». The principals were speechless. They could only watch in shock as the girl in front of them suddenly stood up and ran out of the office. «Luna! W-what just happened? What did she mean? I...». Vice-principal Luna hugged her sister, in order to comfort her. «Don't worry, Tia. We'll figure this out later! We just need to give her some space! She'll tell us when she is ready». Celestia could only mutter in response: «I hope so, Luna. I hope so». "How dare they?", Sunset thought angrily, "How dare they point fingers at me, when their students try to kill me?". She was on her way home. She didn't want to be Daredevil right now. All she wanted to do was to cry herself to sleep. She was already crying, so she only needed to sleep. "When did it all go so wrong? I had everything I could ever dream of! I had friends! I had family! I turned to a better person! I became a goddamned vigilante, just to save the people need saving! And how the universe decides to answer me? Simple: Taking everything away from me and turning me into a lunatic! Thank you so much!" After a long time of walking, she finally saw her home from afar. It wasn't anything fancy, just an abandoned house she found when she first came through the portal. Unfortunately, it was located in the more shady side of the Hell's kitchen. That is, until the Prince was defeated. It didn't mean it was still safe, though. Apart from all that, Sunset loved the place. She redecorated the place after a year, and decided to choose it as her home. She got used to it after some time, so she thought to make it permanent. She searched her pockets, in order to find her keys. Hopefully, she didn't forget them this time. «Aha! Gotcha! I'm glad I didn't lose you like the last time.», Sunset exclaimed. "Now that the whole world has turned on me, I better go find shelter! I'm just so tired. I really need to sleep, in my own bed. My own bed. The one thing I still have to myself! Oh, my legs are really shaky! I-I must be nervous! Why shouldn't I? I'm stressing myself out over this Anon-a-miss. Wait... I'm not shaking! It's the pavement! ... That rumble... it-" *BOOM!* And it was gone. Author's Note And... It's gone! This chapter was really hard to right. As you can see, I suck at writing fight scenes. But it will be better! I promise! Anyway, here's chapter 3 for you. Hope you enjoy it. Also, I wanna complain about something here! Why is nobody posting comments? I really wanna know what you think about the story. I'd appreciate it if you do that. You can review this as well! Just don't be too harsh on me! I'm not English, and this is my first story! And if you want to review it, please don't be like: "Oh, why isn't Sunset blind? She's not blind, so this story sucks!''. As I said, you'l have to wait. Thanks again, and I will see you next time. Bye.
Chapter 4: World On FireView OnlineBorn AgainChapter 4: World On Fire«As dawn shines on us every morn The fire of friendship is reborn And all the friendships we have made We cherish in every way Loyalty blinds us and makes us strong Honesty shows that we belong And kindness shared will unite us through each day. The fire of friendship lives in our hearts As long as it burns, we cannot drift apart Though quarrels arise, their numbers are few Laughter and singing will see us through (will see us through) We are a circle of pony friends A circle of friends we'll be to the very end Though the winter brings all its cold and storm The glow in our hearts keeps us warm The friends we now call our family Will always see us through Loyalty blinds us and makes us strong Honesty shows that we belong And kindness shared will unite us through each day. The fire of friendship lives in our hearts As long as it burns, we cannot drift apart Though quarrels arise, their numbers are few Laughter and singing will see us through (will see us through) We are a circle of pony friends A circle of friends we'll be to the very end!». *BOOM!* (Intro) (Sunset's POV) I can hear a baby crying. No! It's not a baby! It's... Sirens! Firetrucks! I can see people coming my way, all looking worried. Guess I've been standing here for a while, now! The firemen take forever to show up. Traffic gets in their way. Dust... The dust is thick. I could choke on it. There's nothing left! There's nothing left from my house! I can feel tears welling up in my eyes, but I don't care. I cried a lot before. What difference will it make now? I cry anyway. I shiver at the cold. It's so cold. But I don't care. I see something. In the ruins of my house, I can see something torn apart. It's red. It's... My costume! I walk into the ruins. I can feel the wood beneath me crack as I step on it. But I don't care. I walk over to my ruined suit. The armor, it's... It's gone. There's nothing left of it, other than a few pieces of the fabric Twilight made it from. Never got to ask her what it was. Whatever it was, it clearly wasn't immune to explosions. But something else makes its way into my mind. Something new. A realization. I know who did this! It... It... It was him. Blueblood. He knows. He knows who I am. He knows who stole the victory from him. And now... ... I have to pay the price. So that's why. I never would have connected it to you! Nothing about it said Gangster until... Until this! It was a nice piece of work, Prince... ... You shouldn't have signed it. It's a cold day in Hell's Kitchen. But Blueblood didn't mind it. He was far from freezing. At this very moment, he was in prison. Enjoying the newfound victory. The news he received from his men, spoke of a successful mission. They had broken into the house, and put bombs in each room. It would be wise to do it, in order to completely destroy the home. However, before they bombed the place, they found something that he was sure it'd be there: Daredevil's suit. The fully armored suit was found after an hour of searching, but it was worth it. It got rid of any doubt he had about the girl. And now... he would wait. He would wait and see how the tough brat that ruined his plans for many times, would finally break. All thanks to him. "I made her homeless.", Blueblood thought, "What I need to do now, is to find another weak spot, and hit it hard". And he didn't need to search long for it. Lately, he's been hearing some news about a certain individual. Someone who's been posting secrets and unwanted information from everyone at CHS, the place he kept a close eye on after his great discovery. This person was sloppy, reckless, and left clues for everyone to find. They could have simply been exposed, if not for the other's idiocy. But the most important thing, was its target. Sunset Shimmer. The very girl she aimed to destroy. What a coincidence! During the past week, she had been the initial target of the cyberbully. From the profile picture, whose colors matched the girl's hair, to simply the secrets that were posted, which would try to convince people that it was her doing. It was rather... childish, to say the least. "They're simply amateurs! Anyone can cause a disaster and put the blame on another person. They're like kids, who will make a mess of things when they don't get what they want. They're-". Blueblood suddenly realized something. Kids! The user on Mystable couldn't have been mature enough, to come up with such complicated plans. Now that he started to think about it more thoroughly, he remembered what one of his men told him. He was addressing the issue about the first pictures that were posted by Anon-a-miss. From the looks of it, they were taken by a group of girls at what could be described as a slumber party. This certain group of teens, including Sunset Shimmer, were the holders of a great magic in this realm. The kind that Celestia always decided to rant