Silent Ponyville: Hellfireby SairenChaptersSputtering LightSparkingSundogsSputtering LightIt's cold. Freezing. The room was ice and her bare feet were frozen to the floor. She was freezing, the cold seeping into her bones, arms wrapped tight around herself, trying to get warm to no avail. She wanted to collapse. She dare not put more of her skin on the ice, to be frozen. She had to stand, even as she grew weaker. All she could see was a window. A young Kiwi Lollipop talking to a young Lily Valley. "Zap was saying we should." "And bring on the curse, are you kidding?" "Help! Please, help!" She shouted, straining against the ice, trying to get their attention, anything to get free, get away, pulling harder and harder, even as she feels her skin giving in before the ice- Her body ached, her side throbbing in pain. Yet the pain did nothing to stop her tears, to slow the racing of her heart. She could only be thankful the pain was enough to wake her from the nightmare she had been trapped in. She groaned as she pushed herself up from the floor. She looked around in the dim moonlight to make sure she hadn't knocked anything over in her fall. It looked like at least she hadn't brought anything down the stairs with her. She then looked over herself. No serious signs of injury, at least as far as she could tell. She slowly stood up, wincing at the aches from newly forming bruises. She stumbled to her bathroom, turning up the light with a hiss. She moved to the sink, turning on the water to splash water on her face, to get through the fog of medication and fading adrenaline. Feeling at least a little more refreshed, she looked herself over. A scrape on her arm was bleeding, but nothing major. She cleaned it before checking herself in the mirror again, to see where else she was hurt. There was a nasty bruise forming on her hip and shoulder, but no more bleeding. She headed to her mini fridge, walking around her home, illuminated in fairy lights. She opened it, looking at the small area that acted as a freezer, holding only a few instant meals and an icepack. She stared at the pack, dreading the thought of putting it on her body, but she knew it was best for the bruises. She takes a deep breath, holds it, and finally grabs it. She'd lay down on the couch and turn on her television, connecting to the internet to watch some lets plays. She needed something with energy, and humor, and didn't require a lot of thinking. She knew she wouldn't get anymore sleep tonight and needed something to soothe her nerves. And distract from the cold of the ice pack. She hadn't been sleeping well for the last few weeks. She had tried everything. She'd tried teas and yoga and ASMR. She watched funny and happy things before bed, read books, and funny comics. She changed her diet, as much as she could afford to do. Nothing worked. Night after night, she would be plagued by nightmares. She had gone to a sleepover, and not even the presence of her friends seemed able to chase the dreams away. She had woken up and barely managed to reach Pinkie PIe's trash can to throw up. She could still remember the scent of various bits of candies mixed with bile. Everyone had worried about her and she just said she had accidentally taken a bite of a beef burger that day and just had a nightmare about it. There had been a lot of comforting after that, which she appreciated. Even if that wasn't the actual problem, the love and affection from her friends, the understanding of her being upset, had helped a lot. She had thought about telling them the truth, but hadn't gotten the nerve to at the time. She had declined sleepovers after that. She had carefully applied make up to hide the bags under her eyes, and drank a ton of coffee, doing her best to keep up appearances. She knew it wasn't working as well as she would like. The others would ask if she was fine, and she'd brush them off and she seemed to be doing well enough for them to fall for it. Except Rarity. Rarity had realized just how thick her make up was. She had given Sunset the medication. "I'm not sure why you won't tell us, darling, but with how caked on that make up is, you need sleep. I took this when I was waiting for Prim Hemline to call me back after my interview. If you won't talk to us, please at least try to get a good night's sleep?" Rarity had asked, looking at her with such concern. It always left Sunset feeling weird when Rarity showed such extreme kindness to her. Respecting Sunset's desire to not talk about it, but still trying to help. Sunset was always grateful, feeling such love for her friend. It just mixed with that bitter feeling that reminded her how it had been Rarity that caused her to target her group of friends, to hurt her chances to become princess for the Spring Fling. She didn't feel she deserved it, even though she loved it. The fact the nightmares had only made what had once been a small bitterness into what it is now was just another reason to hate them. She nodded her head, taking the offered medicine. "Okay," she said softly. "Thank you." Rarity smiled, squeezing her hand. "Of course. This is what friends do." The medicine had let her fall asleep easily, at least. Not filled with terror and anxiety like she had been the past week. But it hadn't chased away the dreams. Instead she had been stuck in the dreams, playing on and on even as fear consumed her. Until finally she had apparently tried to sleepwalk. And fell right down the stairs from her loft bed. The pain had been enough to wake her despite the drugs in her system. Sunset sighed, rubbing at her face. She was tired. She wanted nothing more than to sleep, but at this rate, her body would give before the nightmares. She had to do something. Anything. Over and over. The sound of eggs hitting the ground. Over and over. Eggs hit the ground. The sound of crying creatures echo around. She managed another half hour. She skips getting breakfast. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything important," Sunset said. "Just paperwork, but Spike said I should take a break. I think he had just left to make me a snack to guilt me into it," Twilight said with a sheepish look as her levitation shuffled away her papers to make room on the desk. "Though I'm not sure how much free time I have today..." "You are running a school. It looks really nice though. There were an awful lot of smiling faces when I came in," Sunset said. Twilight beamed at that. "Isn't it amazing? I mean, I know I've always been good at the academic, but I never imagined I could make so many creatures genuinely happy, who want to be here, and care about this school," she said, positively glowing. She looked so happy. So much more together than the pony who had doubted her ability when they first met, who struggled under the pressure to always have the answers. And if her emotional intelligence had started anywhere near the human Twilight's, it really was an amazing achievement. She looked so happy, it made Sunset hesitate to tell her about her troubles. "But what about you, Sunset? Why the visit?" Twilight asked as she settled in her chain again. She knew Twilight would lose that smile if she told her. Tried to explain her troubles, but she hadn't been able to sleep for so long. She had to do something, anything. "Well, I-" Sunset started. "Twilight, you really should take a break before this tea over s-oh. Sunset Shimmer, hi!" Spike said, wheeling in a cart with tea and muffins on it. "Guess I don't have to trick you to take a break in the name of not ruining tea, huh?" Twilight laughed shyly. "No, not this time," she said as he wheeled the cart over. "And I was thinking about taking a break anyway." "Uh huh," Spike said with a disbelieving look and then looking at Sunset. "How's everyone back in the other world?" He asked. Sunset smiled, trying to hold back the dread growing in the pit of her stomach. "They've been doing well. Nothing weird since the Time Twirler incident," she said. Except her nightmares. "Can you get us a spare cup, Spike? We can catch up together," Twilight said. Spike nodded, scampering off as Twilight looked at Sunset again. "So no magical problem? Then why are you here?" She asked, looking curious. Sunset wanted to tell the truth, but she felt the words stuck in her throat now. She couldn't get them out to explain. To ask for help. Because asking for help means explaining which means dashing the happiness radiating from Twilight. "Hey, nothing wrong with wanting to see my friend in person, right?" She asked. "So tell me more about the school," she said with a smile, ignoring the gnawing feeling of guilt as Twilight accepted her words and began to gush about her school. Twilight was a bust. But there was another option. "Come in," Starlight called through the door. Sunset slipped inside, making sure the door was shut tight as Starlight gasped behind her. "Sunset Shimmer!" Starlight said, hurrying from around her desk to hug her friend. Sunset returned the hug, being careful to not overbalance. It was always hard to get reused to her hooves again. Honestly, she doesn't know why she didn't come to Starlight first. The dread she felt approaching Twilight was so much less so with Starlight. Probably because if anyone would understand, it would be the other unicorn. Starlight pulled back. And paused. She frowned, looking closer at her face, causing Sunset to lean back. "Uh....?" "You're wearing make up," Starlight said. "Pretty heavy make up. Almost as good as when I had to hide my Cutie Mark from my village," she said. "....you and Rarity know way too much about make up," Sunset said. "Experience is a good teacher," Starlight said, leaning back. "What are you trying to hide?" Sunset sighed, stepping around Starlight and grabbing a tissue from Starlight's desk with her magic, pulling it closer to wipe away as much as the make up as she could without water, turning to Starlight. She sat down as she gestured to her face. "...when was the last time you slept?" Starlight asked, staring at the deep eyebags under the other pony's eyes. "Last night, but I haven't gotten a full night's sleep since the festival where we found the Time Twirler," Sunset said. "And with the time dilation....oh, wow, that's been a while. No wonder you're wearing so much make up," Starlight said, guiding Sunset to a seat to slump down in. "Do you know why?" "Nightmares. Pretty constant, persistent ones," Sunset said, accepting the blanket that Starlight had draped over her. She had a feeling this isn't the first time she's tried to just ready someone for sleep because they didn't know how to quit. She even accepted the stuffed bear being gently pressed into her arms. Front legs. Whatever. "I'm guessing you tried all the solo ways to help? Change of diet, exercise, relaxation?" Starlight asked, holding up the tea kettle in question. Sunset pondered a moment and nodded her head. At least the tea helps her nerves. "Yeah. Even tried medication humans have, a lot more potent than what ponies have without being magically induced. Just made it so I couldn't wake up from the nightmare," Sunset said. Starlight grimaced at that. "That sounds horrible." "It is. Only woke up when I tried to sleepwalk down my stairs," Sunset said, holding the bear closer. "Fine, obviously, even if I got a nasty bruise from it." "So is this you're trying counseling visit or hope Princess Luna can do something when you sleep here visit?" Starlight asked. "Because you should probably try to talk to her in Canterlot first, so she knows to check on you." The thought of Princess Luna doing anything in her dreams nearly causes her to strangle the stuffing out of the bear. "No! No, I wasn't....I wasn't looking for Princess Luna," Sunset said, swallowing hard. "And I'm...I'm not sure if counseling can help." "Why not?" Starlight asked, sorting through her tea options. Sunset looked down at the floor. "Because....because it's not like....I don't shy away from....from what I've done," she said. "I don't. I know I was wrong, and I did bad things, I've made peace with all that-" "Have you?" Starlight said questioningly. "Of course I have!" Sunset said, raising a hoof in the air. Starlight just gave her a searching look and Sunset sighed. "And even if there was some hang up, I don't....I don't think it'd result in these kind of nightmares..." she said, slumping back. "Then what were you thinking?" Starlight asked. "....there's a spell I remember. From my studies," Sunset said. "There's a few dream spells, but it was one that was said to help particularly bad cases. If you couldn't find a cause and would help quicken the recovery time." "Are you sure that's wise? This kind of thing takes time, doesn't it?" Starlight asked. "I mean, it's basically what my powers do. They let me understand someone's problem completely so I can help them. This problem just...let's me do it for myself," Sunset said. Starlight hummed, tapping a hoof to her chin in thought as the kettle whistled and she poured the tea. "Do you remember the spell?" "It's called the Mind Delve. As long as I'm remembering right, the book is ‘Dreams: A Psychological Understanding.' It's something like that," Sunset said. Starlight paused at that. "You remember that after all these years?" She asked, hovering the tea over to Sunset. Sunset shrugged. "I've always been good at memorizing things. That's how I got through the time loop, just memorized everything I thought was important, and spells were important," she said. "Not to mention learn everything I needed to pass for a regular High School Student. Cut it real close with History." Starlight whistled. "That's a good point," she said and shook her head with a sigh. "You know, it's a real shame you, Twilight, and me didn't know each other as foals. We probably could have made magical history. Well, more than we have already. If Earth ever records your magical findings," she said. Sunset chuckled. "Let's be fair, we would have torn each other apart," she said. "Yeah, probably," Starlight said. "Are you sure about this?" Sunset nodded. "The problem is, I can't see the sources for the dreams, not exactly. If I could get a clear picture, then maybe I can find something that does help. But I can't exactly use my geode on myself," she said. Starlight still looked uncertain, but sighed. "All right. I'll go retrieve the book. You try and relax here, okay? You look like you're about to fall over." Sunset nodded. "I will," she said, bringing the tea closer to take a sip. Starlight left to head to the library and Sunset waited, curled up in the chair. Warm and rather cozy, relieved that maybe, maybe something will work. Laughter ripped from burning lungs as the world burned around her. The world was full of noise, from her mania, the crackle of flames, and the screams of the burning buildings around her. A hand grabs at her skirt and she looked down to see Juniper, looking no older than ten, half her body burned. "H....help....help..." She begged. She reached down to take Juniper's hand, lifting her up. "Don't worry," she cooed. "Your suffering ends now," she said, her other clawed hand lashing out and slitting her neck. She felt the blood spray against her skin. Then things were dark. Cold. There was crying. "Why....?" A weak voice called. "Why did you do all this?" Rarity was in the corner, clothes shredded, bruised and bleeding, looking at Sunset with wide, wet eyes. "Oh, Rarity. It's simple," Sunset said, reaching out to touch her cheek with gentleness. "It's because I can. You see, you're weak. The only time you have power is when you have others with you. As soon as they're gone, you're nothing," she said. Rarity sobbed. "J-just because you can doesn't mean you should! They were important to you! How could-how could you-to them-to me?" "Because this is how it was always going to be, but don't worry, Rarity. I'm not a monster. I'll make it quick." Sunset awoke with a jolt as the door slammed open. "If you want to talk about future career options, please schedule an appointment in advance! I'm with someone!" Starlight called before quickly shutting the door behind her with a sigh. "Seriously, you'd think if they were that worried, they wouldn't schedule last minute," she said with a huff as she moved over towards Sunset. Pausing as she saw her on the ground. "Uh. You okay?" "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine," Sunset said, quickly sitting up. "You're crying," Starlight pointed out. Sunset quickly wiped at her face. "I just...I fell asleep," she said. "Oh. Wow, that is serious, I was only gone twenty minutes," Starlight said, offering up her tissues to let Sunset wipe her face. "Yeah. Yeah, they are," she muttered. "Well, I found the spell. Are you sure you don't want to try anything else first? Some of these spells can let me see nightmares, maybe I could do what you do?" Starlight asked. The very thought made Sunset want to throw up. Murder amongst ponies was a rare thing. Even Sunset, in all her megalomania, never had an actual bloodthirst, not until she had put on Twilight's crown. Hadn't wanted to burn anyone alive like she had in her dreams. Exposing Starlight to that impulse was the last thing she wanted to do. "No. I think the Mind Delve is our best best." Starlight huffed, but nodded. "If you think this will help, then we'll give it a shot. What's the worse that can happen?" She said, opening the book. "You're right. It's recommended for patients whose nightmares that are persistent with no obvious root cause and can help accelerate recovery in extreme cases. And it's pretty simple to cast. Are you ready?" Sunset nodded. "Yeah. As ready as I'll ever be," she said. "Okay," Starlight said, reading over the spell again and gathering the magic in her horn, before tapping Sunset's forehead. It's a sensation somewhat akin to when Sunset sees someone's memory. The feeling of being thrown into another time and place, seeing things through anothers eyes, minus the feelings, and far more disorientating. Instead of going from point A to point B, it feels she's been jerked this way and that, hitting points L D F Z until she's finally at B. She stumbles several steps, falling to her knees. Her human knees. Looking up and finding herself in Canterlot High School's library. Everything seemed fine, just dark. Thanks to the thick fog she could see outside the window, more than likely. She slowly got to her feet, looking around. "Hello?" She called, listening for any response. She hadn't been sure what she was expecting. Maybe something much like her powers, leading her through whatever memories she needed to understand what her issues was, much like it did for others. Perhaps a visit into her mindscape, but that....didn't feel quite like this was it. Usually a mindscape should have things that represent her and while she could see CHS being part, she didn't think it'd be this....simple. At least a fusion with Canterlot's library instead of just the school's. Something pony and human. She walked around, looking for signs of movement or anything strange when she spots it on the table. Her tote bag. She moved to it quickly, opening it, expecting her usual items. Instead, all she sees is a flashlight and a portable radio, much like one she had won in a bet her first week on Earth. Listening to the radio to try and learn more about the place she had found herself in. Odd as it was, she decided it was best to keep her bag with her, heading out of the library to