Subduing Man's Affliction
Sunset booted up her computer once again. After her last Twitch session, something clicked in her mind. The audience and her friends at school seemed to really understand her from a human perspective. It set her mind somewhat at ease knowing she could reach out in such a way. Loading up the Shadow Hearts profile she created for Ari Bear, she started her next stream. It didn't take long for the chat to blow up.
"Hey, guys. Some of my friends at school got me thinking. From here on out, I want to try speaking from the heart more. This playthrough is a really serious one anyway, so now would be the best time to talk about some things that I feel are important."
The message display filled with emoticons expressing surprise. Without knowing it, she was already reaching out to their shared sense of human decency.
"Growing up, the types of evil I was exposed to were extremely minimal. Until I started keeping up with the news and using social media on a consistent basis, I had no idea what was really out there. You could say I lived a pretty sheltered life. I didn't know about the war-torn countries, the isolated incidents of terror, the predators going after children, or anything like that. I've been told time and time again the actual statistics for these things aren't as bad as they seem, but if that's true, why are they the only things we seem to hear about?"
Everyone in the chat was just as confused as Sunset.
"I don't understand our tendency to commit horrific acts. What reason is there for this crap to happen? We can blame everything until we're blue in the face, but the truth is, we don't know. It's like there's this natural compulsion to destroy for no reason at all. We've tried to pinpoint it to specific malfunctions in the brain, but that hasn't worked. People with normal chemical and genetic makeup have done the same things. It's something that's eluded even the greatest super geniuses. No one can figure it out, and we can't figure out why we can't figure it out to begin with."
Sunset rubbed her forehead. All the confusion and dismay was taking a toll on her.
"I'm tired of the bad things in the world being all I hear about. How come we never see the people rescuing kids from falling off building tops? How come we never hear about new medical breakthroughs? Why is there this insistence on filling people with fear? It's gotten to the point where people are afraid to leave their homes because they're always wondering if they're going to be assaulted or killed. A life controlled by fear isn't a life at all."
The high schooler leaned back in her chair.
"This sucks, man...It really, really sucks..."
Twilight was watching Sunset's stream from her own computer. She'd made it a point to tune in regularly while she was on Earth. She felt horrible seeing her friend in this condition. Sunset revealed things even Twilight had yet to uncover through her studies. After a few hours of playing, Sunset ended up falling asleep at her desk while the stream was still going. Twilight got up from her chair and walked out the door. Trudging through the streets with a downtrodden expression, she eventually wound up at Rainbow's home.
"Twi?"
"Hey..."
"You look awful."
"Have you been watching Sunset's broadcast today...?"
"No. I just got back from soccer practice. Why?"
"There's been a lot weighing on her mind we had no idea about. I think she needs us right now."
Rainbow's expression turned unusually serious. She nodded, and they faded into the distance together, intending to gather the rest of their companions.
"How is she," Rarity asked.
Rainbow carried Sunset piggyback from her desk to her bed.
"She's exhausted. Whatever was going on must've messed her up pretty bad."
Twilight took over for Sunset while she recuperated.
"Hello, everyone. My name is Twilight. You can probably see a few of the others behind me. We're Sunset's friends she mentioned earlier. A couple of us were watching when she drifted off. We were unaware of her mental state until today. It's not something I'm used to seeing, but I'm partially responsible for what occurred today. To make it up to Sunset, I'm going to boost her character in this part of the game until she wakes up. I hope you guys can bear with me for a little while."
The chat broke out in a barrage of sad faces. Twilight couldn't blame them. She wasn't feeling at her peppiest herself. Rainbow sat down on the floor next to the bed while Rarity used her own body to barricade the door in an attempt to protect her friend from the outside world that drained her so. The others found areas of their own to rest in.
Emerging from the empty depths of her subconscious, Sunset's first instinct was to check the clock. She'd gotten a full night's sleep before dawn. Her heart nearly stopped when she saw several figures scattered around her room.
"Huh...!?"
She noticed Fluttershy using her computer. Her mind instantly flooded with inquisitive thoughts. Surfacing from the safety of her dreams, Sunset made her presence known.
"Morning," Fluttershy greeted in a cheerfully sympathetic tone.
"What are you guys doing here?"
"You don't remember?"
"No."
"You collapsed after getting upset."
"I did?"
"Twilight was watching at the time. She asked us to help you by playing on your behalf."
With her mind clearing, sunset recalled the events leading to her awakening.
"That's right. I went on that rant and passed out on camera."
"We took shifts so we could all rest."
"How far did you get?"
"Take a look."
Sunset focused her vision on the monitor. Ari and the other characters had been leveled to their mid-20s. Sunset's cash reserves had also increased exponentially.
"You're still in the temple ruins?"
"We didn't want to go too far without you."
"Thanks."
"We're still on if you want to say anything."
"Sure."
Fluttershy and Sunset switched positions.
"Well, that was embarrassing. Hopefully I don't get banned for that."
Fluttershy giggled.
"Listen, guys, I really have to encourage you to think long and hard about your words and actions. They have very real consequences. The wrong you do will come back to haunt you, one way or another. I have to call it a night right now because I have school soon. Just...Try to be good people and do good things, alright? That's all I'm asking."
Sunset didn't bother looking at the chat when she ended the stream.
"Do you think you got the point across?"
"I don't know. What should've been common sense has been met with hostile resistance throughout human history. I probably painted a huge target on myself, but I don't care."
"What are you going to do now?"
Sunset placed Twilight on her back.
"Whatever I can, I guess. Come on. Let's wake the others."
"Are we walking?"
"The fresh air might do us some good."
"It'll be okay."
"How can you tell?"
"Because I believe."
"Heh. That's our Fluttershy - ever the optimist."
Fluttershy gave Sunset a sincere smile. Something deep down told her, faint as it was, that all was not yet lost. The illumination of the sun soon beat down on them, drowning out their sorrows with a calming light.