about. The magic of friendship. It was powerful, no matter how idiotic it worked. He could believe that love could be a great source of power, as he witnessed and felt its power himself. But friendship? That was just for fools. Apart from that, his men told him about another interesting coincidence. Aside from Shimmer and her group of wacky friends, there were other people present at the party. Both of them being kids, possibly at the age of 15. Blueblood didn't pay any attention to the last bit of information, dismissing it as a thing not worth using. But now... It all made sense! But what would he gain from a group of kids, who simply didn't even know what they were doing? "Well, for starters, they nearly succeeded at a task he was willing to do. They managed to simply destroy the girl's social life without doing much. I presume they posted whatever they found. And like a lot of children, they blindly do whatever they're told. That can be an advantage!", Blueblood told himself. "Now, the real question is: How can I get them to post something like this?". Outside Canterlot High, six girls were talking to each other about the recent events that took place in Hell's Kitchen. They didn't know much about the place, except that it was dangerous and filled with crime. And the home of their once best friend. And that was the topic they were talking about. «Do-Do you think that Sunset, umm... was there? I mean, we all heard what the news said!», exclaimed Fluttershy. Everyone fell silent at the sudden realization. She was right. Sunset mentioned her whereabouts before. And it was really close to where she lived. Rarity decided to speak up: «Fluttershy, darling! I am sure that Sunset would have informed us if it was hers. Plus, the reporter said that it was just an old building with no one in it». «But don't you think it's a bit odd? Sunset never told us where she actually lived, and now suddenly, some random apartment explodes!», Rainbow Dash responded. «Please don't tell me it's her house, Dashie! Please! Just anyone's other than hers!», a really nervous-looking Pinkie Pie exclaimed, her hair deflating more than it did in the past few days. «Why are ya so worried, Pinkie? We don't even know if it's hers or not!», Applejack told her friend. «I don't know, AJ! It's just that whenever I think about Sunset nowadays, I get so sad! I feel betrayed like you guys, but I feel something else, too!». «What exactly do you feel, sugarcube?» «I feel... empty! I don't know why! You don't think I'm being weird, do you?» «Of course not! You're our friend! We would never think something like that about you! You're probably hurting, just like the rest of us». Applejack paused for a few moments. She then sighed and continued: «I just can't believe it! We trusted her! We thought of her as family! But what did she do in return? She stabbed us in the back!». «Even if she really turned bad, I don't want her to...», Fluttershy responded. «Oh, hell no! She might be a bitch, but she doesn't deserve to die!». After the Rainbow-haired girl's comment, Fluttershy's phone started ringing. She looked at the screen, and her eyes widened at the caller's name. «Girls!». «Who is it, darling?» Fluttershy whimpered: «It's Sunset!». Everyone in the group was caught off-guard. But then they started to mutter curses upon hearing the troublesome girl's name. Fluttershy didn't want to answer the phone, but she did it for the sake of being polite. «Hello?» «Put it on speaker.» «What? Why do you-» «Just put the damn thing on speaker!» Fluttershy gulped, but followed the order she'd been given. The others noticed this, and asked the shy girl: «Are you alright, dear? What does she want?» But all she could do was passing the phone to them. And they all heard it. Her raspy voice. Her shaky breaths. It wasn't the Sunset they knew. It wasn't their friend that was talking to them. It was something... different. It made them really uncomfortable. But what she told them was enough to send shivers down their spines. «I'm onto you, Rainbooms! I will find out who did this, and they'll be sorry to ever mess with me!». And then she hung up the phone. Everyone started looking to each other, all looking confused and scared. It took moments for them to realize their position, and when it did, Applejack spoke up: «Wait an apple pickin' minute... What in tarnation was she talkin' about?». (Sunset's POV) The window's closed, but you'd never knew it. Not with the stiff breeze that's blowing through it; Giving me a nice cramp in my lower back. And shivers for the rest. There's literally six inches of snow outside and still no heat in the room. And here I'd planned on staying at a hotel. That was before I discovered that my credit card was nothing more than burnt plastic now. And it left me with only fifteen bucks in my pockets. Now here I am; In a stupid ass motel that made change. And Jesus Christ, it's terrible! The place smells like rat hair and sweat! I'd definitely rather staying with a friend. Huh! Show me one, and I'll stay with them. Show me one single person in the world who hasn't betrayed me, and I'll follow. My six best friends, the Rainbooms, left me all to myself. Same goes with the almighty Princess Twilight Sparkle. My love. The one I wanted so badly to be with, and guess what? She left. She literally stopped caring for me, and that hurts more than everything! But I should've known better! Flash Sentry caught her eyes, so what were the odds for me? Unfortunately, he wasn't anywhere to be seen either. Just a few days ago, I was on the top of my game! I was a well-known figure in school. A savior among students. Not to mention my sideline of being a superhero. But now? I'm just a miserable piece of shit! The kind that's homeless, friendless, and left for dead. I'm just a girl who's lost her friends, her home, her reputation. A girl who's having the last grips on her sanity. I'm just a nobody, who cursed herself to have the ability to hear and smell and touch better than anybody in the world can... ... which is a great way to catch all the misery of being alive. Just a few days ago... NO! No. I should have seen it coming from miles away! It started months ago, when things started to go wrong. When I decided to become a vigilante. When I decided to help. I shouldn't have. But they were just little things, during the past few weeks. The kind that you try not to notice. The kind that add up until you finally start to notice. And then... it's gonna be too late. I don't know who to blame anymore: My friends, who left me because of my past. Anon-a-miss, who decided it'd be fun to mess with everyone by invading their privacy. Prince Blueblood, who made me a freaking hobo. Or myself, for being an idiot and trying to help. I like to think it was all of them. Together. All of them out to get me. Wait... NO! NOT AGAIN! I'm going insane over this! It's nobody else other than him. It's just the Prince. The Prince, yes! He's the only real enemy I have. I've caused him a lot of trouble, when I was fighting crime. Crime is what he does for a living, so it's only safe to assume that I'd cause him trouble. It's Blueblood! He somehow figured out that I'm Daredevil! He bribed and threatened everybody it took to destroy me. He must've bribed or threatened my friends as well! I've thought a lot about this. That's why I haven't left this room. The reason I didn't go to school today. I had to think, and come up with a plan and get enough sleep. It looks like I need sleep more than I thought... Maybe Anon-a-miss is just him in another persona? Anyways, I tried to find and build up a strategy. To put him in his place, once and for all. I'll show him! First, I'll... I've got nothing! Absolutely nothing! I don't have anything that can