see if she could find anyone else. Walking the deserted halls, starting to notice a few oddities. Lockers were left open, posters peeling from the wall, not quite up to standard. Odd. But nothing too noteworthy. Then she reached the main hall. Seeing a large, wrought iron gate over the front doors, blocking her way out. SparkingSunset pulled hard at the iron gates to no avail. She sighed after a few more tugs before looking them over more closely. They were locked tight and surprisingly sturdy compared to usual school locks. What was truly odd was the fact there wasn't even an obvious keyhole. All there was, were three recesses that seemed like they were supposed to have something. A seven petal flower, a kite, and a circle. She couldn't find a way to really manipulate whatever mechanism there might be to unlock the door. But it was the only clue she had to go off of for finding a way to open the door. There was something about the shapes that were familiar though. She just couldn't put her finger on what. She sighed, looking around the main hall. Now that she was really paying attention, it wasn't just the school was dark and a little disarrayed, it also seemed....old. Worn. Even the wall by the front door showed signs of age even though she just rebuilt it shortly after the Fall Formal. She's passed this spot hundreds of times, and the paint never quite matched the old wall, but now it all seemed weathered the same. If this place was her mindscape, it was even odder. Old and worn out isn't something she'd usually apply to her own brain. So what was the deal? She sighed, looking at the door. Logically, she could probably just break a window and be done with it, but she supposed if the Mind Delve decided to give her a puzzle, she should solve it. It's not like she had any better ideas. She looked towards a bulletin board nearby. She pulled off the school map, usually left up for guests, and took a pen leftover for signs up for play auditions. Another oddity she noted was the auditions for Bedazzled, the school play her friends and she had all helped put on. "Is it because it's my mind?" She murmured. Probably. It made the most sense, remnants from a memory. She took a look around the main hall, but upon seeing nothing else out of place, she decided to begin her search of the school, ready to mark off rooms. She imagined it'd take a while to make it through everything. And found out it may not take near as long as she feared. Mostly because as soon as she tried opening up classrooms, she would often find doors were jammed shut. She tested the first few, thinking maybe the door was sticking, but no amount of throwing her shoulder into it or pulling on the doorknob got any results. She hoped that meant it'd save her time and that what she needed wasn't stuck behind one of those doors. She'd continue on, testing doors, pushing open doors of open lockers, and marking off what she'd look into. There was little of note until she came across something odd in one of the lockers. She was sure she was imagining it, pulling it out to have a closer look. "You must pay more attention to your surroundings, Sunset Shimmer," Celestia said, pressing the wet compress to the burn on Sunset's hoof. "Hold that a moment," she advised. Sunset did as instructed, letting her own magic hold it as her mentor looked for something. It was harder than it would be normally, with the pain throbbing through her leg, but not beyond her. "I didn't realize how hot it had gotten," Sunset said, voice tight with pain. As soon as Celestia found what she was looking for, she took over again and floated over a brown bottle. "Drink this," she said, unscrewing the lid. "I know you're used to heat, but that's all the more reason to be mindful. Just because Philomena doesn't burn you doesn't make you immune to fire." "I know, I know," Sunset muttered as she drank the medicine with a grimace. "Ugh. What is that?" "A drink made from a Zebra recipe. It won't heal your burn, but it'll relieve the pain and boost your own system. It should make our trip to the hospital far less painful for you," Celestia said. "I guess there's some crossover," Sunset said as she stared at the Heath Drink. It certainly wasn't something in the human world, any drinks for generic 'health' would usually have some trendy name and rarely be anything effective. But she remembered this bottle, she was sure it was the one from Equestria. She wasn't sure why it was here, but she figured it wouldn't hurt to take with her, putting it in her tote bag before moving on. Trying to focus on the task at hand. It was just...it had been some time since she had even thought about Philomena. She wondered if the phoenix was all right. Obviously, still alive, she was sure nothing would happen to her in Celestia's care. But...she had to wonder if the phoenix had missed her. She hadn't even said good-bye before she came to the human world. And she had barely been able to talk to Celestia for the sake regaining the memories of her friends. Let alone to even think about asking after the phoenix. Maybe she'd have the nerve once she was done with this. She knew her mentor has forgiven her, but that hadn't made talking to her that much easier. She was just no longer worried she'd be thrown into the dungeon forever. She shook her head. "Focus, Sunset Shimmer," she muttered, trying another door, not truly surprised when it opened. If this place was running on her memories at all, it made sense this door would open. It was the music room, after all. What she wasn't expecting, however, were all the mannequins. She stepped back to check that it was indeed the music room before looking inside again. She should see the steps and speakers of the room. Some of the instruments. It did seem to be the music room, just with... Mannequins. Sure, there's been one or two dressforms for Rarity to do outfit work while they were working on Rainboom things, but not a full form mannequin like these. Well, like these if they were in good shape. Most of them were obviously old and damaged. Missing parts of their limbs, pieces barely hanging on, blank faced heads partially caved in. And the clothes were damaged, tattered and dirty. No, definitely not the kind of handiwork that'd come from Rarity. It was all very....creepy. But it was the first room she'd managed to open, so she ventures in to look around. Checking around the mannequins and to see if they were wearing any jewelry, looking behind instruments, and inside the piano. It's not until she gets to the windows on the other side of the room that she finally sees it. A flower shaped piece of jewelry. Gold for the petals and a red gem in the middle. It was familiar to her. Very familiar. "Wait. Isn't this from my first crown?" She said aloud. Except instead of being cheap plastic, it look like it might have been real metal and a gem, or at least glass. A light static fills the air. Either way, it's the right shape and she picks it up. A familiar sensation hitting her as she makes contact, though instead of it feeling like she was seeing something in her mind, the light seemed to spread around her, filling and changing the room to show the memory from the object. "I'm not sure I'm up for this," Sunset said, looking down at the simple white dress she was wearing, playing with the end of the skirt. Fingers were still so weird to her. She had to constantly practice to get used to them, to not stand out. A dance was the last thing she wanted to try and navigate. How did humans even dance in group settings? "Hey, come on. It won't be that bad, Sunset," Flash Sentry said, putting a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it gently. "Somehow, I doubt that," Sunset said, looking up with a frown. Flash chuckled. "You always do. And yet you've admitted some of the places I've dragged you to have been fun." Sunset hummed, looking away. "....concerts are different. Everyone's too busy looking at the stage to notice how stiff I am." "To be fair, everyone knows you've been through physical therapy," Flash said. "Because you have to call me coma girl," Sunset shot back. "Only because you call me guitar boy. I'm not even sure you knew my name for three weeks." Okay, she hadn't. She hadn't been overly invested in learning who people were. "I can't help you're married to your guitar," Sunset said instead. Flash shrugged. "Fair enough," he said. He then moved his hand away from her shoulder to open the glove box. "I know you're still not good with crowds, so I got you something," he added, holding out a box to her. Sunset looked at it in confusion before taking it and opening it. Her eyes widened in surprise at earrings in the shape of her cutie mark. "How did you-" "You always wear the shirt with that emblem when you know you're going into an uncomfortable situation," Flash answered. Sunset stared at him and there was that feeling again. The one that made her face heat up, and her heart feel tight in her chest. Stupid boy. Stupid boy and being so....so sweet and nice! It could never work. She knows it can't. He's a human, she's a pony. She's going home in a few years! But still....still, sometimes she wonders. "....you sappy nerd," Sunset said, looking away from his bright smile, taking out the earrings. It takes a few tries for her to get them in her ears, pierced on a dare, but Flash patiently gives her time to figure it out. "One hour. If this isn't at least a little fun in an hour, we're leaving," she said. "If you want," Flash said, but he still looks so pleased as he gets out of the car, moving to the other side to open her door for her and help her out. She doesn't need the help so much these days, but it's a habit he doesn't seem inclined to get rid of. Flash leads her into the school and to the gymnasium. The whole place is lit up with multicolored lights and streamers and balloons. It's not like the grand galas she's used to, but it has a certain charm to it. Flash keeps close to her. She's hesitant to dance alone at first, usually only going along when Flash has a reason to lead her in some moves, but eventually she relaxes and starts moving on her own. She never gets as enthusiastic as some people around, and Flash seems to go out of his way to dance like a fool when she's uncomfortable to get a laugh from her. Before she knows it, hours have passed and they're announcing the Fall Formal Princess. Sunset doesn't even pay it any mind, instead going for some punch because why does she care about a popularity contest. Until her name is announced. She stops short, punch halfway to her mouth, staring at the stage because there's no way she heard that right. Flash gently takes her punch. "Go on up, Sunset," he said gently. Sunset numbly walks up to the stage, to the woman who looks so much like Celestia. She bows her head to take the crown and looks out at the crowd cheering for her. For her. They wanted her as their princess. A hand reached up to touch her crown, to make sure it was real, a smile spreading across her face in wonder because they wanted her as their princess. She hadn't imagined she'd ever win. It had seemed like a dumb, inane thing at the time. It's not like anyone would really appreciate her. She only signed up to get Flash to stop bugging her about it. And now she was here. She was selected. She left the stage as the princess' dance was announced and she grabbed Flash's hand as they moved to the spotlight for their dance. Her self doubts about her movement couldn't even plague her now. She couldn't get her smile to fade at all. "I told you people liked you," Flash said as they danced under the ever shifting lights of the Fall Formal. Sunset couldn't stop the smile that had been plastered on her face since her name was announced. She had honestly thought it was a dumb thing, signing up, but Flash had said it might be fun. She never imagined she'd win, especially when she hadn't been trying. "Fine, fine, I guess you're right," she said. "This time." She added with a teasing smirk. Flash chuckled. "Hey, just because you're finally adjusting to life again doesn't mean I have to be wrong all the time, Coma Girl," he said. "Please don't call me that. I think I much prefer Princess Sunset as a nickname if anything is going to catch," she said. Part of her wondered if she was voted for out of pity. She pushed the thought from her mind. "It is a pretty good name," Flash said, dipping Sunset and actually getting a laugh out of her. "Congratulations, Princess Sunset Shimmer." Sunset just smiled wider. She could really get used to that. Sunset breathed in sharply. The static of the radio was starting to get louder, but Sunset doesn't pay attention, not quite yet. Not after that. It had been her first Fall Formal. She had arrived the spring before, managed to adjust herself to the human world, but everyone had heard about her cover story. She had to explain why she was terrible at things like basic movement and common knowledge. Extreme hospitalization seemed the best way to go. Recovering from muscle atrophy and brain damage, of course she had been struggling. It had worked. It had even brought her time to find a way to figure out the paperwork. Just needed a little more time to remember to bring it, that's all. Just look broken hearted if asked about guardians and people hesitated to ask deeper questions. As long as she made everything look fine on paper, then she was able to play off the rest. She was also pretty sure she had been voted princess of the Fall Formal out of pity for that. She had been more focused on trying to catch up and not look like a constant idiot over socializing. The static grew louder. Flash probably went out of his way to get people to think to vote for her. Wanting to make her feel better. He had always been kind, far too kind for the likes of her, but even if that first crown had led her down a bad path, the memory was still... It was still a happy one. That night had been such a good one. So much praise and a lot of fun. It had been the first party in a long time that had been about fun instead of formal social gatherings for school and Celestia. She wonders what it might have been like, if she hadn't let that pure happiness get tainted the way she did? She sighed, putting the jewel piece in her bag, reaching for the radio to see why it was buzzing when she heard a creak behind her, glancing up. A mannequin was right behind her and it's segmented hand grabbed her elbow. HATEPAINHURTWHYWHYWHYWHYBETRAYALGUILTLIESLIESLIESHOWDARESHEHEGOAWAYDISAPPEARLEAVELEAVELEAVEHOWCOULDSTOPITSTOPSTOPSTOPSTOPSTOPSTOP!!!! The rush of negative emotions was intense, driving Sunset to her knees, barely enough mental focus for her to jerk her arm away as tears sprung to her eyes from the sudden flood. It was like every negative feeling had poured into her head, leaving her struggling to get a hold of herself as she slumped back against the wall. "W-why?" She gasped, looking up through her tears, breathing labored as she tried to get a decent breath. Her eyes widened in horror as she understood what was in front of her. She saw one of the mannequins. Blank face staring down at her, one hand outstretched and the other was....it was like it was broken. The shoulder was half busted off, hanging more off its back then it's side. Which made it moving that arm look unnatural, disjointed, arm moving up more like a scorpion's tail then a proper arm. And the end of that arm was broken off, leaving it jagged and sharp and it drives that arm down right for Sunset Shimmer. Sunset barely manages to push herself from the wall, lunging across the floor to get out of the way. The Mannequin misses it's mark for Sunset's heart, but any doubt of the broken arm's sharpness vanishes when she feels the broken material slash across her arm, pain burning across the length of it. The Mannequin was turning to come after her, and there was more movement in the room. She had to run. She was already on the verge of being a wreck, she couldn't handle whatever....this was. She keeps low to the ground. There were at least two other Mannequins alive amongst the others, each with a similar broken arm hanging more off it's back, heading for her. She feels the blades arms swipe over her head as she half crawls, half lunges across the ground to get away from the...from the monsters that were trying to hurt her. Kill her. The room was filled with the static of the radio, the creaking of artificial limbs, and her own choked breathing. Never before had the music room felt so big. A Mannequin lunges for her, the good hand outstretched and no, she can't be touched again. If she had another emotional onslaught like before, she wouldn't be able to run, the other two would get her for sure. She grabs an acoustic guitar from the wall she finds herself against, throwing it up in defense as the Mannequin's hand slams into it with a distorted screech of the guitar strings as the fingers get tangled in them. She braces her foot against the head of the guitar, kicking hard to force the Mannequin into one of the other two. They tumbled with a crash and Sunset moved. There was still a third after her, managing to avoid her throwing back the piano stool, but it gives her enough time to get closer to the door. It's getting closer and she's not sure she'll make it. She takes a risk, grabbing the arm of another mannequin and she's relieved there's no emotional attack from this one as she spins on her knees and throws it at the other to knock it down. The other two are getting up. She makes a scrambling dash to the door, grabbing the knob and throwing open the door before falling through the doorway and slamming the door shut behind her. She holds it shut, twisting the knob to make sure the tab was firmly in the slot, still on her knees, breathing hard and fast. The static of her radio quieting down quicker than her racing heart. She waited for the monster to come, taking the few seconds to get air in her lungs, to blink away the tears, trying to think of what to do, hoping the door is sturdy enough to hold them back. They didn't seem particularly strong, she should be able to hold them back. Except nothing came. No attempt at the door knob, no thud against the door, not even the sound of movement from in the room. It was... Odd. Sunset Shimmer had been on numerous magical adventures, on Earth, and back in Equestria when she was Celestia's protege. She's been chased by monsters and this silence wasn't normal. It was like they were gone as soon as she closed the door. Sunset bit her lip, slowly letting go of the doorknob, wiping at her face to clear her eyes. Still with no sign of the monsters. She pushed herself to her feet. The monsters, the odd Mannequinn's, hadn't attacked right away. Only after...after the static had started. Which was now dying down. Was the radio the thing that caused them to move? Or had it been a warning? She stared intently at the door, grabbing the door knob again and carefully, slowly, opened the door just enough to see inside. Ready to slam it shut again, but she had to know what was happening. The Mannequin was only a few steps from the door, good hand still outstretched. Like it really froze in place the moment she had closed the door. The door shifted, creaking just a bit, and it's face moved to look at her the same moment the radio static came to life. It jerked forward. She slammed the door shut. The radio silenced a moment later. Then quietly, carefully moved away