help me! He's in prison, and I can't prove he's doing anything wrong. But I know what I'm going to do after I got over that part. I'm gonna go the Prince, and I'm going to kill him! No! I won't kill him! I don't do that! I'll just beat him 'til he promises to give my life back. And I'm gonna enjoy watching him suffer. I'll get up right this minute and walk to the door and leave the room and... I'm just so tired. «Alright, everyone! Thank you so much for coming. Hope you had a great time.» Grubber was exhausted. This birthday party for his son was really tiring to prepare. And when you add his recent problems... "No, Grubber! You have to be strong! Your son looks up to you! You don't wanna let him down! You'll figure something out!", Grubber told himself. After he escorted all the guests out from the house, he threw himself on the couch, and let out a relieved sigh. It was a long day. His son, Night Fury, saw this, and started to laugh out loud. «Hey! Who're you laughin' at!? I'm literally gonna die from exhaustion, and my son, my own flesh and blood, decides to laugh at my misery? Oh, what a cruel fate!», Grubber said mockingly. «C'mon, dad! It's hilarious! And you sound like a kid right now!», Night Fury responded. «Hmph. Wait 'til you become a dad! I'd love to see how you would do!» «Sure! But I don't think I'd better than you, dad! You're the best dad anyone could ask for!» «Thanks, buddy! I really needed that. You're a great son, too!» After that, Grubber decided to get up from his trustworthy couch and clean up the mess. But when he saw the amount of cleaning he had to do, and the dishes he had to wash, he reconsidered his options. "Nah, I'll do it tomorrow! If there's any tomorrow for me! Oh, my back!" He watched the clock, and he suddenly realized it was too late for his son to be up. So he looked at him and said: «Alright, little fella! Time for you to go to bed! It's way past your bedtime!». «Ah, come on! Can't I stay up a little more? Please, Please, Please, Please, Please?», Night Fury started whining, while also trying to make the famous gesture of 'The puppy dog eyes'. Grubber noticed, and told him: «Oh, no you don't! That stopped working on me when you were 8!». His son pouted, but followed the orders that was given to him. Before he went upstairs, he said: «Thanks dad! For the party and everything!» Grubber turned his face to him and responded with a smile: «You're welcome, son. You deserved it! Plus, you don't turn 11 years old everyday!» Night Fury giggled, and told him: «Goodnight, dad!» «Goodnight, son!» After Grubber saw his son went to his room, he sighed and started walking around the house. As he was walking, he looked at the pictures that were placed on the walls. Each one of them were a reminder of the past. He decide to look at he family photos, just to be reminded of all the good times he had with his son. There was one particular picture, however, that caught his attention real soon. Grubber picked it up and stared at it. It was a family photo, but this time, it was different. Instead of having only Grubber and Night Fury, it had another person in it as well. Her. He grabbed the picture and examined it. The picture was ancient in Grubber's opinion. It was taken after Night Fury had been born. It showed a newly born and sleeping Night Fury, who had been covered with blankets. Although, you could see his black-skinned and strings of black hair with light shades of grey. Just like his father, but slightly different in comparison. Grubber let out a shaky sigh, and thought: "I wish you were here, Liz! We all miss you so much! But I don't know what to do anymore! I always had you on my back, reassuring me that everything will be fine. That things will look up to you eventually. But they didn't! Nowadays, it's like everything and everyone is against me! They won't let me do anything important! I'm always the one who gets left behind! Do You know how hard it is? For me to look to my son in the face, and lying to him? Telling him that everything's fine? Filling him with false hopes and dreams? It tears me apart, Liz! It really does! I don't wanna lie to him anymore! I don't wanna ruin his picture of me! I wanna be the dad he's proud of having! The badass FBI agent who goes after the bad guys and saves people! Not a loser who can't even get a simple mission to do! *sigh* I'll see what I can do tomorrow. I'm gonna go talk to Stellar Flare, and hopefully, she'll finally give me a case to work on. Maybe if I insist, she'll let me continue my work on Blueblood's case. I don't think I'll get anything out of it, though. The bastard kept his fucking mouth shut for the past two months!". He put the picture down and decided to go up and sleep. He walked to his room, but stopped before he could enter. "Oh, right! Night Fury!" He made his way towards his son's room, trying not to make too much noise. He slowly but gently opened the door, and walked to his bed. He smiled when he saw that his son had fallen sleep for quite some time. Grubber gently stroke his hair, and kissed him on the forehead, saying: «Please forgive daddy! I promise, I'll do whatever I can to keep you happy like this». He then went back to his room, closed the door, and gently crawled into his bed. As he tried to sleep, he thought about what he had to do tomorrow. Aside from having an unpleasant conversation with Stellar, he had other things to do as well. He had to get ready for another training session with Sour Sweet. Boy, that was going to be fun! Well, she was a really good girl. Or that's what Grubber thought. She was like a little sister to him, and he appreciated her company as much as she did. "Tomorrow is another day, I guess.", Grubber thought, before yawning. And then he drifted off to sleep. «Sooooo... how do you feel? I mean, you're gonna go on your first mission today. That's something!» «Yeah, that is a big deal! But I don't know what it actually is! What the hell am I even gonna do?» «Relax! You'll figure it out! That, or they're gonna tell you at some point!». The two individuals both shared a laugh. Things have been going well for Sour Sweet. She'd been doing great in school, while also being praised by her fellow teammates and her supervisors. She was going to go on her very first mission, and if she was successful, she would have become an official FBI agent! She also had Sunny Flare on her side as well, who was being supportive and more than helpful. She was the best friend anyone could have, and Sour Sweet couldn't believe her luck in being that person. Overall, she was on the top of her game! Life couldn't get any better! That is, until what happened this morning. And that was enough for her mood to change in seconds. Sunny Flare noticed the frown on her face, and decided to ask: «Okay... I see Mrs. Sweet is feeling a little under the weather today. What in the world could've made her this uncomfortable?». No response came from Sour Sweet, who was mentally cursing herself for letting it show. Sunny Flare grew more worried after the uncomfortable silence. She asked for another time: «Hey! What is it? Did I say something? Or was it something that happened in school? Just tell me, okay? I promise, I won't act like an idiot!». Sour Sweet opened her mouth to speak, but found herself unable to do so. "How should I tell her?", she thought, "How can I tell her? I literally just witnessed her mom, giving me an offer from some goddamned crimelords, to work for them. Everyone knows that Cinch is a bitch! Even Sunny Flare admits it! But this? This sinks her down into a whole new level! Who the hell would've thought she'd turn up as a criminal? She's lucky I'm not gonna report her... yet. But the worst part is Sunny Flare! How am I gonna tell her that I