from the door. So. Evil Mannequin. With stabby arms and the ability to force negative emotions into her if she let's them touch her. Maybe just their hands, but it's not something she wants to test. They also seemed to respond to sound. And her radio responded to them moving. Was it just the Mannequins? Or would it be all threats? Were there more threats? "Okay, priorities, Sunset," Sunset Shimmer said to herself, looking down at her arm with a grimace. The cut along the length of her forearm was shallow, at least enough where the bleeding was slowing, but she needed to take care of it. To avoid infection or it getting worse. The nurse's office wasn't far. She was far more cautious opening this door, looking around for any Mannequins or odd creatures before stepping inside. As she looked through the cabinets and drawers, however, the sense of dread the monstrous encounter had started, was growing exponentially. She knew the school tried to keep on top of these supplies, especially after magic had started to crop up. Considering there's been more than one explosion at the school, it was an understandable precaution to have an extra stocked nurse's office. But now, so much of the room was bare. Even after looking through everything, she had only found another two Health Drinks, a medkit, and a few other odds and ends. More than enough to treat her arm now, but hardly the norm for it and she worried why that was. "Arm first," she told herself, to keep herself focused. At least the water worked and she could clean up her arm and wrap it up with some bandages. She pondered a Health Drink, but ultimately, the pain wasn't too bad, and not something that hindered her. And she didn't know if maybe she'd need them later. That was her second priority, deciding how to go forward. She had been attacked. By monsters that had wanted to do her harm. She knew her mindscape may have been a bit of a mess, but nothing so hostile. Nothing so dangerous. Perhaps it was naive to be so hopeful, but she had been in such a better place for so long, she didn't think anything like this would be here. One part of her wanted to think there was no danger, it'd be like a dream. But psychic deaths were not impossible, and she doesn't know enough about the Mind Delve to be sure it wouldn't have some kind of psychic backlash if she died here. Most mental magics were tricky things as is. They were difficult spells to master and even then, it was hard to get anything useful if the pony was an unwilling subject. It was hard even when they were a willing subject if they didn't know exactly what to think about. And there's been more than one brain fried because someone had been reckless trying to craft a better spell for such things. Her magic was very much an exception and not the rule. The Power of Friendship indeed. "Okay, there's monsters here, so we know it's dangerous," she muttered. Which changed her willingness to go along with the Mind Delve's weirdness immensely. It's one thing to go on a weird magical mental journey when things are weird, it's a whole other thing when there was coinflip that she could end up dead. She needed to end the spell, reaching up to grab her geode. And froze as she found it was gone. She looked down, checking her pockets and looking around her for a sign of the necklace to no avail. Did she lose it? Did she not even have it when she came here? Actually, what happens to her geode when she comes to Equestria anyway? She had often wondered where her clothes had come from when she arrived in the human world, but the weird thing was it wasn't like everything disappeared. If she wore a bag, that stayed with her. The same with the false crown. She took the book back to Earth no problem. But when she first met Starlight, talked to Celestia, the whole thing over spring break. Even just today, she had been wearing her geode when she went through the portal, but it had been gone when she arrived in Equestria. Was it just...inside her? Like her clothes probably were? Was it the geode was bound to Earth, to be a protective magic? Did she still have that magic or was it gone? She had to try. Sitting down, clasping her hands together, focusing on that feeling she'd been getting used to over the months. That feeling of reaching out, making a connection. It should be easier, Starlight should already be connected to her. She was powering the Mind Delve, it should be as simple as finding that connection. "Come on, come oooon, Starlight Glimmer..." Sunset murmured, trying to sense something, anything at all. After a few minutes, there was a loud groan of frustration and Sunset kicked the wall. "You have to be kidding me. This should be simple for me!" She yelled at the ceiling, slumping forward. She let herself wallow in her frustration for a minute, cursing fate and stupid magical physics. "Okay. So, no geode. Probably no mental magic at all," she said. She had never been particularly good at those mind spells as a unicorn either, at least not while learning under Celestia. "Though I guess it doesn't matter when all the memories I'd be seeing are mine." It's not like it's loss is a big disadvantage here because of that fact. No, the only problem was she couldn't contact Starlight Glimmer. Still, the thought of being without the geode was...sad. Having reliable, stable magic after several years of not had been nice. It had helped her feel more sure in herself. No, she couldn't linger on that. As it stood, she was stuck in the Mind Delve spell until she could find a way to end it from in here. Until then, she had to assume that if she died here, she could really die. Especially when this spell didn't even have a safety of contacting the caster built in. If something as simple as that wasn't covered, she couldn't rely on the fact there was protection from accidentally frying her brain. She could afford to be wrong on that fact, not so much the other way. And there were monsters here. She wasn't sure how many or how dangerous, but at least the Mannequins seemed intent on hurting her. She couldn't just rely on running away, no, not when a simple touch could bring her to her knees. Before she went any further, she needed a weapon. Author's Note Did I start a horror story to write up a bunch of disjointed headcanon scenes about Sunset Shimmer? Maybe. SundogsThe gym was filled with the sounds of metal hitting metal, the swishing of the springy material of fencing foils. Sunset was breathing hard, her arms shaking, legs sore, but walking away from her opponent to get back to her starting position. "Hold on there, sugarcube," Applejack said, grabbing her shoulder before she got too far. "Ah think you could use a break. You're startin' to shake." "No, no, I almost have it-" Sunset protested. Applejack shook her head, pulling off Sunset's helmet and pushing her towards the stands. "All the more reason to take a break now. It'll be a lot easier to get it when your nerves are settled." "My nerves are fine," Sunset muttered, but it was hard to disagree when Applejack was pushing. She didn't have enough steadiness to really push back. "Uh huh. Trust me, Ah know what Ah'm talkin' about," Applejack said, finally getting her to sit before walking away. Soon enough, she was back with a bottle of water for each of them. "Didn't run off, huh?" "....maybe I needed a break," Sunset said, taking the offered bottle and opening it and downing a good half of it. "You know, Ah'd have thought you'd be better about this," Applejack said, sitting down beside her, pulling off her helmet to start drinking herself. "What do you mean?" Sunset asked. "The physical therapy? Rarity said you were in some kinda coma?" "Oh. Yeah, right." "Ain't it a little early to be pushing it?" She asked in concern. Sunset stared at the floor. "Doctors said I was fine. All it was now was getting up to speed," she said. "And fencing is up to speed?" Applejack asked, raising an eyebrow. "Footwork combined with precise arm movements," she said and shrugged. "And less likely to drag down a team, I just have to worry about my own scores instead of messing up someone else. I have to say I'm surprised though. Aren't you a bit huckleberry to be a fencer?" She raised an eyebrow, putting enough snark in her tone to not be outright insulting. Applejack laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck. "Yeah, fencing is considered pretty fancy for a sport," she admitted. "It's kind of a leftover from my rebellious phase. Wanted to be fancy like my cousins, the Oranges. Even lived with 'em for a few weeks. Did all Ah could to fit in. Tried to change my accent, dressed up more fancy, tried to do anything that made me look like Ah belonged. That's when I started fencing." "What changed your mind?" Sunset asked. "Believe it or not? Rainbow Dash. Not that we knew it at the time. The school has something a little like the friendship games. Whole fair with stalls and events and sports games with other schools competing. Whole day was pretty wild. The animals got loose from the petting zoo and costumes for a performance got set on fire and something about a dog having puppies. Didn't see a lot of that, but I remember seeing the relay race. One of the racers was covered head to toe in mud and feathers, everyone around me was mocking her, saying she shouldn't have showed up. But I could see it. She was the fastest one of her team. If she hadn't showed up, there was no way they coulda won. But to everyone around me, that wasn't important. It was all about how she looked," Applejack said. "Couldn't stand the snobs, huh?" Sunset asked. Applejack shrugged. "Those folks had some different values, that's for sure. Ah get how you look can be important, but Ah realized it wasn't to me. And that's what it all was with the Oranges. How Ah looked, the airs Ah gave off. Ah wasn't happy like that, so Ah went home," she said. "A few weeks ago, Rainbow Dash was showing off pictures and realized she was the dirty feather racer. It was a pretty funny coincidence." "It is pretty funny. But if anyone could have that happen, you guys would somehow affect each other before knowing each other," Sunset said with an amused laugh. "And the fencing?" "Change of pace," she said. "It was pretty fun when Ah did it and its nice to do something where Ah can just focus on how Ah'm doing alone instead of making sure a whole process is running smoothly for a lot of people. Like ya said, individual score." "Even if it means training disaster newbies?" Sunset asked, raising an eyebrow with a smirk. Applejack laughed. "Ah wouldn't say disaster. Just a little green, you'll get there," she said, lightly punching Sunset's arm. "At least you're humble enough to listen." "What can I say, I'm eager to learn," Sunset said with a smile, rubbing her arm. "Ah can tell," Applejack said with a grin. "How about Summer?" "Summer?" Sunset said questioningly. "Oh! Right, Summer. What about Summer?" "How are ya going to keep up this self enforced Physical Therapy? Far as I know, none of the training camps happen until August." Sunset looked down at the ground, frowning. "Guess I just practice the forms on my own." "Good way to get into bad habits that. Here just long enough to get them down enough to get them wrong. Tell you what, you can come by my place to practice. Ah'm pretty busy on the farm, but an hour in the evening a few times a week couldn't hurt," Applejack said. Sunset looked up with wide eyes. "You'd do that?" She asked, looking a bit gobsmacked. Then she frowned. "Why?" "'Cause you're as competitive as a horse after the last apple," Applejack said. "I'm not like a horse at all!" Sunset protested, loud enough to get a few glances their way. She slumps down, face going red. "....it was just a metaphor, Sunset. I'm saying ya don't like losin', even when you know ya shouldn't be able to win," Applejack said, giving her an odd look before finishing off her water. "...that's still not why," Sunset said sulkily. "I mean, what are you getting out of teaching me?" "That's what friends are for," Applejack said. "Though if you don't like that answer, could always help with the last few hours of the day or something," she offered. A way to spare Sunset's pride. Sunset saw it as something else. "....yeah, that sounds fair enough," she said. She preferred knowing what people wanted of her. "It's a deal then," Applejack said before finishing off her water. "Feeling better?" "Yeah, a lot. I guess you were right." "Told ya. Like telling it like it is. Let's see if ya can get it this time," Applejack said, pulling on her helmet as they returned to the mats. Sunset carefully crept by the music room, listening to the radio for any static, or movement from inside. She did her best to not cause a sound until she was passed the music room. She knew the room she wanted and she just hoped it was unlocked. She tried it and is relieved as it opens and she slips inside, pulling out her flashlight to see in the darkened room. Sunset needed a weapon. Something that could grant her distant. Something blunt like a baseball bat wouldn't do, not without experience. What she does know how to do, is fence. She knows how to block and attack and how to redirect blades. A fencing foil wouldn't do her much good however. Those are made to not cause much harm. The only way she'd be able to use that was to break off the tip and that would only be good to do some shallow poking. Which led her here, to the music storage room. She carefully moved through it, passed the instruments stored for school use, towards the back corner. She ponders taking one of the colorful flag poles, but no. Even if that had more distance, she wasn't experienced and it would take too much time to maneuver if she had to run. The colorguard flags did lead her to what she was looking for, however. Right next to them was an assortment of rifles and sabers. Even if the blades were dull, she figured they were made to hit the ground repeatedly on failed throws, it could take a lot of impact, and the ability to parry was still a boon, especially with those Mannequins. Except... What Sunset expected to find was a bunch of blades with rounded tips, covered in tape. Except there, mixed in with the blades was a glint of bare metal. She reaches down to pick it up, and pulls it out of the pile. It's not a dull blade. The tip ends in a sharp point, not rounded as the rest, and she can see in the light that the edge is grounded down to something sharp. There's some age on the blade, the metal dull, but there was no rust, no obvious nicks in the blade. It was a sword. A real sword. Was it....here to give her a chance? Much like the radio had been there? Sunset did a few test swings with the blade. It was definitely heavier than she was used to, but she could work with this. She could defend herself with this. Maybe it was better to not question why it was here. She should just be thankful that it was. The colorguard costumes even came with belts to help carry the sabers. Thank goodness for Rarity embracing function when it went with style and having swords at the side just looked better then carrying them around. Armed and feeling a little more secure, Sunset now had to figure out her next step. Moving from room to room, even with most of them locked, would take a lot of time. Time she didn't want to waste with dangerous monsters around. She had to figure out where she needed to go, at least stream line it a little bit. "I appeared in the library," Sunset started aloud. "The nurse's room and this room were accessible, but that might have been more function. My mind trying to make something safe. The first room to open was the music room, which I spend a lot of time....maybe rooms that are important? But which one would it be....?" Oh. Of course. She groaned, rubbing at her face. "All right. Let's do this." She's a lot more careful walking through the halls. Keeping an eye out for any movement, listening for static as she approached her destination. Despite the horror she knows could be in this place, there are no signs of monsters. No signs of the mannequins or anything else. No sign of life. No sign of any movement at all. She had been in the school empty plenty of times. When she first arrived on Earth, she had often sneakily slept inside for lack of anywhere else. She used to always know the security codes and knows for a fact the vents can support someone of her size. But even all those times, alone and in the dark, the school never felt this...desolate. Not just empty, but entirely abandoned. She hurried her pace a little. It doesn't take too long to reach her destination; the familiar doors of the gym. The place of so many dances and events, both good and bad. If she's looking for jewels of her crown, this place was as good as any. She takes a deep breath, holds it, and pushes open the door ever so slowly. She listens for movement, for static, but nothing comes. She frowns, pushing it open enough to see inside. At first, it seems so normal. It was just the gym, the risers pulled out, and empty of people. A little old, a little dusty, she thinks maybe there's nothing wrong. She can just look and be on her way. Until she notices the puddles on the floor. Only a few, scattered around, but what draws her attention is the dripping. Slow, the plip only coming after maybe half a minute, but it draws her eyes to the dark liquid. Then up, up, up to the rafters. A hand slaps over her mouth at the sight above her. There's bodies, girls judging by the tattered skirts, hanging from the ceiling by their neck. They're too high up and too....too broken to tell who they are. Limbs are twisted to hang at odd angles, dark stains on their clothes, the bodies looking partially mutilated, slowly draining out onto the floor. Its then the scent hits her. Like rot and decay, like the bodies were old. Left to hang for so long, forgotten. She does her best to resist, but she can't hold down what little is in her stomach, leaning on the edge of the doorframe as she retches. Why....? Why is this in her mind? She's never-she would never-she never wished anybody hurt. Never wished them dead. There was only one time she wished that much on someone and that had been when she had been corrupted by the Element of Magic. But that had been quick incineration, not.... Not whatever this was. "What the hell is wrong with this spell?" Sunset gasped, trying to get her heart to stop racing. Because this was the spell. Surely this was the spell. There was no way....no way this was her... Right? She shook her head. "Get it together, Sunset. They're....they're just there. They can't do anything from up there. Just....just think of it like burgers...ignore it, don't think about it," she told herself. There weren't dead girls up there. Dead girls, tortured and broken in something that's supposed to be from her mind. "Don't think about it," she tells herself on repeat. "Don't think about it, don't think about it." She needed that jewel. She pushed herself away from the wall, heading for the stage. Where the crown would be awarded. The most obvious place. She gives the puddles a wide berth, walking a winding pattern across the gym, waiting for the other shoe to drop. Yet nothing happens. No static. No movement. Just the faint, occasional, disconcerting 'plip.' She climbs onto the stage and there it is. At the top of what's usually a mic stand, the kite shaped jewel from her second crown. She looks around, and then makes sure her back