got an offer from her mom, whom I just discovered is doing illegal shit behind everyone's back, to go and become a freaking criminal myself!? She'd either think it's a joke, or I'm trying to ruin the picture of her mother by accusing her, or make her worried and terrified. Either way, it will grow her distant from me! I don't want that! I don't want that at all! I haven't even told her about how I really feel..." After moments of hesitation and doubt, she decided to tell her what happened. And she started speaking: «Ummm... Look! I don't wanna make you worried or anything, but... there's something I need to tell you about. Something that happened to me in school, in the morning. You know, when Cinch called?» Sunny Flare looked confused for a moment, but responded with a curious tone: «Yeah, I remember that! You still didn't tell me what happened, though!». «Well, I didn't wanna tell you because it wasn't something pleasant! You see, when I went there, Cinch was there, with two other dudes. She said that these guys wanted to talk, and left the room. After I sat down, they started talking. At first, it didn't seem like they were doing anything bad! But they revealed to me that they wanted me to work for them, and that meant I had to go and threaten some of their rivals. I dunno if they were a gang or something, but that did it! I stood up, and told them if they don't leave, I will call the cops on them! They got scared and left! Bastards thought they could get away with it! After that, Cinch came in, and asked how did it went? She was clueless, but I lied and said that they changed their minds and left. That's the whole story!». Sour Sweet knew she was bluffing, but it was necessary. She didn't her best friend to leave her, or find out that her mom had a double life. Sunny Flare was shocked, as expected, but managed to keep cool and told her: «Oh my god! Are you ok!? Did they hurt my mom!? Tell me, please!». «Yeah, I'm okay, don't worry about me! They wouldn't be able to lay a single finger on me! I'm a FBI agent! I'm tougher than those wimps!». Sunny Flare was still not convinced, but chuckled to that nonetheless. Sour Sweet pulled her into a reassuring hug, and continued: «And no! You're mom was not harmed in any way! She didn't know anything about their true intentions, and it's best that way! She doesn't want to know that a couple of thugs came into her school so easily, because reputation!». «Are you telling me the truth?» «Huh?» «I need you to swear that you're not lying about this! You promised not to lie to me, remember?» «I-Yeah, I remember. And I swear to god, I'm telling you the truth.» «You have to pinkie promise me that!» «What!? That's bullshit! I can't do tha-» «Do it, or it means you're lying!». Sour Sweet sighed. She just wanted to protect her, but now she ended up in an awkward situation. "The lengths I go for this girl...", Sour Sweet told herself. «Okay, Okay! You won! Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!». Now, it was Sunny Flare's turn to sigh. But when she looked up to her, she could see that she was at least a little bit more convinced. She said: «Well, I guess you're right! I shouldn't worry about it too much! There are some shady people that come to Crystal Prep!» Sour Sweet smiled, and told her: «What did I tell ya? Now, let's go and get something to eat! I'm starving here! You mustn't keep a special agent this vulnerable! That's a crime!» Sunny Flare smirked at that, and responded: «Oh! And how is that a crime?». «It is in my book!» They laughed and started walking to their destination. Along the way, Sunny Flare said: «Sour Sweet?» «Yeeeees?» «You know you're my best friend, right?» Sour Sweet didn't know exactly why, but she was a bit saddened by that comment. Nevertheless, she answered: «Yeah, Flare! Why do you ask?» «Nothing! Just wanted to strengthen our bond, that's all!». When their talk was done, Sour Sweet couldn't help but wonder how the rest of the day would go. Hopefully, it will go fine. «What!? That's nonsense!» «I understand your anger, agent Grubber! But in no circumstances I can allow you to continue doing this case!» «Why not?» «Grubber, please calm down! You have to understand!» «Understand what, Flare!? My performance review has been differed twice now! And when I ask you to move it up, all you do is denying it! You're literally denying me the advancement opportunities and possible promotions that I rankfully earned! And you know what the great part about it is? It's not anybody else that is doing it, It's you! Why the hell are you doing this to me, I wish I knew!» «What are you implying here, Grubber?» «That maybe I should file a complaint with the EEO! I'm sure they will take this more seriously than you!» Stellar Flare sighed. She dreaded this conversation, especially because it was with her friend. But she had to make the right call. And she needed to show him that as well. So she started talking: «You're right. You're performance reviews have been delayed, but not for the reasons you think, or whatever bullshit I fed you over the time. The real reason for that is because I'm trying to protect you!». Grubber took on a look of confusion, so he asked: «Protect me? From what, getting paid?» «No, because, to put it simply, you're buried in debt! And it's the company's policy to not promote someone with that level of financial problems! So, you have to either fix this, or give it up! I'm sorry, Grubber! I really am! But in this case, I can't do anything! I wish I could, but... I can't!» Grubber was frustrated at this point, but decided to pull out what he believed to be his ace in this. «What about the Prince, hmm? Can't I just, you know, continue his case?» Stellar Flare argued: «I don't know, Grubber! We've been on this guy for months, and he won't give us anything useful! It's practically a dead end!» Grubber didn't give up. «What if I can make him talk?» «Pardon?» «What if I can make things different? I was an expert in interrogation, so why not?» «*sigh* Look! I'm still not so sure about this! But I suppose there's no harm in trying!» "And failing again.", she thought. «Thank you! I-I'll do whatever I can! I will make him talk! Promise!» «I hope so, Grubber! I hope so!». About an hour later, he was in the special room that was designed for the more dangerous inmates to be interrogated. He was sitting in a chair, thinking. "Holy shit!", he told himself, "What the fuck was I thinking? There's no way in hell I'm gonna make that asshole talk! I have zero chance! Let's face it, Grubber! You're done for!". After waiting for minutes, someone showed up. He saw the infamous Prince, entering the room while still wearing his prisoner's outfit. He was not looking good, despite the regal appearance he held before. His yellowish hair was a mess, with strings flying out from them. He also had a stubble; a result of not shaving properly for quite some time. "He doesn't look like a prince", Grubber thought. After Blueblood sat down in front of the special agent, there was silence for a few moments. Neither of them was sure how to start the conversation (or interrogation), and it didn't bring much comfort to Grubber. He knew that many agents failed to make him talk. He didn't think he would have much luck either. "Well... I don't have anything else to lose! Better just stick around with it!", Grubber thought. He then started speaking: «Mr. Blueblood, my name is agent Grubber and I'm from the federal bureau of investigation. The FBI, including me, would like your assistance with...» As he was talking, he realized who he was interrogating. He also noticed the man's lack of response or curiosity. He sighed, and said: «Look, if you wanna just stay quiet the entire time, you can just go straight to the part where you tell me to eat shit and fuck off, so we could waste each other's time, huh? But if you wanna talk, even about a small glimpse of your criminal associates or where to find them, I'm all ears!». He was getting ready to leave. Grubber already knew which one he'd choose, so he decided not to make a bigger fool of himself than he already did. No wonder they wouldn't promote him. Who would want an idiot doing important work? What he didn't expect was for the man to talk. «I believe I have something that might interest you in your work, special agent Grubber!», he exclaimed. «What!?», Grubber said, shocked by the fact that he was talking. And willing to give him something. Something useful. «But I need something from you in return! Something only the Federal's are able to do! You have to listen to what I have to say, of course!». Grubber, who was still socked about this situation, sat sown again. He exclaimed: «Well, there's no harm in listening!». And they began talking. Author's Note Chapter 4 is out! Hope you are enjoying this fic. If you do, then leave a like and comment. As always, I will see you next time! Bye!