is to the side of the stage. So she can see any movement from the curtain or the gym proper. Then she reaches out and takes the gem. "You must be kidding," Sunset said, raising an eyebrow at the box. "Of course not, darling. Last time was such a rush job. Really, Flash bringing you to me with two hours before the dance, I barely had time to make sure it would fit you properly before I had to change," Rarity said with a put upon scoff. She patted the top of the box. "This is FAR more fitting for a potential princess." "You mean soon to be princess," Sunset said. "Hm, we will see. But whoever wins, it's a must they are fabulous," Rarity said. "And I'm just supposed to trust a dress you give me?" Sunset asked with a raised eyebrow. "Yes? I don't understand why this is a hard concept," Rarity said, giving Sunset an utterly perplexed look. Sunset looked back at her, confused herself. Rarity seemed so genuine in her offer, was known for being genuine in her offers, it was hard to see malice in it. Even though there should be, shouldn't there? After all, Rarity was running against Sunset. And yet, here she was, offering a dress. "Thank you....?" Sunset said with uncertainty. Rarity's smile widened. "I knew you would see sense. You'll look absolutely lovely, I promise." With that, Rarity had walked away. Later, as Sunset put on the dress, it was true. She did look lovely, a dress of purples and yellow accents, and decorations of her Cutie Mark sewn in. Not only was it a lovely dress in general, Rarity had taken note of the symbol that she had on her favorite shirt and earrings she would wear. The only other who had noticed that was Flash Sentry, before he had gotten her those earrings. Sunset had thought then perhaps competition really COULD be friendly. Perhaps Rarity could be trying to win and still wish her the best of luck and be genuine. Sunset thought that perhaps it wasn't so bad, getting to know these people. Maybe even become friends with them. It seemed possible as she spun around, admiring herself in the dress. Then Rarity won the crown. Sunset was holding onto the gem tightly as the light faded. She wasn't sure how she felt about this forceful trip down memory lane. Its not...its not like she hasn't been dealing with these memories. She knew how much that lost had hit her. How it had led to her obsessing over the crown. Popularity. Getting attention and admiration. How many people she had hurt to lessen the popularity or others, how it had turned from just manipulating people to actually being cruel and forcing them to bend to her will through blackmail and lies. All the bonds she had started to make before that was no longer important. The tentative friendship with Applejack now that she could recognize she really hadn't been seeking free labor, she had simply understood Sunset was prideful. A friendly rivalry she could have had with Rarity, who had meant it when she wanted whoever to win to look fabulous and it applied to both. All the people who had showed her such kindness and care and had been willing to start a friendship with her that she had just been too scared to entertain. The relationship she had with Flash. She had turned his means to make her feel welcome and cared about and turned it into such an ugly thing. He had done so much to help her adjust after her 'coma,' helping her stumbling, and explaining things she had simply 'forgotten' because of lingering side effects of reduced cognitive functions. Sure, the start had been a lie, but its not like she could tell the truth and the lie had been only to keep herself safe in a new world. A world that would have been a lot harder to navigate if he hadn't been so willing to take her at her word. A patience she tested for two years until even he had enough of her cruelty. Perhaps if she hadn't- A new sound, Sunset looking up as a siren went off. She frowned, wondering what that was about...until she felt it. She felt a shiver go through her as the temperature dropped and she looked around as ice started to form across the wall, the structure groaning from the freeze, cracks forming from the stress. The room darkening as the ice consumed more and more of the area, the ceiling vanishing in the darkness. And the bodies... The bodies all fall and Sunset can't bite back the cry of horror as she sees the first one hit the ground with a thudding splat, the sound making her stomach roil, and she steps back, a hand over her mouth as body after body hits the ground, bones crunching and blood gushing out. The smell of rot made all the more pungent, mixed with the smell of copper, and she's shoving the gem into her bag. But most worrying of all was the door. The ice had grown thickest over the far wall, utterly encasing the door. That...that was fine, right? She could just go out the back. Her radio began to buzz. Groans started to fill the gym and with sickening dread, she turned to look at the bodies again. Broken limbs starting to twitch and writhe as the lumps of broken flesh started to move. More slapping sounds as they slipped on the ice, making it difficult to move. She turned and bolted through the curtain. She needed to leave. She could see the ice was traveling over the wall and panic filled her chest as she ran. She knew where the emergency exit was. She just needed to get there first. Her boots slipped on the ice and she yelped, falling to the ground and sliding across it with a hiss as she slams against her injured arm. She curled up for a few moments, but the buzzing was getting louder. She needed to get up. She pushed herself with a groan, grabbing a clothing rack, hissing at the cold metal. She reaches for a costume to yank closer and cover the metal as she moves up, looking to the exit, her heart falling as she sees the thick coating of ice over it. It would take so long for her to chip through it, even with the saber. There had to be a way out. Some means to escape. The buzzing was louder. She could hear thudding movement beyond the curtain. She needed to get out of sight. She grabs the costume and bites into it, tearing it in two as she turns, eyes scanning the back. Please be there, please be- There. She's wrapping her hands in the fabric as she stumbles and slides to the ladder leading up to the catwalk, scrambling to climb up. She almost slips once or twice, the ice and cloth making it hard to get a good grip, but she manages to stay on, and drag herself onto the grating. Turning back to see if she could pull the ladder up. And stopped. Staring down at the broken figures. Likely they wouldn't be able to climb the ladder. Even from here, she could see how difficult it is for them to move across the ice. With their broken limbs, their balance and ability to move is already bad, and near impossible to maintain on the ice, mostly moving forward with stumbling movements. Usually getting caught as the blood leaking from their body freezes them to the ice temporarily. But that wasn't the most disturbing thing of all. The bodies had been human. She knew that. She could even see how these bodies are meant to be human in shape. But they weren't that right now. Not simply a broken mess, but instead configured in such a way as to... Resemble ponies. It was a terrifying performance of puppetry, body twisted and distorted to match the four legged form, with extra...extra meat used to make thin arms and leg look thicker, some even having pulsing organs, and torso made so short to give it the stout appearance. The skull caved in such a way to almost seem to have a snout. She has to cover her mouth with her hands to keep from throwing up. Or screaming. Or crying. She's not entirely sure which. She shudders and its not slowly from the cold, but that is becoming a concern. She can feel the cold metal grating through her jeans. She would have to be careful to keep her skin away from it. The clothing rack had hurt to touch, it had only been fear that kept her from fully registering the pain. She grimaces, and with the...broken hybrids obviously incapable of the dexterity necessary to climb a latter, she pulled the fabric from her hands. She winces at the red marking left on her palms, but it looked like her skin was undamaged. She sighed, and tears the fabric with more precision, using it to wrap around her hands in make shift gloves so she didn't grab the metal again by mistake. She pushed herself to her feet, slowly moving along the catwalk. Watching the broken hybrids as she moved along the top of the theater, trying to see where she might go. The doors were out. The way she took in, the back entrance, the fire exits were all iced over. She looked to the windows. Could she break them? She had dismissed the idea before because of the puzzle, but that was then, and this is now. She looked around the cat walk until she sees it. A rope for one of the harnesses. She moves over there, trying to keep her steps from being too loud on the metal and pulls the end of the rope to her. Sighing in relief as she sees one of the safety harnesses on it, including the hooking mechanism. It takes a bit to untie it after she tugs off a makeshift glove, hissing as her fingers brush over metal, but she manages, and she moves to the closest point on the catwalk to one of the windows. It was likely to make sound. If she was right next to it and she couldn't safely drop to the other side, she would be too easy to corner. But if she made a fuss now, then maybe she could hide in one of the darker corners until the monsters calmed down and could approach with more stealth. This is why she needed the harness piece. It was hopefully a small enough bit of metal that it would just shatter through the window even thrown from a distance. She ties up her hand again before grabbing the hook in her dominant hand. She looked to the window. She takes a deep breath, hopes this isn't another parakeet episode, takes aim. Releases her breath. And then throws it with all her might. The hook slams squarely into the class, even on the narrower side, and Sunset is sure its a perfect shot, biting back the sound of celebration as she waits for it to shatter as the loud thud rings throughout the gym, followed by the ringing of metal on metal as it falls down to the bleachers. Then she realizes there isn't a mark on the window. Which is when another loud sound fills the gym, the broken hybrids suddenly shrieking. DESPAIRPAINSADNESSCURSEDONEDESPAIRLONELINESSREJECTIONDONOTBELONGNOTWANTEDREJECTIONREJECTIONREJECTIONLONELINESSABANDONMENTCURSEDCURSEDCURSEDCURSEDCURSEDHELPMEHELPMEHELPHELPHELPHELPHELP A shock of pain against her neck and Sunset jerks up from where she had collapsed, crying out as she feels a sting and heat at her neck. She's breathing harshly, tears stinging her cheeks from the cold, and she looks down at where her neck had been pressed against the railing and the bit of skin still sticking there. Her neck was bleeding. Superficial, but it was. Her head snapped down to the broken hybrids, watching as they were all stumbling towards the window. The window without a single mark on it. The hook had done nothing. At least...at least the creatures didn't know where she was. But now she knew they didn't need to touch her to bring her down. She absolutely couldn't be spotted. With shaking hands, she reaches into her bag, pulling out a bit of gauze from the medkit and medical tape to slap it onto her neck. She would need to give it better attention, but later. She needed to figure a way out. The doors didn't work. The windows would take a lot to shatter if they weren't outright shatter proof. How was she supposed to get out? She sat on the catwalk, shivering as the cold was starting to get to her, trying to find a way out. Doors. Windows. The vents were too high. Her eyes went down to the stage. There was a trapdoor below it. There may be more vents down there. She looked to the broken hybrids near the bleachers. Okay. She could do this. She takes a few more breathes, and pulls herself to shaky feet. She moves along the catwalk, trying to think of some way to make this less tricky. There is a sound system. Maybe there was headphones there. There was no guarantee there was a way out through the trapdoor. She's hoping for vents, but she can't be sure. The headphones could be a good back up. But wearing them also means she can't hear them moving or the radio static, and the icy room was...dark. Sunset stops at the top of the ladder. The backstage currently...LOOKS clear. But she had to be certain what she would do. She had to go to the trapdoor and she could remember where that was. She knew where the sound system was, though she'd need time to find if it had headphones. At least it wasn't the complete opposite way, just a detour. She hasn't run into more mannequins. But she hasn't been here long. There was also a chance of more sound based monsters. Music was such a large part of her life, it would make sense. She takes another shuddering breath, shivering hard. Okay. Headphones. Trapdoor. She looks around as best she can one more time before carefully climbing down. Her heart pounding in her chest, her pace slow to keep from slipping. Making sure her boot is firmly on the bar before moving her other leg, moving one hand at a time to make sure her grip is secure. Its slow. She's freezing. But she can't risk a sprained ankle now. After what feels like an eternity, she finally steps down onto the stage. The buzzing in her tote is still low. Nothing is immediately on her. She moves carefully, using her time from sneaking around the school to the fullest, moving to the sound board. Nothing is on top of it, so she has to open the drawers and cupboard, trying to keep from rustling everything until she finally find a pair buried under a mess of old wires. She grabs it. Only to find out the cord was still plugged in, and as she tugged them out, it yanks on a switch on the board. There's the sound of feedback from the speakers. The sound of a shriek- She slams them over her ears. There is still the echoes of those painful feelings, the ones that left her feeling so hollow, but she was quick enough to drown them out. But she needed to move. She was sure they were moving to the stage now, where the speakers were, and she looks to the trapdoor. She breaks into a run, slipping on the ice, but maintaining forward momentum, letting herself hit her knees at the trapdoor and throwing it open with...quite a bit of effort. It was heavier than normal, metal, and she sees the heavy chain inside. She drops down into the place beneath the stage, grabbing the chain to start tugging it closed. Only to feel resistance as she sees a handhoof grabbing onto the edge of the trap door. "No!" She shouted, and tugs harder, looking around. There! An anchoring hook in the floor. She just needed to get the chain to it. But the broken hybrid was fighting her, and even using all her body weight, it was proving difficult to overpower it. She wasn't even slamming the handhoof into the edge. If it was that strong and got a hold of her- She wrapped the chain around her injured arm, hissing at the cold metal presses against the flesh exposed under her damage sleeve, but she bites through the pain as she draws her sword and swinging up- Another burst of the pungent smell of decay as the handhoof hits the floor. Her falling without the resistance. The wire of the headphones caught at the edge of the trapdoor, tugging them off as she drops. The sound of the shrieking as the trapdoor slam shut, the rush of hollow agony through her frame and its all she can do to slam the hook onto the anchor before she blacks out. Sunset Shimmer approaches the field. Her aunt said to go out and try to socialize. She was too busy to entertain Sunset and really, its been six months, she should have made a friend by now. Sunset had never had the easiest time making friends. It was a fact she recognized rather early. A poor winner, her mom had said, with gentle admonishment. A young filly with a lot of talent and drive. She couldn't help she was smarter than her peers and wasn't some weak bookworm! Still, her mom has told her to try and win with more grace and she had been learning how to do that and had even made progress. Now though? It was...it was just hard to make friends. It was hard to smile. It was hard to be friendly. She tried. She really was. But it was hard to match the other kids' energy, to get as invested in their games. She wanted to try. She wanted to get along. There were two girls that she seems to connect to. Kiwi and Zap. They were a little older, so Sunset things it was easier to match their energy than those of her young peers. Zap was especially friendly despite...everything. She was supposed to meet with them today. They said they wanted to do a song for the talent show next month and asked Sunset if she wanted to do any special affects for the show. She had always been good with magic. Only to stop at the edge of the field. Lily Valley. Lily Valley had been the other factor that made it hard to make friends. "You're really asking her to do pyrotechnics? Are you crazy! You know what she's cursed. You're begging for it if you're asking her to do that!" Lily Valley said in a sincere panic. Which was the worst part. She wasn't saying things to be cruel, she believed her words. "Oh come on, Lily! She's really nice. A little quiet, but I mean, anypony would be quiet after what happened," Supernova Zap said. "They would if they were the cause!" Sunset felt her stomach drop. "Now you listen here!" Kiwi Lollipop snapped. "She's already going through a hard enough time! You can't just say things like that, Lily. She's not cursed, something bad just happened." "That's suspicious! She was the only pony who-" "Sunset!" Zap shouted, shoving a hoof over Lily Valley's mouth. "You're here." Sunset hesitated and approached. "...hey guys," she said quietly. "What are you talking about?" Maybe if she made Lily Valley realize how awkward this was, she'd stopped. "I was warning them-" Lily Valley started, still utterly convinced. "To not miss signs up tomorrow," Kiwi said sharply. "And then she was going home." "But-" "Go. Home." Kiwi said sharply. Lily snapped her mouth shut. She huffed and looked at Sunset. She could see the fear flicker in her eyes before she turned and fled. "...did you hear any of that?" Zap asked. Sunset looked after Lily before finally looking at the two girls who looked concerned. She shook her head. "Not really," she said. They had defended her. She...she didn't need to put more pressure on them. They looked relieved. They moved on to talking about the show. Sunset showed off what magic she could do, and it had been largely successful. Right up until the actual pyro part of the pryotechnics instead of just illusionary light. She....she doesn't know what happened. Maybe it was the stress. But she had lost control of the fire. Had set a tree ablaze. There was no damage beyond it, the adults had been quick to arrive to put it out and the girls had assured Sunset that it was all right. They could keep to the illusions. She ignored the doubt she could now see in their eyes. Author's Note I mean, there's no proof that AJ wasn't officially part of the fencing club in Queen of Clubs. Plus I always found it interesting it was Applejack who said Sunset does a nicey-nice act and then backstabs. It seemed most likely she had a first hand experience with it instead of simply knowing how Sunset operates. ...also sometimes the inspiration bat hits you years later.
Sputtering LightIt's cold. Freezing. The room was ice and her bare feet were frozen to the floor. She was freezing, the cold seeping into her bones, arms wrapped tight around herself, trying to get warm to no avail. She wanted to collapse. She dare not put more of her skin on the ice, to be frozen. She had to stand, even as she grew weaker. All she could see was a window. A young Kiwi Lollipop talking to a young Lily Valley. "Zap was saying we should." "And bring on the curse, are you kidding?" "Help! Please, help!" She shouted, straining against the ice, trying to get their attention, anything to get free, get away, pulling harder and harder, even as she feels her skin giving in before the ice- Her body ached, her side throbbing in pain. Yet the pain did nothing to stop her tears, to slow the racing of her heart. She could only be thankful the pain was enough to wake her from the nightmare she had been trapped in. She groaned as she pushed herself up from the floor. She looked around in the dim moonlight to make sure she hadn't knocked anything over in her fall. It looked like at least she hadn't brought anything down the stairs with her. She then looked over herself. No serious signs of injury, at least as far as she could tell. She slowly stood up, wincing at the aches from newly forming bruises. She stumbled to her bathroom, turning up the light with a hiss. She moved to the sink, turning on the water to splash water on her face, to get through the fog of medication and fading adrenaline. Feeling at least a little more refreshed, she looked herself over. A scrape on her arm was bleeding, but nothing major. She cleaned it before checking herself in the mirror again, to see where else she was hurt. There was a nasty bruise forming on her hip and shoulder, but no more bleeding. She headed to her mini fridge, walking around her home, illuminated in fairy lights. She opened it, looking at the small area that acted as a freezer, holding only a few instant meals and an icepack. She stared at the pack, dreading the thought of putting it on her body, but she knew it was best for the bruises. She takes a deep breath, holds it, and finally grabs it. She'd lay down on the couch and turn on her television, connecting to the internet to watch some lets plays. She needed something with energy, and humor, and didn't require a lot of thinking. She knew she wouldn't get anymore sleep tonight and needed something to soothe her nerves. And distract from the cold of the ice pack. She hadn't been sleeping well for the last few weeks. She had tried everything. She'd tried teas and yoga and ASMR. She watched funny and happy things before bed, read books, and funny comics. She changed her diet, as much as she could afford to do. Nothing worked. Night after night, she would be plagued by nightmares. She had gone to a sleepover, and not even the presence of her friends seemed able to chase the dreams away. She had woken up and barely managed to reach Pinkie PIe's trash can to throw up. She could still remember the scent of various bits of candies mixed with bile. Everyone had worried about her and she just said she had accidentally taken a bite of a beef burger that day and just had a nightmare about it. There had been a lot of comforting after that, which she appreciated. Even if that wasn't the actual problem, the love and affection from her friends, the understanding of her being upset, had helped a lot. She had thought about telling them the truth, but hadn't gotten the nerve to at the time. She had declined sleepovers after that. She had carefully applied make up to hide the bags under her eyes, and drank a ton of coffee, doing her best to keep up appearances. She knew it wasn't working as well as she would like. The others would ask if she was fine, and she'd brush them off and she seemed to be doing well enough for them to fall for it. Except Rarity. Rarity had realized just how thick her make up was. She had given Sunset the medication. "I'm not sure why you won't tell us, darling, but with how caked on that make up is, you need sleep. I took this when I was waiting for Prim Hemline to call me back after my interview. If you won't talk to us, please at least try to get a good night's sleep?" Rarity had asked, looking at her with such concern. It always left Sunset feeling weird when Rarity showed such extreme kindness to her. Respecting Sunset's desire to not talk about it, but still trying to help. Sunset was always grateful, feeling such love for her friend. It just mixed with that bitter feeling that reminded her how it had been Rarity that caused her to target her group of friends, to hurt her chances to become princess for the Spring Fling. She didn't feel she deserved it, even though she loved it. The fact the nightmares had only made what had once been a small bitterness into what it is now was just another reason to hate them. She nodded her head, taking the offered medicine. "Okay," she said softly. "Thank you." Rarity smiled, squeezing her hand. "Of course. This is what friends do." The medicine had let her fall asleep easily, at least. Not filled with terror and anxiety like she had been the past week. But it hadn't chased away the dreams. Instead she had been stuck in the dreams, playing on and on even as fear consumed her. Until finally she had apparently tried to sleepwalk. And fell right down the stairs from her loft bed. The pain had been enough to wake her despite the drugs in her system. Sunset sighed, rubbing at her face. She was tired. She wanted nothing more than to sleep, but at this rate, her body would give before the nightmares. She had to do something. Anything. Over and over. The sound of eggs hitting the ground. Over and over. Eggs hit the ground. The sound of crying creatures echo around. She managed another half hour. She skips getting breakfast. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything important," Sunset said. "Just paperwork, but Spike said I should take a break. I think he had just left to make me a snack to guilt me into it," Twilight said with a sheepish look as her levitation shuffled away her papers to make room on the desk. "Though I'm not sure how much free time I have today..." "You are running a school. It looks really nice though. There were an awful lot of smiling faces when I came in," Sunset said. Twilight beamed at that. "Isn't it amazing? I mean, I know I've always been good at the academic, but I never imagined I could make so many creatures genuinely happy, who want to be here, and care about this school," she said, positively glowing. She looked so happy. So much more together than the pony who had doubted her ability when they first met, who struggled under the pressure to always have the answers. And if her emotional intelligence had started anywhere near the human Twilight's, it really was an amazing achievement. She looked so happy, it made Sunset hesitate to tell her about her troubles. "But what about you, Sunset? Why the visit?" Twilight asked as she settled in her chain again. She knew Twilight would lose that smile if she told her. Tried to explain her troubles, but she hadn't been able to sleep for so long. She had to do something, anything. "Well, I-" Sunset started. "Twilight, you really should take a break before this tea over s-oh. Sunset Shimmer, hi!" Spike said, wheeling in a cart with tea and muffins on it. "Guess I don't have to trick you to take a break in the name of not ruining tea, huh?" Twilight laughed shyly. "No, not this time," she said as he wheeled the cart over. "And I was thinking about taking a break anyway." "Uh huh," Spike said with a disbelieving look and then looking at Sunset. "How's everyone back in the other world?" He asked. Sunset smiled, trying to hold back the dread growing in the pit of her stomach. "They've been doing well. Nothing weird since the Time Twirler incident," she said. Except her nightmares. "Can you get us a spare cup, Spike? We can catch up together," Twilight said. Spike nodded, scampering off as Twilight looked at Sunset again. "So no magical problem? Then why are you here?" She asked, looking curious. Sunset wanted to tell the truth, but she felt the words stuck in her throat now. She couldn't get them out to explain. To ask for help. Because asking for help means explaining which means dashing the happiness radiating from Twilight. "Hey, nothing wrong with wanting to see my friend in person, right?" She asked. "So tell me more about the school," she said with a smile, ignoring the gnawing feeling of guilt as Twilight accepted her words and began to gush about her school. Twilight was a bust. But there was another option. "Come in," Starlight called through the door. Sunset slipped inside, making sure the door was shut tight as Starlight gasped behind her. "Sunset Shimmer!" Starlight said, hurrying from around her desk to hug her friend. Sunset returned the hug, being careful to not overbalance. It was always hard to get reused to her hooves again. Honestly, she doesn't know why she didn't come to Starlight first. The dread she felt approaching Twilight was so much less so with Starlight. Probably because if anyone would understand, it would be the other unicorn. Starlight pulled back. And paused. She frowned, looking closer at her face, causing Sunset to lean back. "Uh....?" "You're wearing make up," Starlight said. "Pretty heavy make up. Almost as good as when I had to hide my Cutie Mark from my village," she said. "....you and Rarity know way too much about make up," Sunset said. "Experience is a good teacher," Starlight said, leaning back. "What are you trying to hide?" Sunset sighed, stepping around Starlight and grabbing a tissue from Starlight's desk with her magic, pulling it closer to wipe away as much as the make up as she could without water, turning to Starlight. She sat down as she gestured to her face. "...when was the last time you slept?" Starlight asked, staring at the deep eyebags under the other pony's eyes. "Last night, but I haven't gotten a full night's sleep since the festival where we found the Time Twirler," Sunset said. "And with the time dilation....oh, wow, that's been a while. No wonder you're wearing so much make up," Starlight said, guiding Sunset to a seat to slump down in. "Do you know why?" "Nightmares. Pretty constant, persistent ones," Sunset said, accepting the blanket that Starlight had draped over her. She had a feeling this isn't the first time she's tried to just ready someone for sleep because they didn't know how to quit. She even accepted the stuffed bear being gently pressed into her arms. Front legs. Whatever. "I'm guessing you tried all the solo ways to help? Change of diet, exercise, relaxation?" Starlight asked, holding up the tea kettle in question. Sunset pondered a moment and nodded her head. At least the tea helps her nerves. "Yeah. Even tried medication humans have, a lot more potent than what ponies have without being magically induced. Just made it so I couldn't wake up from the nightmare," Sunset said. Starlight grimaced at that. "That sounds horrible." "It is. Only woke up when I tried to sleepwalk down my stairs," Sunset said, holding the bear closer. "Fine, obviously, even if I got a nasty bruise from it." "So is this you're trying counseling visit or hope Princess Luna can do something when you sleep here visit?" Starlight asked. "Because you should probably try to talk to her in Canterlot first, so she knows to check on you." The thought of Princess Luna doing anything in her dreams nearly causes her to strangle the stuffing out of the bear. "No! No, I wasn't....I wasn't looking for Princess Luna," Sunset said, swallowing hard. "And I'm...I'm not sure if counseling can help." "Why not?" Starlight asked, sorting through her tea options. Sunset looked down at the floor. "Because....because it's not like....I don't shy away from....from what I've done," she said. "I don't. I know I was wrong, and I did bad things, I've made peace with all that-" "Have you?" Starlight said questioningly. "Of course I have!" Sunset said, raising a hoof in the air. Starlight just gave her a searching look and Sunset sighed. "And even if there was some hang up, I don't....I don't think it'd result in these kind of nightmares..." she said, slumping back. "Then what were you thinking?" Starlight asked. "....there's a spell I remember. From my studies," Sunset said. "There's a few dream spells, but it was one that was said to help particularly bad cases. If you couldn't find a cause and would help quicken the recovery time." "Are you sure that's wise? This kind of thing takes time, doesn't it?" Starlight asked. "I mean, it's basically what my powers do. They let me understand someone's problem completely so I can help them. This problem just...let's me do it for myself," Sunset said. Starlight hummed, tapping a hoof to her chin in thought as the kettle whistled and she poured the tea. "Do you remember the spell?" "It's called the Mind Delve. As long as I'm remembering right, the book is ‘Dreams: A Psychological Understanding.' It's something like that," Sunset said. Starlight paused at that. "You remember that after all these years?" She asked, hovering the tea over to Sunset. Sunset shrugged. "I've always been good at memorizing things. That's how I got through the time loop, just memorized everything I thought was important, and spells were important," she said. "Not to mention learn everything I needed to pass for a regular High School Student. Cut it real close with History." Starlight whistled. "That's a good point," she said and shook her head with a sigh. "You know, it's a real shame you, Twilight, and me didn't know each other as foals. We probably could have made magical history. Well, more than we have already. If Earth ever records your magical findings," she said. Sunset chuckled. "Let's be fair, we would have torn each other apart," she said. "Yeah, probably," Starlight said. "Are you sure about this?" Sunset nodded. "The problem is, I can't see the sources for the dreams, not exactly. If I could get a clear picture, then maybe I can find something that does help. But I can't exactly use my geode on myself," she said. Starlight still looked uncertain, but sighed. "All right. I'll go retrieve the book. You try and relax here, okay? You look like you're about to fall over." Sunset nodded. "I will," she said, bringing the tea closer to take a sip. Starlight left to head to the library and Sunset waited, curled up in the chair. Warm and rather cozy, relieved that maybe, maybe something will work. Laughter ripped from burning lungs as the world burned around her. The world was full of noise, from her mania, the crackle of flames, and the screams of the burning buildings around her. A hand grabs at her skirt and she looked down to see Juniper, looking no older than ten, half her body burned. "H....help....help..." She begged. She reached down to take Juniper's hand, lifting her up. "Don't worry," she cooed. "Your suffering ends now," she said, her other clawed hand lashing out and slitting her neck. She felt the blood spray against her skin. Then things were dark. Cold. There was crying. "Why....?" A weak voice called. "Why did you do all this?" Rarity was in the corner, clothes shredded, bruised and bleeding, looking at Sunset with wide, wet eyes. "Oh, Rarity. It's simple," Sunset said, reaching out to touch her cheek with gentleness. "It's because I can. You see, you're weak. The only time you have power is when you have others with you. As soon as they're gone, you're nothing," she said. Rarity sobbed. "J-just because you can doesn't mean you should! They were important to you! How could-how could you-to them-to me?" "Because this is how it was always going to be, but don't worry, Rarity. I'm not a monster. I'll make it quick." Sunset awoke with a jolt as the door slammed open. "If you want to talk about future career options, please schedule an appointment in advance! I'm with someone!" Starlight called before quickly shutting the door behind her with a sigh. "Seriously, you'd think if they were that worried, they wouldn't schedule last minute," she said with a huff as she moved over towards Sunset. Pausing as she saw her on the ground. "Uh. You okay?" "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine," Sunset said, quickly sitting up. "You're crying," Starlight pointed out. Sunset quickly wiped at her face. "I just...I fell asleep," she said. "Oh. Wow, that is serious, I was only gone twenty minutes," Starlight said, offering up her tissues to let Sunset wipe her face. "Yeah. Yeah, they are," she muttered. "Well, I found the spell. Are you sure you don't want to try anything else first? Some of these spells can let me see nightmares, maybe I could do what you do?" Starlight asked. The very thought made Sunset want to throw up. Murder amongst ponies was a rare thing. Even Sunset, in all her megalomania, never had an actual bloodthirst, not until she had put on Twilight's crown. Hadn't wanted to burn anyone alive like she had in her dreams. Exposing Starlight to that impulse was the last thing she wanted to do. "No. I think the Mind Delve is our best best." Starlight huffed, but nodded. "If you think this will help, then we'll give it a shot. What's the worse that can happen?" She said, opening the book. "You're right. It's recommended for patients whose nightmares that are persistent with no obvious root cause and can help accelerate recovery in extreme cases. And it's pretty simple to cast. Are you ready?" Sunset nodded. "Yeah. As ready as I'll ever be," she said. "Okay," Starlight said, reading over the spell again and gathering the magic in her horn, before tapping Sunset's forehead. It's a sensation somewhat akin to when Sunset sees someone's memory. The feeling of being thrown into another time and place, seeing things through anothers eyes, minus the feelings, and far more disorientating. Instead of going from point A to point B, it feels she's been jerked this way and that, hitting points L D F Z until she's finally at B. She stumbles several steps, falling to her knees. Her human knees. Looking up and finding herself in Canterlot High School's library. Everything seemed fine, just dark. Thanks to the thick fog she could see outside the window, more than likely. She slowly got to her feet, looking around. "Hello?" She called, listening for any response. She hadn't been sure what she was expecting. Maybe something much like her powers, leading her through whatever memories she needed to understand what her issues was, much like it did for others. Perhaps a visit into her mindscape, but that....didn't feel quite like this was it. Usually a mindscape should have things that represent her and while she could see CHS being part, she didn't think it'd be this....simple. At least a fusion with Canterlot's library instead of just the school's. Something pony and human. She walked around, looking for signs of movement or anything strange when she spots it on the table. Her tote bag. She moved to it quickly, opening it, expecting her usual items. Instead, all she sees is a flashlight and a portable radio, much like one she had won in a bet her first week on Earth. Listening to the radio to try and learn more about the place she had found herself in. Odd as it was, she decided it was best to keep her bag with her, heading out of the library to see if she could find anyone else. Walking the deserted halls, starting to notice a few oddities. Lockers were left open, posters peeling from the wall, not quite up to standard. Odd. But nothing too noteworthy. Then she reached the main hall. Seeing a large, wrought iron gate over the front doors, blocking her way out.