Chapter 5: Hell Or High WaterView OnlineBorn AgainChapter 5: Hell Or High Water«Congratulations, everybody! The work you and your team has done today is incredible!» «Thanks, guys! We couldn't have done it without you» Grubber was feeling really great. After a successful hunt for the infamous gang named "Stormers", they could finally pinpoint their specific location. The mission was successful; They broke into their whereabouts, arrested them all, and sent them straight to jail. All thanks to him and his team of special agents. And their source of information, of course. Blueblood. Who would've thought that the seemingly heartless crimelord would finally open up, and give them the Intel that saved lots of people? It wasn't something you'd see everyday! Grubber didn't put too much thought into that, though. All he wanted to do was to go to Stellar Flare, and inform her about their new accomplishments. He stopped in front of the door, and started knocking. «Come in!» He gently opened the door and walked into the room. Stellar Flare looked up at him, and said: «Oh, it's you! How'd the mission go?». Grubber replied happily: «It was great! We caught all of them! Every single one of their members were caught and arrested. They'll be staying in jail for quite some time, along with their leader! I still think they were smarter than the big ol' Storm King himself!» «Good. Very good» She then paused and said: «Look, I'm happy that the information he gave us wasn't fake. I'm more than relieved, honestly! But there's something off about the whole thing!» Grubber raised an eyebrow and asked with mild curiosity: «What about it, Flare? The guy's been cooperating with us! He told us everything we wanted- No, needed to know! I hate to even think about it, but Blueblood is the hero today! The information he shared with us saved lives!» «But why would he do that? Why would he give it to us? He wouldn't gain anything from it!» «Actually, he does! Remember the deal he mentioned?» «The one about us leaving his girlfriend out of this?» «That he'll cooperate, if we don't press charges on her; yes! That one!» «Do you think it's a good idea, though? Did we have to accept the deal?» Grubber didn't respond. Instead, he took some time to look at his friend. He saw how uncertain she was about the situation. And honestly? He wasn't so sure about it either! But he had to reassure her that nothing bad was going to happen... yet. So he spoke: «Look, Flare! I know how you feel! I don't know if we're ever gonna accept it, either! But I know one thing: As long as we keep this bastard talkin', nothing's gonna go wrong! He has info! He has enough dirt on every criminal in this city, that it'd be enough for us to throw them in jail! We could save millions with his word! I know it's hard to accept, but it needs to be done!». He then put a reassuring arm on her shoulder, and continued: «Besides, it isn't like he can do anything! He's locked up in a cell, so he's practically harmless! So... we good?». Stellar Flare looked him right in the eyes, as if wanting to know if he's telling truth. When she was absolutely sure, she sighed and responded: «Fine!» «Good. Now, we have t-» But he was cut off with the office's phone suddenly ringing. «I'll take it.», Stellar Flare exclaimed. Grubber waited patiently, and watched the scene in front of him. As she was talking on the phone, he noticed that something was off about it. The reason being Stellar Flare's sudden shift of attitude, and a look of concern in her eyes. Grubber took note of this, and asked her: «Flare, what's going on? What happened?» She answered: «Grubs, we have a situation!». (Intro) To say that Father Lantom was worried would be an understatement. He was pacing back and forth, while also checking the recent news on his phone. Truth be told, he didn't use a phone that much, but he had to now. They didn't have a TV in the church, and the only other way to gain news would be asking people about it; which most of them were clueless about. "I must put a TV in here someday!", he thought. After walking around the nave for 15 minutes, he was welcomed by a familiar voice: «Are you okay, Father? It seems that something has... troubled you! Care to say what, exactly?» Lantom looked back, and he couldn't believe what he saw. Sunset Shimmer. Alive. He gasped at the sight of her, but tried to collect himself. When he was done, he asked with surprise: «Sunset! Oh dear lord! What happened!? Where did you go? I-I heard the news! Wasn't that-» «What? My house? Yeah, it was. Now, it's just a pile of bricks and some other stuff. Including my suit», she responded, with bitterness. «I'm surprised that you're not-» «Dead? Well, I could've been, but I wasn't there when it blew up. I was in front of the door. My back still hurts, though.» «Well, that's a relief! But why did it happen? The police said it was just a gas leak, and that the owner must've left the stove on!» «Well, they eat shit a lot! And for the record, it was Blueblood!» «Wha-How!? Sunset, he's in prison! You told me that! The police made sure everyone know about it!» «He must've gotten someone to do it, then! Fucking bastard!» Lantom argued: «But why, Sunset? Even if he somehow found a way to do it, why would he? Sunset Shimmer wasn't the person that interfered with his plans, Daredevil did! They're not the same person, in his perspective!» «Because he knows, okay!? He knows I'm the reason he's in prison! He knows I'm Daredevil, and he made sure to send a message!». There was silence for a few minutes. None of them dared to speak. It wasn't anything easy to deal with, and accepting it was even harder. Father Lantom was struggling to come up with a good response, but he decided to put what he felt into words. Easier said than done. He let out a sigh and started: «Listen, Sunset! You know that I'm no expert at expressing my emotions, and heart-t-heart talks are a bit uneasy for me to handle. It's strange, coming from a priest, but it's the truth. I am truly sorry, for what happened to your home, as I am with the recent events in your life. I know how hard it must've been for you; First, your fellow schoolmates and even close friends accuse you of something you'd never done. Then, the next thing you know, is that you're lying there, in front of your house, watching it in flames. Now, you might think that you have no place to live, or no one to trust, but you are wrong! Believe me when I say that! Things will get better in the end, and if not, you must know that it's not the end. As for the problem with Blueblood, I take it that you already have something in mind?» «Yeah, I got one.», Sunset lied. She knew Father Lantom was partly right, but it was just partly true for her case. She knew she didn't have an actual plan, but she had something to do first. Talk. «I'm gonna go to prison.» «For what? Is there anyone there in particular you have to meet?» «Yeah. The Prince!» He replied: «Sunset, don't! I know how badly you want to put him in his place, but think about it! If what you said is true, then the chances are high that he has people in there, working for him! What if he told them about your identity as well? That'd be concerning!» «He didn't, Father! He's too smart to do something that stupid!» «Apart from that, what are you even going to do when you get there? How would you even get to meet him?» «Don't know, Don't care!» «What!? What do yo-» «I will find a way to get in there, alright? That's all that matters!» «I still believe that it wouldn't work!» «Well, nothing ever works for me anymore; so why the fuck should I care!?» Lantom was taken aback by the teen's sudden outburst. He knew the girl for nearly 2 years now! But he never saw her like this! She was never so reckless, So... angry! And the worst part was that she was so stubborn! More than usual, that is! Sunset sighed, and calmly said: «I'm sorry, Father, but I have to do it! I won't be able to lay a hand on him there, so much for making him my punching bag! But what I really have to do is to go there and find some answers! If it's him, I'll find a way to add that to his long list of crimes! If not, then... I'll figure that out later!» It was his turn to sigh now, and could only respond with: «I guess there's no convincing you, is it?» «No, it isn't!» «Alright! You can go, but I doubt you'll find anything useful!» «I have my ways to make him talk! He and I... we go way back! I know him like the back of my hand!» «But be careful, okay? I don't want the next we meet be me, meeting with a bruised Sunset!» «You'll get plenty of that in the future, Father! But fine! I'll try!» She then got up from her place and stared to head for the exit. Before she could leave, she called: «Father?» Father Lantom turned back and replied: «Yes, Sunset?» «You think you were right? About things getting better?» «I'm certain about one thing, Sunset: Things will get better, only if you hope they do.» «Then I hope you're right!» And then she left the church, heading back to... "I don't have a place to go back to, idiot!", she told herself. After minutes went by, and after she searched for a place to go before she head to prison, she decided that she'd just sit around in the nearby park. And she would wait. For her opportunity. If she had one. «What do you mean we have to transfer him somewhere else? These stuff happens for crooks like him all the time! We just need to make sure he's safer there, not to just move him entirely!» «Grubber! Please, sit down! We are all looking for a solution here, and we can't do that if you're acting like this!» «Well, screw that! You're acting like you're all fine with it! Someone has to make the right calls here!» «Grubber! You were the one who said we needed him!» «I said we needed his information, not his well-being!» Grubber couldn't believe what he witnessed. During yesterday, a fight broke out in prison. And guess who was involved? The Prince. From the looks of it, someone had decided to try and kill him in the prison's gym. The reason was because they found out that Blueblood was selling criminal gangs out, or being a ''snitch", as they named it. He was shanked and left bleeding. When he realized who had attacked him, he threw a (Grubber almost choked when he read this) weight on him. When the guards entered the gym, they found him sitting on a chair, holding his bleeding rib. He survived, but that caused more concerns for the federals, who were working with him. "I can't believe they're accepting his conditions! He doesn't have much power now! He doesn't have any control on anyone! So why the fuck are they even listening to him?", Grubber thought. Blake Tower, the soon-to-be District Attorney of Canterlot City, spoke up: «I'm with Mr. Grubber here! What is going on in your heads right now!? It took us months, and I repeat, months, to even discover his true nature, so much for capturing him! And now, you're telling me that we're gonna let him out of prison because he has dirt on the other criminals? And I thought the Feds were smarter than that!». «Mr. Tower, I can assure you, we're not going to free him from prison! We're just gonna-» «Gonna what, Mrs. Flare? Put him in a penthouse instead? Oh, he's really gonna think about what he did there! All the while he's being treated like a king!» «We never said that! He'll be under house arrest! He'll be monitored 24/7, and if he stays on his terms, he could keep them! But he'll never be able to leave it!» «You're gonna put him on house incarceration! That's only used for white collars who are awaiting for trial! Not for someone like him!» «He was shanked by an inmate a couple of hours ago!» Special agent Coalstone, who was present for the debate, barked at the comment: «Good! The guy's a cop killer! He deserves worse!» «That wasn't proven in court!» «Huh! And whose fault is that?» «We put on a good trial! That was a giant win!» Tower interrupted her: «Which you're about to give away!» Agent Coalstone growled and said: «Tell me, special agent Stellar Flare! Why should we risk the lives of our fellow federal agents, and our reputation as Federals, only to convince a scumbag to open up? Tell me something that makes it worth it, and I might reconsider!» Grubber watched as the heated argument went on for minutes. Sure, he was angry too, but he tried to control himself. Years of experience and professionalism has taught him how to control his emotions. Not to mention the therapy sessions he went through with Dr. Firelight after his wife died. He decided to ignore them, and think about the situation in a new light. If Blueblood was out of prison, hell would break loose. People would start protesting and antagonizing the FBI for letting him out. Everyone would despise them. But what about the greater good? What about the people they'd save with his intel? It wouldn't make him a hero! Instead, they'd be praised by the public as being the ones who used the Prince! The master manipulator who secretly ran a crime organization for 4 years! Publicity aside, they could arrest all the other gangs they've been tracking for years! It was a golden opportunity! It didn't mean Grubber had to like it, though. He wanted a promotion, but he didn't want to earn it in such a way. He heard Coalstone say: «No way, Mrs. Flare! He's a piece of shit, and he should be treated like one» He sighed, but decided to speak up. He knew it wasn't morally right, but it was necessary. «You're right!» All heads turned to him, prompting him to speak. «Blueblood is a piece of shit! Believe me, whenever I'm in a room with him, I wanna shower! But let's talk about the Stormers for a minute! What they've done! Five dead CCPD officers, 12 more heavily injured and/or with disabilities, and one hundred and seventeen civilian murders! And even after five task forces over 6 years, with the attune of 11 million dollars we got zero! That's pretty much shit to me! But here's another one: With Blueblood's intel, we've beheaded the Stormers in one day! One. Single. Day! No loss of life, no injuries, no mayhem! For christ's sake, I mean, look at the take! We got everything! We got their documents and their data, and we're gonna get their money! Look, none of us like it! Hell, it even makes me wanna throw up to admit it! But Canterlot is safer tonight because of him!» Coalstone responded: «Now I need a shower!» Grubber sighed, but decided