SparkingSunset pulled hard at the iron gates to no avail. She sighed after a few more tugs before looking them over more closely. They were locked tight and surprisingly sturdy compared to usual school locks. What was truly odd was the fact there wasn't even an obvious keyhole. All there was, were three recesses that seemed like they were supposed to have something. A seven petal flower, a kite, and a circle. She couldn't find a way to really manipulate whatever mechanism there might be to unlock the door. But it was the only clue she had to go off of for finding a way to open the door. There was something about the shapes that were familiar though. She just couldn't put her finger on what. She sighed, looking around the main hall. Now that she was really paying attention, it wasn't just the school was dark and a little disarrayed, it also seemed....old. Worn. Even the wall by the front door showed signs of age even though she just rebuilt it shortly after the Fall Formal. She's passed this spot hundreds of times, and the paint never quite matched the old wall, but now it all seemed weathered the same. If this place was her mindscape, it was even odder. Old and worn out isn't something she'd usually apply to her own brain. So what was the deal? She sighed, looking at the door. Logically, she could probably just break a window and be done with it, but she supposed if the Mind Delve decided to give her a puzzle, she should solve it. It's not like she had any better ideas. She looked towards a bulletin board nearby. She pulled off the school map, usually left up for guests, and took a pen leftover for signs up for play auditions. Another oddity she noted was the auditions for Bedazzled, the school play her friends and she had all helped put on. "Is it because it's my mind?" She murmured. Probably. It made the most sense, remnants from a memory. She took a look around the main hall, but upon seeing nothing else out of place, she decided to begin her search of the school, ready to mark off rooms. She imagined it'd take a while to make it through everything. And found out it may not take near as long as she feared. Mostly because as soon as she tried opening up classrooms, she would often find doors were jammed shut. She tested the first few, thinking maybe the door was sticking, but no amount of throwing her shoulder into it or pulling on the doorknob got any results. She hoped that meant it'd save her time and that what she needed wasn't stuck behind one of those doors. She'd continue on, testing doors, pushing open doors of open lockers, and marking off what she'd look into. There was little of note until she came across something odd in one of the lockers. She was sure she was imagining it, pulling it out to have a closer look. "You must pay more attention to your surroundings, Sunset Shimmer," Celestia said, pressing the wet compress to the burn on Sunset's hoof. "Hold that a moment," she advised. Sunset did as instructed, letting her own magic hold it as her mentor looked for something. It was harder than it would be normally, with the pain throbbing through her leg, but not beyond her. "I didn't realize how hot it had gotten," Sunset said, voice tight with pain. As soon as Celestia found what she was looking for, she took over again and floated over a brown bottle. "Drink this," she said, unscrewing the lid. "I know you're used to heat, but that's all the more reason to be mindful. Just because Philomena doesn't burn you doesn't make you immune to fire." "I know, I know," Sunset muttered as she drank the medicine with a grimace. "Ugh. What is that?" "A drink made from a Zebra recipe. It won't heal your burn, but it'll relieve the pain and boost your own system. It should make our trip to the hospital far less painful for you," Celestia said. "I guess there's some crossover," Sunset said as she stared at the Heath Drink. It certainly wasn't something in the human world, any drinks for generic 'health' would usually have some trendy name and rarely be anything effective. But she remembered this bottle, she was sure it was the one from Equestria. She wasn't sure why it was here, but she figured it wouldn't hurt to take with her, putting it in her tote bag before moving on. Trying to focus on the task at hand. It was just...it had been some time since she had even thought about Philomena. She wondered if the phoenix was all right. Obviously, still alive, she was sure nothing would happen to her in Celestia's care. But...she had to wonder if the phoenix had missed her. She hadn't even said good-bye before she came to the human world. And she had barely been able to talk to Celestia for the sake regaining the memories of her friends. Let alone to even think about asking after the phoenix. Maybe she'd have the nerve once she was done with this. She knew her mentor has forgiven her, but that hadn't made talking to her that much easier. She was just no longer worried she'd be thrown into the dungeon forever. She shook her head. "Focus, Sunset Shimmer," she muttered, trying another door, not truly surprised when it opened. If this place was running on her memories at all, it made sense this door would open. It was the music room, after all. What she wasn't expecting, however, were all the mannequins. She stepped back to check that it was indeed the music room before looking inside again. She should see the steps and speakers of the room. Some of the instruments. It did seem to be the music room, just with... Mannequins. Sure, there's been one or two dressforms for Rarity to do outfit work while they were working on Rainboom things, but not a full form mannequin like these. Well, like these if they were in good shape. Most of them were obviously old and damaged. Missing parts of their limbs, pieces barely hanging on, blank faced heads partially caved in. And the clothes were damaged, tattered and dirty. No, definitely not the kind of handiwork that'd come from Rarity. It was all very....creepy. But it was the first room she'd managed to open, so she ventures in to look around. Checking around the mannequins and to see if they were wearing any jewelry, looking behind instruments, and inside the piano. It's not until she gets to the windows on the other side of the room that she finally sees it. A flower shaped piece of jewelry. Gold for the petals and a red gem in the middle. It was familiar to her. Very familiar. "Wait. Isn't this from my first crown?" She said aloud. Except instead of being cheap plastic, it look like it might have been real metal and a gem, or at least glass. A light static fills the air. Either way, it's the right shape and she picks it up. A familiar sensation hitting her as she makes contact, though instead of it feeling like she was seeing something in her mind, the light seemed to spread around her, filling and changing the room to show the memory from the object. "I'm not sure I'm up for this," Sunset said, looking down at the simple white dress she was wearing, playing with the end of the skirt. Fingers were still so weird to her. She had to constantly practice to get used to them, to not stand out. A dance was the last thing she wanted to try and navigate. How did humans even dance in group settings? "Hey, come on. It won't be that bad, Sunset," Flash Sentry said, putting a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it gently. "Somehow, I doubt that," Sunset said, looking up with a frown. Flash chuckled. "You always do. And yet you've admitted some of the places I've dragged you to have been fun." Sunset hummed, looking away. "....concerts are different. Everyone's too busy looking at the stage to notice how stiff I am." "To be fair, everyone knows you've been through physical therapy," Flash said. "Because you have to call me coma girl," Sunset shot back. "Only because you call me guitar boy. I'm not even sure you knew my name for three weeks." Okay, she hadn't. She hadn't been overly invested in learning who people were. "I can't help you're married to your guitar," Sunset said instead. Flash shrugged. "Fair enough," he said. He then moved his hand away from her shoulder to open the glove box. "I know you're still not good with crowds, so I got you something," he added, holding out a box to her. Sunset looked at it in confusion before taking it and opening it. Her eyes widened in surprise at earrings in the shape of her cutie mark. "How did you-" "You always wear the shirt with that emblem when you know you're going into an uncomfortable situation," Flash answered. Sunset stared at him and there was that feeling again. The one that made her face heat up, and her heart feel tight in her chest. Stupid boy. Stupid boy and being so....so sweet and nice! It could never work. She knows it can't. He's a human, she's a pony. She's going home in a few years! But still....still, sometimes she wonders. "....you sappy nerd," Sunset said, looking away from his bright smile, taking out the earrings. It takes a few tries for her to get them in her ears, pierced on a dare, but Flash patiently gives her time to figure it out. "One hour. If this isn't at least a little fun in an hour, we're leaving," she said. "If you want," Flash said, but he still looks so pleased as he gets out of the car, moving to the other side to open her door for her and help her out. She doesn't need the help so much these days, but it's a habit he doesn't seem inclined to get rid of. Flash leads her into the school and to the gymnasium. The whole place is lit up with multicolored lights and streamers and balloons. It's not like the grand galas she's used to, but it has a certain charm to it. Flash keeps close to her. She's hesitant to dance alone at first, usually only going along when Flash has a reason to lead her in some moves, but eventually she relaxes and starts moving on her own. She never gets as enthusiastic as some people around, and Flash seems to go out of his way to dance like a fool when she's uncomfortable to get a laugh from her. Before she knows it, hours have passed and they're announcing the Fall Formal Princess. Sunset doesn't even pay it any mind, instead going for some punch because why does she care about a popularity contest. Until her name is announced. She stops short, punch halfway to her mouth, staring at the stage because there's no way she heard that right. Flash gently takes her punch. "Go on up, Sunset," he said gently. Sunset numbly walks up to the stage, to the woman who looks so much like Celestia. She bows her head to take the crown and looks out at the crowd cheering for her. For her. They wanted her as their princess. A hand reached up to touch her crown, to make sure it was real, a smile spreading across her face in wonder because they wanted her as their princess. She hadn't imagined she'd ever win. It had seemed like a dumb, inane thing at the time. It's not like anyone would really appreciate her. She only signed up to get Flash to stop bugging her about it. And now she was here. She was selected. She left the stage as the princess' dance was announced and she grabbed Flash's hand as they moved to the spotlight for their dance. Her self doubts about her movement couldn't even plague her now. She couldn't get her smile to fade at all. "I told you people liked you," Flash said as they danced under the ever shifting lights of the Fall Formal. Sunset couldn't stop the smile that had been plastered on her face since her name was announced. She had honestly thought it was a dumb thing, signing up, but Flash had said it might be fun. She never imagined she'd win, especially when she hadn't been trying. "Fine, fine, I guess you're right," she said. "This time." She added with a teasing smirk. Flash chuckled. "Hey, just because you're finally adjusting to life again doesn't mean I have to be wrong all the time, Coma Girl," he said. "Please don't call me that. I think I much prefer Princess Sunset as a nickname if anything is going to catch," she said. Part of her wondered if she was voted for out of pity. She pushed the thought from her mind. "It is a pretty good name," Flash said, dipping Sunset and actually getting a laugh out of her. "Congratulations, Princess Sunset Shimmer." Sunset just smiled wider. She could really get used to that. Sunset breathed in sharply. The static of the radio was starting to get louder, but Sunset doesn't pay attention, not quite yet. Not after that. It had been her first Fall Formal. She had arrived the spring before, managed to adjust herself to the human world, but everyone had heard about her cover story. She had to explain why she was terrible at things like basic movement and common knowledge. Extreme hospitalization seemed the best way to go. Recovering from muscle atrophy and brain damage, of course she had been struggling. It had worked. It had even brought her time to find a way to figure out the paperwork. Just needed a little more time to remember to bring it, that's all. Just look broken hearted if asked about guardians and people hesitated to ask deeper questions. As long as she made everything look fine on paper, then she was able to play off the rest. She was also pretty sure she had been voted princess of the Fall Formal out of pity for that. She had been more focused on trying to catch up and not look like a constant idiot over socializing. The static grew louder. Flash probably went out of his way to get people to think to vote for her. Wanting to make her feel better. He had always been kind, far too kind for the likes of her, but even if that first crown had led her down a bad path, the memory was still... It was still a happy one. That night had been such a good one. So much praise and a lot of fun. It had been the first party in a long time that had been about fun instead of formal social gatherings for school and Celestia. She wonders what it might have been like, if she hadn't let that pure happiness get tainted the way she did? She sighed, putting the jewel piece in her bag, reaching for the radio to see why it was buzzing when she heard a creak behind her, glancing up. A mannequin was right behind her and it's segmented hand grabbed her elbow. HATEPAINHURTWHYWHYWHYWHYBETRAYALGUILTLIESLIESLIESHOWDARESHEHEGOAWAYDISAPPEARLEAVELEAVELEAVEHOWCOULDSTOPITSTOPSTOPSTOPSTOPSTOPSTOP!!!! The rush of negative emotions was intense, driving Sunset to her knees, barely enough mental focus for her to jerk her arm away as tears sprung to her eyes from the sudden flood. It was like every negative feeling had poured into her head, leaving her struggling to get a hold of herself as she slumped back against the wall. "W-why?" She gasped, looking up through her tears, breathing labored as she tried to get a decent breath. Her eyes widened in horror as she understood what was in front of her. She saw one of the mannequins. Blank face staring down at her, one hand outstretched and the other was....it was like it was broken. The shoulder was half busted off, hanging more off its back then it's side. Which made it moving that arm look unnatural, disjointed, arm moving up more like a scorpion's tail then a proper arm. And the end of that arm was broken off, leaving it jagged and sharp and it drives that arm down right for Sunset Shimmer. Sunset barely manages to push herself from the wall, lunging across the floor to get out of the way. The Mannequin misses it's mark for Sunset's heart, but any doubt of the broken arm's sharpness vanishes when she feels the broken material slash across her arm, pain burning across the length of it. The Mannequin was turning to come after her, and there was more movement in the room. She had to run. She was already on the verge of being a wreck, she couldn't handle whatever....this was. She keeps low to the ground. There were at least two other Mannequins alive amongst the others, each with a similar broken arm hanging more off it's back, heading for her. She feels the blades arms swipe over her head as she half crawls, half lunges across the ground to get away from the...from the monsters that were trying to hurt her. Kill her. The room was filled with the static of the radio, the creaking of artificial limbs, and her own choked breathing. Never before had the music room felt so big. A Mannequin lunges for her, the good hand outstretched and no, she can't be touched again. If she had another emotional onslaught like before, she wouldn't be able to run, the other two would get her for sure. She grabs an acoustic guitar from the wall she finds herself against, throwing it up in defense as the Mannequin's hand slams into it with a distorted screech of the guitar strings as the fingers get tangled in them. She braces her foot against the head of the guitar, kicking hard to force the Mannequin into one of the other two. They tumbled with a crash and Sunset moved. There was still a third after her, managing to avoid her throwing back the piano stool, but it gives her enough time to get closer to the door. It's getting closer and she's not sure she'll make it. She takes a risk, grabbing the arm of another mannequin and she's relieved there's no emotional attack from this one as she spins on her knees and throws it at the other to knock it down. The other two are getting up. She makes a scrambling dash to the door, grabbing the knob and throwing open the door before falling through the doorway and slamming the door shut behind her. She holds it shut, twisting the knob to make sure the tab was firmly in the slot, still on her knees, breathing hard and fast. The static of her radio quieting down quicker than her racing heart. She waited for the monster to come, taking the few seconds to get air in her lungs, to blink away the tears, trying to think of what to do, hoping the door is sturdy enough to hold them back. They didn't seem particularly strong, she should be able to hold them back. Except nothing came. No attempt at the door knob, no thud against the door, not even the sound of movement from in the room. It was... Odd. Sunset Shimmer had been on numerous magical adventures, on Earth, and back in Equestria when she was Celestia's protege. She's been chased by monsters and this silence wasn't normal. It was like they were gone as soon as she closed the door. Sunset bit her lip, slowly letting go of the doorknob, wiping at her face to clear her eyes. Still with no sign of the monsters. She pushed herself to her feet. The monsters, the odd Mannequinn's, hadn't attacked right away. Only after...after the static had started. Which was now dying down. Was the radio the thing that caused them to move? Or had it been a warning? She stared intently at the door, grabbing the door knob again and carefully, slowly, opened the door just enough to see inside. Ready to slam it shut again, but she had to know what was happening. The Mannequin was only a few steps from the door, good hand still outstretched. Like it really froze in place the moment she had closed the door. The door shifted, creaking just a bit, and it's face moved to look at her the same moment the radio static came to life. It jerked forward. She slammed the door shut. The radio silenced a moment later. Then quietly, carefully moved away from the door. So. Evil Mannequin. With