to continue: «If we keep him talkin', he will give up the others! This deal, as hard as it is to accept, will save lives!» Tower let out a quiet sigh, and told him: «So, I guess you're willing to accept the deal?» «No. But it's not about me! It's about people who are suffering from criminal activity that's going on in their neighborhood!» Stellar Flare looked up to him, with admiration in her eyes. His words seemed to have affected the others, seeing them become less and less concerned. There was silence. It went on for a few minutes until Blake Tower finally broke it: «Fine, then! When's the transferation gonna happen?» Stellar Flare responded calmly: «You'll be informed soon!». «Taxi!» Sunset waited patiently as she looked to the road carefully. She was looking for a cab; A cab that would be willing to take her to Canterlot city's local prison, nicknamed D.U.N.G.E.O.N.S, to add more formality. "If only they knew it actually is a literal dungeon Equestria...", Sunset thought. She made her choice: She was going to sneak in there, somehow arrange a meeting with Blueblood, and make him talk. Sunset knew him well; She knew how powerful he could get, no matter the place he was in. He was smart. After waiting (and shouting) for 5 minutes, a car noticed her, and stopped in front of her. The driver asked: «Where to?» Sunset composed herself and replied, with a friendly tone: «Hi! I wanna go to Canterlot's prison! Could you take me there?» He poked his head of the window and responded: «Why? You have someone to see there?» «Something like that. I have some work there as well!» «Then hop in, lady!» She opened the cab's door and carefully entered the car. After she made herself comfortable, she decided to check out the car's interior. There was nothing suspicious nor threatening around her, and the only sound that could be heard was the smooth jazz that was being payed from the radio. Not her favorite type of music. For more caution, she tried listening to the man's heartbeat. She sensed nothing unusual, seeing that his heart rate was normal. His breathing was steady as well. In conclusion, he was not plotting her demise. That was a good thing. She really didn't want to go full-on "Everybody-is-my-enemy" mode, but she had to take caution. With what she went through these days, she couldn't trust anybody. Sunset sighed at the thought of that, and then slowly sunk into her chair. The driver, who was clueless about what was going on in her head, decided to start a small conversation, like he always did with other people. He began: «sooo.... You from 'round here?» «Kinda. I'm from Hell's Kitchen. I live there.» "Used to, at least.", she reminded herself. The scenery was still fresh in her eyes. The flames, the melted concrete, the torn Devil costume... «Huh! Well, I'm from Manehattan! I lived there, but I decided to move here instead! Thought I'd find a better chance someplace smaller!» «Cool.» «Yeah... Hey! You heard about the explosion that recently happened in Hell's Kitchen?» Sunset eyes snapped wide open, and she quickly rose from her seat. She curiously asked: «Yeah. How come?» The man, who was still oblivious to Sunset's sudden mood shift, simply continued: «I dunno! It's just crazy, right? Some old building suddenly blows up! The police said it was a gas leak, but I don't believe it!» «What do you believe, then?» «I believe there's more to it than that! A house would't just blow up because of a small gas leak! Even in Hell's Kitchen, things have a reason to happen! Who do you think lived there? The police said somebody actually lived there?» «Maybe? I... don't know!» «Do you think they're alive?» Sunset replied: «No! I think they died there!» «But the cops said there was no body found! How-» «Even if they did survive, they probably froze to death! Either way, they're gone! Now, can we please stop talking about this?» The driver was taken aback by her outburst, but decided to comply and nodded. Sunset sighed again. She brought her phone out of her pocket and started browsing. One of the few things that survived the explosion was her phone. It was with her the whole time, so it was safe. She brought up the videos that she kept on her phone. She didn't play out any of them, deciding to look a bit further. She noticed a familiar video and stopped. It was something her and the Rainbooms recorded a few days after the Battle of the Bands. She didn't have much on her phone that involved them, since they didn't really let her ''hang out'' with them that much. It was after the Siren's defeat that they decided to become a bit closer to her. They started hanging out a lot, and it seemed like it wasn't forced, either. She decided to play it, for old times sake. Sunset pulled out her headphones from her other pocket, connected it to the phone, and put them in her ears. She hit the play button, and the video started. «Hello? Is this thing on?» «Yes, Rainbow Dash! It's recording! Now would you please stop shouting in front of my ear?» «Heh Heh. Sorry! I just wanna make sure this thing capture every moment of my pure awesomeness!» «Sure! Whatever you say, Rainbow!» «Okay! What are you guys are gonna do? I'm still not sure whether I should be here, so...» «No no no! None of that, darling! You're our friend! And like every other group of friends, we all deserve a little get-together from time to time!» «Yeah... And we're sorry, too! We didn't know you felt left behind, so we decided to make it up to you, Sun-Shim!» «Wha- You have something for me?» «Yes, dear! As I was reminding Rainbow Dash about it!» «Hey! At least I can still get to kick ass, right?» «As long as you don't break anything!» «I heard that!» The group all shared a laugh at that. Sunset tried to stifle a giggle as well. After it died down, Fluttershy decide to speak: «So... should we get started, or...?» «Oh, right!» «What are you talking about, Fluttershy?» «Well, Sunset! You see, after the Battle of the Bands, we got thinking...» «About what?» «About how we treated you, sugarcube!» «Guys! I already told you that I forgave you! No need to dwell on it anymore than that!» «No, Sunset! It's not that! It's just... we feel so bad about it!» «Yeah! Pinkie Pie here couldn't stop crying for two days! Now that was concerning!» «I didn't want to be a meanie, okay!? I wanted everyone to be super-duper happy! I didn't even think of Sunny-buns!» «Guys...» «And we wanted to make it up to you, too! So we brought a guest!» «Who? I don't see anything! It's so dark here!» «It's because-» «SURPRISE!» Thinking about it now, Sunset never really found out about the real reason behind it. If they never believed her, if she was only a charity case to them, then why did they went through all that trouble for her? Were they actually being honest and caring, or they just wanted to make themselves look better? It didn't mean she didn't appreciate it, though. Reconciling with her mentor, as hard as it was, was a pleasant experience.Not only she got to apologize for all the things she had done in the past, but she also found out that Celestia loved her as if she was her own daughter. This... was a bit too much for her. «Hello, my little sun!» «Wha- But... I-» She was cut off by a tight hug. It wasn't as breath-taking as Pinkie's, but it was still a firm grip. And this one had something more to it than the party girl's hugs. It was more... passionate. It was caring, and it was filled with love. A motherly love. And she eased into it. Between her sobs, which were caused by the sudden revelation, she said: «I'm sorry! I'm so SO sorry!» «There's nothing to apologize for, Sunset! If anypony here is to apologize, it should be me!» «What!? Why? I was the one who wronged you! I insulted you! I pushed away everyone that cared for me!» «And