stabby arms and the ability to force negative emotions into her if she let's them touch her. Maybe just their hands, but it's not something she wants to test. They also seemed to respond to sound. And her radio responded to them moving. Was it just the Mannequins? Or would it be all threats? Were there more threats? "Okay, priorities, Sunset," Sunset Shimmer said to herself, looking down at her arm with a grimace. The cut along the length of her forearm was shallow, at least enough where the bleeding was slowing, but she needed to take care of it. To avoid infection or it getting worse. The nurse's office wasn't far. She was far more cautious opening this door, looking around for any Mannequins or odd creatures before stepping inside. As she looked through the cabinets and drawers, however, the sense of dread the monstrous encounter had started, was growing exponentially. She knew the school tried to keep on top of these supplies, especially after magic had started to crop up. Considering there's been more than one explosion at the school, it was an understandable precaution to have an extra stocked nurse's office. But now, so much of the room was bare. Even after looking through everything, she had only found another two Health Drinks, a medkit, and a few other odds and ends. More than enough to treat her arm now, but hardly the norm for it and she worried why that was. "Arm first," she told herself, to keep herself focused. At least the water worked and she could clean up her arm and wrap it up with some bandages. She pondered a Health Drink, but ultimately, the pain wasn't too bad, and not something that hindered her. And she didn't know if maybe she'd need them later. That was her second priority, deciding how to go forward. She had been attacked. By monsters that had wanted to do her harm. She knew her mindscape may have been a bit of a mess, but nothing so hostile. Nothing so dangerous. Perhaps it was naive to be so hopeful, but she had been in such a better place for so long, she didn't think anything like this would be here. One part of her wanted to think there was no danger, it'd be like a dream. But psychic deaths were not impossible, and she doesn't know enough about the Mind Delve to be sure it wouldn't have some kind of psychic backlash if she died here. Most mental magics were tricky things as is. They were difficult spells to master and even then, it was hard to get anything useful if the pony was an unwilling subject. It was hard even when they were a willing subject if they didn't know exactly what to think about. And there's been more than one brain fried because someone had been reckless trying to craft a better spell for such things. Her magic was very much an exception and not the rule. The Power of Friendship indeed. "Okay, there's monsters here, so we know it's dangerous," she muttered. Which changed her willingness to go along with the Mind Delve's weirdness immensely. It's one thing to go on a weird magical mental journey when things are weird, it's a whole other thing when there was coinflip that she could end up dead. She needed to end the spell, reaching up to grab her geode. And froze as she found it was gone. She looked down, checking her pockets and looking around her for a sign of the necklace to no avail. Did she lose it? Did she not even have it when she came here? Actually, what happens to her geode when she comes to Equestria anyway? She had often wondered where her clothes had come from when she arrived in the human world, but the weird thing was it wasn't like everything disappeared. If she wore a bag, that stayed with her. The same with the false crown. She took the book back to Earth no problem. But when she first met Starlight, talked to Celestia, the whole thing over spring break. Even just today, she had been wearing her geode when she went through the portal, but it had been gone when she arrived in Equestria. Was it just...inside her? Like her clothes probably were? Was it the geode was bound to Earth, to be a protective magic? Did she still have that magic or was it gone? She had to try. Sitting down, clasping her hands together, focusing on that feeling she'd been getting used to over the months. That feeling of reaching out, making a connection. It should be easier, Starlight should already be connected to her. She was powering the Mind Delve, it should be as simple as finding that connection. "Come on, come oooon, Starlight Glimmer..." Sunset murmured, trying to sense something, anything at all. After a few minutes, there was a loud groan of frustration and Sunset kicked the wall. "You have to be kidding me. This should be simple for me!" She yelled at the ceiling, slumping forward. She let herself wallow in her frustration for a minute, cursing fate and stupid magical physics. "Okay. So, no geode. Probably no mental magic at all," she said. She had never been particularly good at those mind spells as a unicorn either, at least not while learning under Celestia. "Though I guess it doesn't matter when all the memories I'd be seeing are mine." It's not like it's loss is a big disadvantage here because of that fact. No, the only problem was she couldn't contact Starlight Glimmer. Still, the thought of being without the geode was...sad. Having reliable, stable magic after several years of not had been nice. It had helped her feel more sure in herself. No, she couldn't linger on that. As it stood, she was stuck in the Mind Delve spell until she could find a way to end it from in here. Until then, she had to assume that if she died here, she could really die. Especially when this spell didn't even have a safety of contacting the caster built in. If something as simple as that wasn't covered, she couldn't rely on the fact there was protection from accidentally frying her brain. She could afford to be wrong on that fact, not so much the other way. And there were monsters here. She wasn't sure how many or how dangerous, but at least the Mannequins seemed intent on hurting her. She couldn't just rely on running away, no, not when a simple touch could bring her to her knees. Before she went any further, she needed a weapon. Author's Note Did I start a horror story to write up a bunch of disjointed headcanon scenes about Sunset Shimmer? Maybe.
SundogsThe gym was filled with the sounds of metal hitting metal, the swishing of the springy material of fencing foils. Sunset was breathing hard, her arms shaking, legs sore, but walking away from her opponent to get back to her starting position. "Hold on there, sugarcube," Applejack said, grabbing her shoulder before she got too far. "Ah think you could use a break. You're startin' to shake." "No, no, I almost have it-" Sunset protested. Applejack shook her head, pulling off Sunset's helmet and pushing her towards the stands. "All the more reason to take a break now. It'll be a lot easier to get it when your nerves are settled." "My nerves are fine," Sunset muttered, but it was hard to disagree when Applejack was pushing. She didn't have enough steadiness to really push back. "Uh huh. Trust me, Ah know what Ah'm talkin' about," Applejack said, finally getting her to sit before walking away. Soon enough, she was back with a bottle of water for each of them. "Didn't run off, huh?" "....maybe I needed a break," Sunset said, taking the offered bottle and opening it and downing a good half of it. "You know, Ah'd have thought you'd be better about this," Applejack said, sitting down beside her, pulling off her helmet to start drinking herself. "What do you mean?" Sunset asked. "The physical therapy? Rarity said you were in some kinda coma?" "Oh. Yeah, right." "Ain't it a little early to be pushing it?" She asked in concern. Sunset stared at the floor. "Doctors said I was fine. All it was now was getting up to speed," she said. "And fencing is up to speed?" Applejack asked, raising an eyebrow. "Footwork combined with precise arm movements," she said and shrugged. "And less likely to drag down a team, I just have to worry about my own scores instead of messing up someone else. I have to say I'm surprised though. Aren't you a bit huckleberry to be a fencer?" She raised an eyebrow, putting enough snark in her tone to not be outright insulting. Applejack laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck. "Yeah, fencing is considered pretty fancy for a sport," she admitted. "It's kind of a leftover from my rebellious phase. Wanted to be fancy like my cousins, the Oranges. Even lived with 'em for a few weeks. Did all Ah could to fit in. Tried to change my accent, dressed up more fancy, tried to do anything that made me look like Ah belonged. That's when I started fencing." "What changed your mind?" Sunset asked. "Believe it or not? Rainbow Dash. Not that we knew it at the time. The school has something a little like the friendship games. Whole fair with stalls and events and sports games with other schools competing. Whole day was pretty wild. The animals got loose from the petting zoo and costumes for a performance got set on fire and something about a dog having puppies. Didn't see a lot of that, but I remember seeing the relay race. One of the racers was covered head to toe in mud and feathers, everyone around me was mocking her, saying she shouldn't have showed up. But I could see it. She was the fastest one of her team. If she hadn't showed up, there was no way they coulda won. But to everyone around me, that wasn't important. It was all about how she looked," Applejack said. "Couldn't stand the snobs, huh?" Sunset asked. Applejack shrugged. "Those folks had some different values, that's for sure. Ah get how you look can be important, but Ah realized it wasn't to me. And that's what it all was with the Oranges. How Ah looked, the airs Ah gave off. Ah wasn't happy like that, so Ah went home," she said. "A few weeks ago, Rainbow Dash was showing off pictures and realized she was the dirty feather racer. It was a pretty funny coincidence." "It is pretty funny. But if anyone could have that happen, you guys would somehow affect each other before knowing each other," Sunset said with an amused laugh. "And the fencing?" "Change of pace," she said. "It was pretty fun when Ah did it and its nice to do something where Ah can just focus on how Ah'm doing alone instead of making sure a whole process is running smoothly for a lot of people. Like ya said, individual score." "Even if it means training disaster newbies?" Sunset asked, raising an eyebrow with a smirk. Applejack laughed. "Ah wouldn't say disaster. Just a little green, you'll get there," she said, lightly punching Sunset's arm. "At least you're humble enough to listen." "What can I say, I'm eager to learn," Sunset said with a smile, rubbing her arm. "Ah can tell," Applejack said with a grin. "How about Summer?" "Summer?" Sunset said questioningly. "Oh! Right, Summer. What about Summer?" "How are ya going to keep up this self enforced Physical Therapy? Far as I know, none of the training camps happen until August." Sunset looked down at the ground, frowning. "Guess I just practice the forms on my own." "Good way to get into bad habits that. Here just long enough to get them down enough to get them wrong. Tell you what, you can come by my place to practice. Ah'm pretty busy on the farm, but an hour in the evening a few times a week couldn't hurt," Applejack said. Sunset looked up with wide eyes. "You'd do that?" She asked, looking a bit gobsmacked. Then she frowned. "Why?" "'Cause you're as competitive as a horse after the last apple," Applejack said. "I'm not like a horse at all!" Sunset protested, loud enough to get a few glances their way. She slumps down, face going red. "....it was just a metaphor, Sunset. I'm saying ya don't like losin', even when you know ya shouldn't be able to win," Applejack said, giving her an odd look before finishing off her water. "...that's still not why," Sunset said sulkily. "I mean, what are you getting out of teaching me?" "That's what friends are for," Applejack said. "Though if you don't like that answer, could always help with the last few hours of the day or something," she offered. A way to spare Sunset's pride. Sunset saw it as something else. "....yeah, that sounds fair enough," she said. She preferred knowing what people wanted of her. "It's a deal then," Applejack said before finishing off her water. "Feeling better?" "Yeah, a lot. I guess you were right." "Told ya. Like telling it like it is. Let's see if ya can get it this time," Applejack said, pulling on her helmet as they returned to the mats. Sunset carefully crept by the music room, listening to the radio for any static, or movement from inside. She did her best to not cause a sound until she was passed the music room. She knew the room she wanted and she just hoped it was unlocked. She tried it and is relieved as it opens and she slips inside, pulling out her flashlight to see in the darkened room. Sunset needed a weapon. Something that could grant her distant. Something blunt like a baseball bat wouldn't do, not without experience. What she does know how to do, is fence. She knows how to block and attack and how to redirect blades. A fencing foil wouldn't do her much good however. Those are made to not cause much harm. The only way she'd be able to use that was to break off the tip and that would only be good to do some shallow poking. Which led her here, to the music storage room. She carefully moved through it, passed the instruments stored for school use, towards the back corner. She ponders taking one of the colorful flag poles, but no. Even if that had more distance, she wasn't experienced and it would take too much time to maneuver if she had to run. The colorguard flags did lead her to what she was looking for, however. Right next to them was an assortment of rifles and sabers. Even if the blades were dull, she figured they were made to hit the ground repeatedly on failed throws, it could take a lot of impact, and the ability to parry was still a boon, especially with those Mannequins. Except... What Sunset expected to find was a bunch of blades with rounded tips, covered in tape. Except there, mixed in with the blades was a glint of bare metal. She reaches down to pick it up, and pulls it out of the pile. It's not a dull blade. The tip ends in a sharp point, not rounded as the rest, and she can see in the light that the edge is grounded down to something sharp. There's some age on the blade, the metal dull, but there was no rust, no obvious nicks in the blade. It was a sword. A real sword. Was it....here to give her a chance? Much like the radio had been there? Sunset did a few test swings with the blade. It was definitely heavier than she was used to, but she could work with this. She could defend herself with this. Maybe it was better to not question why it was here. She should just be thankful that it was. The colorguard costumes even came with belts to help carry the sabers. Thank goodness for Rarity embracing function when it went with style and having swords at the side just looked better then carrying them around. Armed and feeling a little more secure, Sunset now had to figure out her next step. Moving from room to room, even with most of them locked, would take a lot of time. Time she didn't want to waste with dangerous monsters around. She had to figure out where she needed to go, at least stream line it a little bit. "I appeared in the library," Sunset started aloud. "The nurse's room and this room were accessible, but that might have been more function. My mind trying to make something safe. The first room to open was the music room, which I spend a lot of time....maybe rooms that are important? But which one would it be....?" Oh. Of course. She groaned, rubbing at her face. "All right. Let's do this." She's a lot more careful walking through the halls. Keeping an eye out for any movement, listening for static as she approached her destination. Despite the horror she knows could be in this place, there are no signs of monsters. No signs of the mannequins or anything else. No sign of life. No sign of any movement at all. She had been in the school empty plenty of times. When she first arrived on Earth, she had often sneakily slept inside for lack of anywhere else. She used to always know the security codes and knows for a fact the vents can support someone of her size. But even all those times, alone and in the dark, the school never felt this...desolate. Not just empty, but entirely abandoned. She hurried her pace a little. It doesn't take too long to reach her destination; the familiar doors of the gym. The place of so many dances and events, both good and bad. If she's looking for jewels of her crown, this place was as good as any. She takes a deep breath, holds it, and pushes open the door ever so slowly. She listens for movement, for static, but nothing comes. She frowns, pushing it open enough to see inside. At first, it seems so normal. It was just the gym, the risers pulled out, and empty of people. A little old, a little dusty, she thinks maybe there's nothing wrong. She can just look and be on her way. Until she notices the puddles on the floor. Only a few, scattered around, but what draws her attention is the dripping. Slow, the plip only coming after maybe half a minute, but it draws her eyes to the dark liquid. Then up, up, up to the rafters. A hand slaps over her mouth at the sight above her. There's bodies, girls judging by the tattered skirts, hanging from the ceiling by their neck. They're too high up and too....too broken to tell who they are. Limbs are twisted to hang at odd angles, dark stains on their clothes, the bodies looking partially mutilated, slowly draining out onto the floor. Its then the scent hits her. Like rot and decay, like the bodies were old. Left to hang for so long, forgotten. She does her best to resist, but she can't hold down what little is in her stomach, leaning on the edge of the doorframe as she retches. Why....? Why is this in her mind? She's never-she would never-she never wished anybody hurt. Never wished them dead. There was only one time she wished that much on someone and that had been when she had been corrupted by the Element of Magic. But that had been quick incineration, not.... Not whatever this was. "What the hell is wrong with this spell?" Sunset gasped, trying to get her heart to stop racing. Because this was the spell. Surely this was the spell. There was no way....no way this was her... Right? She shook her head. "Get it together, Sunset. They're....they're just there. They can't do anything from up there. Just....just think of it like burgers...ignore it, don't think about it," she told herself. There weren't dead girls up there. Dead girls, tortured and broken in something that's supposed to be from her mind. "Don't think about it," she tells herself on repeat. "Don't think about it, don't think about it." She needed that jewel. She pushed herself away from the wall, heading for the stage. Where the crown would be awarded. The most obvious place. She gives the puddles a wide berth, walking a winding pattern across the gym, waiting for the other shoe to drop. Yet nothing happens. No static. No movement. Just the faint, occasional, disconcerting 'plip.' She climbs onto the stage and there it is. At the top of what's usually a mic stand, the kite shaped jewel from her second crown. She looks around, and then makes sure her back is to the side of the stage. So she