I pushed away you! I never even considered the fact that you might be hurting! You lost your father, Sunset! I was too blind to see your needs! You wanted to be loved, and I wanted you to be stronger! I hope you can forgive me for that!» «I do! Oh, I do!» The Sunset in the video then turned to her friends, and said: «Guys! I... I don't even know what to say! Thank you! Thank you So much!» «Hey! That's what friends do, right? They help each other out!» «Yeah! I guess they do! But-» «No buts, sugarcube! We promised you we'd friends, and we decided it's about damn time we acted like it!» «AJ's right, Sunset!» «Yeah, Shimmer! Friends forever, right?» «Yeah... Friends forever.» And then the video ended. «They never were really your friends!» Sunset asked: «How the fuck do you know?» «Isn't it obvious?» «No! And I don't think I'll be needing you to clarify it for me!» «They left you. They abandoned you when you needed them the most. They cast you out when they thought you were the source of their problems. What interests me more is that you were the first one to be blamed and accused!» «I know all of that already! Get to the point!» «There is no point! Can't you see? They never trusted you! No one ever trusted you after you became a she-demon! But you trusted them, and that is your weakness!» «What, turning into a she-demon?» «You trust people so easily! You never think about the worst situation! You are always so desperate to achieve something that you decide to ignore the circumstances!» «You know, all this talk isn't gonna stop me from stopping you!» «You can try, but you'll fail miserably. Do you wish to know why?» «Just shut up!» «Because you're helpless. You're just a hopeless mare, while I'm on my quest to gain power! I will destroy you, just like I destroyed your house!» «No! You won't be able to break me!» «*laughs* You are already broken!». «Miss? Miss?» Sunset shook her head and looked back to the driver: «Yeah I'm fine! Why?» «Dunno! By the way, we're here!» Sunset looked out the window to confirm what he was saying. He was right. She reached her destination. Sunset reached for her wallet and pulled ten dollars out of it. She then handed it to him and said: «Thanks!» «You're welcome miss! Do you want me to stay here 'til you get back?» «That'd be lovely!». She closed the door and turned to the front side of the prison. She took a deep breath and let it out. This was it. This was where she'd find the answers she seeked. Now the real question was how to get in there? "Well, I can pretend that I lost the ID card. Even if it didn't work, it'd be off the list.", She thought. "Whatever! Let's just go in already!". And in she went. As she was approaching the front gates, she saw some prisoners staring at her in the yard. She decided to ignore the looks and keep on walking. A few minutes later, she found herself face-to-face with a security guard. "Okay. So... what the fuck should I do now? I don't have anything that shows I even exist!", Sunset told herself. "Uhhh, hello!? You forgot the ID card that Stick guy got you?" "No way I'm using that asshole's gift! I don't trust him one bit! Besides, I'm Sunset shimmer, remember?" "They don't care about who you really are! As long as you're not a troublemaker, and you're name is not on the list, your fine!" "*sighs*Fine! Do I still have the card, though? I don't remember if it's with me or not!" "*sighs* Why the fuck am I bonded with an idiot?." The security guard, who was unaware of the argument between the two souls, simply watched her and asked: «Purpose for your visit?» Sunset, who finally regained back control, shook her head and said: «Oh! Umm... I'm here to visit someone! His name's Blueblood!». Upon hearing Blueblood's name, the guard looked up and asked with suspicion: «And why's that?» «Because I need to talk to him! It shouldn't be a problem, right?» «Sorry, But I can't let you do that.» «Why? I did visit him before! And it was with his permission!» «Mr. Blueblood is now under the protection of FBI. Any meeting with him requires permission from them.» «So I've heard...» The guard sighed in frustration and replied: «I'm sorry, miss! But he's off-limits for now! As much as we all hate to say it, but he's a valuable source of information for the feds. So whatever you want to say to him must wait!» "Are you shitting me right now!? I must see him! The fucker blew up my house from here! I need to make him talk!", Sunset thought. "Yeah, like you're so good at making people talk! Remember the last time you tried to get something out of him? I couldn't stop laughing for the rest of the day!". Sunset rubbed the back of her head as she remembered the memory very briefly. "Hey! Now that fucking hurt!" "Yeah, right! You go and beat up criminals every night, only to get your ass handed to you by one of them! What a loser!" "I wish you could be one of those criminals, so I could teach you some fucking manners!" "You wish!" «If you have any other request, then I suggest you say it now», the guard stated. "Is there anyone else I could see? Anyone that could be useful?", Sunset told herself. "Let's see... Ha! Got it!." "Who?" "Say the magic word first!" "I don't have time for this shit! If you've got something, spill it out!" "Okay, Okay! Jeez! You're no fun! You remember Celaeno?" "Yeah, I do. She used to be a friend of mine, before-'' ''Before she went to prison and shit, yeah! Also, you remember when she was working for Stormers?" "Positive. So...?" "You know that Blueblood's ratted out the Stormers, don't you?" "To the FBI, of course! That should explain why he got this kind of protection." "He must've had a reason to do that, Sherlock! And what you can do-" "... is to ask him questions instead! Yes! Never thought I'd say this, but thanks!" "Now this I can get used to! You're welcome, master Shimmer! After all, I live to please" Sunset decided to try her luck. After she collected herself, she asked: «Well, I have someone else to meet instead! Can I visit Ms. Celaeno? She's a friend of mine! You can ask her if you want to!» The guard looked at his list and replied: «You can visit her. Though, you shouldn't take too long. Unexpected visitors get half the time than the others.» "Now where did that come from?", Sunset thought. Nevertheless, she smiled and said: «Thank you! Glad to know this wasn't a complete waste of time!» «ID, please.» Sunset reached for her bag and began to search it, all the while she prayed to have not lost her ID card. "Ah shit! Don't tell me that's gone too!", Sunset thought. The guard noticed this, and said: «Miss, without picture ID, I can't-» Sunset, while still searching, responded: «Just one second, please! I swear I had it! I must've left it at home or something!» The guard took on a more threatening tone and stated: «Miss, please step aside while-» «NO no no no no! Wait for a sec! Aha! There it is!» Sunset nearly jumped from excitement when she finally found what she'd been looking for. To her surprise, her ID card wasn't home, which meant that it survived the hellish explosion. She sighed from relief and handed the card to him. «Told ya I'd find it! Well, now that you have it, I have to mention that it might not a hundred percent look like me, but it is me! I was a bit... different, when I got it! Aside from that, does it buy me anything?» The guard looked at the card. He then looked at Sunset and asked: «Name.» Sunset composed herself and responded: «Shimmer. Sunshine Shimmer.». Author's Note Chapter 5 is out! Here is the new chapter! Hope you enjoy it! From now on, I try and upload 2 chapters in a month! Well, beside the flashback chapter I'm working on! That's long, man! Let me know what you think down in the comments below. Thanks again, and I'll see you next time! Bye!