can see any movement from the curtain or the gym proper. Then she reaches out and takes the gem. "You must be kidding," Sunset said, raising an eyebrow at the box. "Of course not, darling. Last time was such a rush job. Really, Flash bringing you to me with two hours before the dance, I barely had time to make sure it would fit you properly before I had to change," Rarity said with a put upon scoff. She patted the top of the box. "This is FAR more fitting for a potential princess." "You mean soon to be princess," Sunset said. "Hm, we will see. But whoever wins, it's a must they are fabulous," Rarity said. "And I'm just supposed to trust a dress you give me?" Sunset asked with a raised eyebrow. "Yes? I don't understand why this is a hard concept," Rarity said, giving Sunset an utterly perplexed look. Sunset looked back at her, confused herself. Rarity seemed so genuine in her offer, was known for being genuine in her offers, it was hard to see malice in it. Even though there should be, shouldn't there? After all, Rarity was running against Sunset. And yet, here she was, offering a dress. "Thank you....?" Sunset said with uncertainty. Rarity's smile widened. "I knew you would see sense. You'll look absolutely lovely, I promise." With that, Rarity had walked away. Later, as Sunset put on the dress, it was true. She did look lovely, a dress of purples and yellow accents, and decorations of her Cutie Mark sewn in. Not only was it a lovely dress in general, Rarity had taken note of the symbol that she had on her favorite shirt and earrings she would wear. The only other who had noticed that was Flash Sentry, before he had gotten her those earrings. Sunset had thought then perhaps competition really COULD be friendly. Perhaps Rarity could be trying to win and still wish her the best of luck and be genuine. Sunset thought that perhaps it wasn't so bad, getting to know these people. Maybe even become friends with them. It seemed possible as she spun around, admiring herself in the dress. Then Rarity won the crown. Sunset was holding onto the gem tightly as the light faded. She wasn't sure how she felt about this forceful trip down memory lane. Its not...its not like she hasn't been dealing with these memories. She knew how much that lost had hit her. How it had led to her obsessing over the crown. Popularity. Getting attention and admiration. How many people she had hurt to lessen the popularity or others, how it had turned from just manipulating people to actually being cruel and forcing them to bend to her will through blackmail and lies. All the bonds she had started to make before that was no longer important. The tentative friendship with Applejack now that she could recognize she really hadn't been seeking free labor, she had simply understood Sunset was prideful. A friendly rivalry she could have had with Rarity, who had meant it when she wanted whoever to win to look fabulous and it applied to both. All the people who had showed her such kindness and care and had been willing to start a friendship with her that she had just been too scared to entertain. The relationship she had with Flash. She had turned his means to make her feel welcome and cared about and turned it into such an ugly thing. He had done so much to help her adjust after her 'coma,' helping her stumbling, and explaining things she had simply 'forgotten' because of lingering side effects of reduced cognitive functions. Sure, the start had been a lie, but its not like she could tell the truth and the lie had been only to keep herself safe in a new world. A world that would have been a lot harder to navigate if he hadn't been so willing to take her at her word. A patience she tested for two years until even he had enough of her cruelty. Perhaps if she hadn't- A new sound, Sunset looking up as a siren went off. She frowned, wondering what that was about...until she felt it. She felt a shiver go through her as the temperature dropped and she looked around as ice started to form across the wall, the structure groaning from the freeze, cracks forming from the stress. The room darkening as the ice consumed more and more of the area, the ceiling vanishing in the darkness. And the bodies... The bodies all fall and Sunset can't bite back the cry of horror as she sees the first one hit the ground with a thudding splat, the sound making her stomach roil, and she steps back, a hand over her mouth as body after body hits the ground, bones crunching and blood gushing out. The smell of rot made all the more pungent, mixed with the smell of copper, and she's shoving the gem into her bag. But most worrying of all was the door. The ice had grown thickest over the far wall, utterly encasing the door. That...that was fine, right? She could just go out the back. Her radio began to buzz. Groans started to fill the gym and with sickening dread, she turned to look at the bodies again. Broken limbs starting to twitch and writhe as the lumps of broken flesh started to move. More slapping sounds as they slipped on the ice, making it difficult to move. She turned and bolted through the curtain. She needed to leave. She could see the ice was traveling over the wall and panic filled her chest as she ran. She knew where the emergency exit was. She just needed to get there first. Her boots slipped on the ice and she yelped, falling to the ground and sliding across it with a hiss as she slams against her injured arm. She curled up for a few moments, but the buzzing was getting louder. She needed to get up. She pushed herself with a groan, grabbing a clothing rack, hissing at the cold metal. She reaches for a costume to yank closer and cover the metal as she moves up, looking to the exit, her heart falling as she sees the thick coating of ice over it. It would take so long for her to chip through it, even with the saber. There had to be a way out. Some means to escape. The buzzing was louder. She could hear thudding movement beyond the curtain. She needed to get out of sight. She grabs the costume and bites into it, tearing it in two as she turns, eyes scanning the back. Please be there, please be- There. She's wrapping her hands in the fabric as she stumbles and slides to the ladder leading up to the catwalk, scrambling to climb up. She almost slips once or twice, the ice and cloth making it hard to get a good grip, but she manages to stay on, and drag herself onto the grating. Turning back to see if she could pull the ladder up. And stopped. Staring down at the broken figures. Likely they wouldn't be able to climb the ladder. Even from here, she could see how difficult it is for them to move across the ice. With their broken limbs, their balance and ability to move is already bad, and near impossible to maintain on the ice, mostly moving forward with stumbling movements. Usually getting caught as the blood leaking from their body freezes them to the ice temporarily. But that wasn't the most disturbing thing of all. The bodies had been human. She knew that. She could even see how these bodies are meant to be human in shape. But they weren't that right now. Not simply a broken mess, but instead configured in such a way as to... Resemble ponies. It was a terrifying performance of puppetry, body twisted and distorted to match the four legged form, with extra...extra meat used to make thin arms and leg look thicker, some even having pulsing organs, and torso made so short to give it the stout appearance. The skull caved in such a way to almost seem to have a snout. She has to cover her mouth with her hands to keep from throwing up. Or screaming. Or crying. She's not entirely sure which. She shudders and its not slowly from the cold, but that is becoming a concern. She can feel the cold metal grating through her jeans. She would have to be careful to keep her skin away from it. The clothing rack had hurt to touch, it had only been fear that kept her from fully registering the pain. She grimaces, and with the...broken hybrids obviously incapable of the dexterity necessary to climb a latter, she pulled the fabric from her hands. She winces at the red marking left on her palms, but it looked like her skin was undamaged. She sighed, and tears the fabric with more precision, using it to wrap around her hands in make shift gloves so she didn't grab the metal again by mistake. She pushed herself to her feet, slowly moving along the catwalk. Watching the broken hybrids as she moved along the top of the theater, trying to see where she might go. The doors were out. The way she took in, the back entrance, the fire exits were all iced over. She looked to the windows. Could she break them? She had dismissed the idea before because of the puzzle, but that was then, and this is now. She looked around the cat walk until she sees it. A rope for one of the harnesses. She moves over there, trying to keep her steps from being too loud on the metal and pulls the end of the rope to her. Sighing in relief as she sees one of the safety harnesses on it, including the hooking mechanism. It takes a bit to untie it after she tugs off a makeshift glove, hissing as her fingers brush over metal, but she manages, and she moves to the closest point on the catwalk to one of the windows. It was likely to make sound. If she was right next to it and she couldn't safely drop to the other side, she would be too easy to corner. But if she made a fuss now, then maybe she could hide in one of the darker corners until the monsters calmed down and could approach with more stealth. This is why she needed the harness piece. It was hopefully a small enough bit of metal that it would just shatter through the window even thrown from a distance. She ties up her hand again before grabbing the hook in her dominant hand. She looked to the window. She takes a deep breath, hopes this isn't another parakeet episode, takes aim. Releases her breath. And then throws it with all her might. The hook slams squarely into the class, even on the narrower side, and Sunset is sure its a perfect shot, biting back the sound of celebration as she waits for it to shatter as the loud thud rings throughout the gym, followed by the ringing of metal on metal as it falls down to the bleachers. Then she realizes there isn't a mark on the window. Which is when another loud sound fills the gym, the broken hybrids suddenly shrieking. DESPAIRPAINSADNESSCURSEDONEDESPAIRLONELINESSREJECTIONDONOTBELONGNOTWANTEDREJECTIONREJECTIONREJECTIONLONELINESSABANDONMENTCURSEDCURSEDCURSEDCURSEDCURSEDHELPMEHELPMEHELPHELPHELPHELPHELP A shock of pain against her neck and Sunset jerks up from where she had collapsed, crying out as she feels a sting and heat at her neck. She's breathing harshly, tears stinging her cheeks from the cold, and she looks down at where her neck had been pressed against the railing and the bit of skin still sticking there. Her neck was bleeding. Superficial, but it was. Her head snapped down to the broken hybrids, watching as they were all stumbling towards the window. The window without a single mark on it. The hook had done nothing. At least...at least the creatures didn't know where she was. But now she knew they didn't need to touch her to bring her down. She absolutely couldn't be spotted. With shaking hands, she reaches into her bag, pulling out a bit of gauze from the medkit and medical tape to slap it onto her neck. She would need to give it better attention, but later. She needed to figure a way out. The doors didn't work. The windows would take a lot to shatter if they weren't outright shatter proof. How was she supposed to get out? She sat on the catwalk, shivering as the cold was starting to get to her, trying to find a way out. Doors. Windows. The vents were too high. Her eyes went down to the stage. There was a trapdoor below it. There may be more vents down there. She looked to the broken hybrids near the bleachers. Okay. She could do this. She takes a few more breathes, and pulls herself to shaky feet. She moves along the catwalk, trying to think of some way to make this less tricky. There is a sound system. Maybe there was headphones there. There was no guarantee there was a way out through the trapdoor. She's hoping for vents, but she can't be sure. The headphones could be a good back up. But wearing them also means she can't hear them moving or the radio static, and the icy room was...dark. Sunset stops at the top of the ladder. The backstage currently...LOOKS clear. But she had to be certain what she would do. She had to go to the trapdoor and she could remember where that was. She knew where the sound system was, though she'd need time to find if it had headphones. At least it wasn't the complete opposite way, just a detour. She hasn't run into more mannequins. But she hasn't been here long. There was also a chance of more sound based monsters. Music was such a large part of her life, it would make sense. She takes another shuddering breath, shivering hard. Okay. Headphones. Trapdoor. She looks around as best she can one more time before carefully climbing down. Her heart pounding in her chest, her pace slow to keep from slipping. Making sure her boot is firmly on the bar before moving her other leg, moving one hand at a time to make sure her grip is secure. Its slow. She's freezing. But she can't risk a sprained ankle now. After what feels like an eternity, she finally steps down onto the stage. The buzzing in her tote is still low. Nothing is immediately on her. She moves carefully, using her time from sneaking around the school to the fullest, moving to the sound board. Nothing is on top of it, so she has to open the drawers and cupboard, trying to keep from rustling everything until she finally find a pair buried under a mess of old wires. She grabs it. Only to find out the cord was still plugged in, and as she tugged them out, it yanks on a switch on the board. There's the sound of feedback from the speakers. The sound of a shriek- She slams them over her ears. There is still the echoes of those painful feelings, the ones that left her feeling so hollow, but she was quick enough to drown them out. But she needed to move. She was sure they were moving to the stage now, where the speakers were, and she looks to the trapdoor. She breaks into a run, slipping on the ice, but maintaining forward momentum, letting herself hit her knees at the trapdoor and throwing it open with...quite a bit of effort. It was heavier than normal, metal, and she sees the heavy chain inside. She drops down into the place beneath the stage, grabbing the chain to start tugging it closed. Only to feel resistance as she sees a handhoof grabbing onto the edge of the trap door. "No!" She shouted, and tugs harder, looking around. There! An anchoring hook in the floor. She just needed to get the chain to it. But the broken hybrid was fighting her, and even using all her body weight, it was proving difficult to overpower it. She wasn't even slamming the handhoof into the edge. If it was that strong and got a hold of her- She wrapped the chain around her injured arm, hissing at the cold metal presses against the flesh exposed under her damage sleeve, but she bites through the pain as she draws her sword and swinging up- Another burst of the pungent smell of decay as the handhoof hits the floor. Her falling without the resistance. The wire of the headphones caught at the edge of the trapdoor, tugging them off as she drops. The sound of the shrieking as the trapdoor slam shut, the rush of hollow agony through her frame and its all she can do to slam the hook onto the anchor before she blacks out. Sunset Shimmer approaches the field. Her aunt said to go out and try to socialize. She was too busy to entertain Sunset and really, its been six months, she should have made a friend by now. Sunset had never had the easiest time making friends. It was a fact she recognized rather early. A poor winner, her mom had said, with gentle admonishment. A young filly with a lot of talent and drive. She couldn't help she was smarter than her peers and wasn't some weak bookworm! Still, her mom has told her to try and win with more grace and she had been learning how to do that and had even made progress. Now though? It was...it was just hard to make friends. It was hard to smile. It was hard to be friendly. She tried. She really was. But it was hard to match the other kids' energy, to get as invested in their games. She wanted to try. She wanted to get along. There were two girls that she seems to connect to. Kiwi and Zap. They were a little older, so Sunset things it was easier to match their energy than those of her young peers. Zap was especially friendly despite...everything. She was supposed to meet with them today. They said they wanted to do a song for the talent show next month and asked Sunset if she wanted to do any special affects for the show. She had always been good with magic. Only to stop at the edge of the field. Lily Valley. Lily Valley had been the other factor that made it hard to make friends. "You're really asking her to do pyrotechnics? Are you crazy! You know what she's cursed. You're begging for it if you're asking her to do that!" Lily Valley said in a sincere panic. Which was the worst part. She wasn't saying things to be cruel, she believed her words. "Oh come on, Lily! She's really nice. A little quiet, but I mean, anypony would be quiet after what happened," Supernova Zap said. "They would if they were the cause!" Sunset felt her stomach drop. "Now you listen here!" Kiwi Lollipop snapped. "She's already going through a hard enough time! You can't just say things like that, Lily. She's not cursed, something bad just happened." "That's suspicious! She was the only pony who-" "Sunset!" Zap shouted, shoving a hoof over Lily Valley's mouth. "You're here." Sunset hesitated and approached. "...hey guys," she said quietly. "What are you talking about?" Maybe if she made Lily Valley realize how awkward this was, she'd stopped. "I was warning them-" Lily Valley started, still utterly convinced. "To not miss signs up tomorrow," Kiwi said sharply. "And then she was going home." "But-" "Go. Home." Kiwi said sharply. Lily snapped her mouth shut. She huffed and looked at Sunset. She could see the fear flicker in her eyes before she turned and fled. "...did you hear any of that?" Zap asked. Sunset looked after Lily before finally looking at the two girls who looked concerned. She shook her head. "Not really," she said. They had defended her. She...she didn't need to put more pressure on them. They looked relieved. They moved on to talking about the show. Sunset showed off what magic she could do, and it had been largely successful. Right up until the actual pyro part of the pryotechnics instead of just illusionary light. She....she doesn't know what happened. Maybe it was the stress. But she had lost control of the fire. Had set a tree ablaze. There was no damage beyond it, the adults had been quick to arrive to put it out and the girls had assured Sunset that it was all right. They could keep to the illusions. She ignored the doubt she could now see in their eyes. Author's Note I mean, there's no proof that AJ wasn't officially part of the fencing club in Queen of Clubs. Plus I always found it interesting it was Applejack who said Sunset does a nicey-nice act and then backstabs. It seemed most likely she had a first hand experience with it instead of simply knowing how Sunset operates. ...also sometimes the inspiration bat hits you years later.
