Sunset sighed as she stared outside the window where gentle snowflakes peppered the ground. Her mind filled with many a thought, most of which centered around the newest ordeal plaguing Canterlot High. A little after Thanksgiving, there was a new user on Mystable named Anon-a-Miss who gained popularity by leaking juicy secrets on their main page. The first of their victims were the Rainbooms, starting with Applejack. Then, they targeted Rarity and Rainbow Dash with their failures. As a result, the Rainbooms terminated their friendship with Sunset and she was left without friends again. Soon after, CHS rallied against her as the mastermind behind Anon-a-Miss, which was the only thing uniting them now.
"It's better than the Battle of the Bands, at least," She bitterly chuckled.
As she lay on the bed, the memory of her friends ousting her replayed itself like a freshly torn scab. She bit her lip as more memories surfaced to torment her. She knew that her friends were just acting out because their feelings were hurt and an entire group of people were willing to humiliate them over embarrassing secrets. But rationale could not soothe emotions and a guilty conscience. Soon, the Rainbooms were joined by the rest of Canterlot High School in a bid to punish her for all of her crimes. It got to the point where Vice-Principal Luna found her hiding in the recesses of the school library for safety.
She growled as she sat up suddenly, a dull anger burning in her chest. She took a day off because she didn't want to battle the constant glares, the threats against her person, and the passive-aggressive actions of her former friends. But cowering and hiding in her apartment was just not her style. She didn't hide from challenges, she took them head on! And she could go through her high school years without a friend if need be. She wouldn't go back to her horrible ways, but she was done. Today was a new start for her and having a new start meant revitalizing an old passion. Hopping out of the bed, she pulled out a notebook from a rickety bookshelf.
"Hello there, old friend," She smiled as she opened its dusty pages. "It's been far too long now, hasn't it?"
The notebook was filled with messy scribbles and scratchy handwriting, befitting of a small child, but there was innocence. It harkened to a simpler time when she was Princess Celestia's student, where she memorized magical spells with joy. The sweet smell of maple leaves and parched bark overpowered her with nostalgia and a spark of inspiration. Leafing through the old pages, she felt childhood memories wash over her like music. When she reached the end, Sunset shut it close with purpose and powered on her laptop, ready to make her fresh start as a writer.
"I have a brief outline on what my story is," She murmured to herself. "There is a beginning, middle, and end." She rubbed her chin in thought. "So, how should I start this story? It obviously needs to introduce the characters and set up the world. But it can't be too cliché. People can spot a cliché beginning from a mile away." Tapping on the keyboard and mulling over her dilemma, she decided to experiment a bit.
"Okay, let's try this."
Edward Elric hated Monday mornings.
Now, he could contend with the fact that it signaled the start of a long and tedious work week. He could withstand the fact that his job was a monumentally dull one because it dealt with filing military reports, organizing papers, and just being the lackey of the military officials. He could even grapple with the fact that the only reason he had the job was because of how his parents died a year and a half ago, thus leaving him to care for his younger brother.
What he couldn't handle was that smug colonel who loved to make fun of him every chance he got.
He nearly gnashed his teeth in frustration at the mere thought of the dreaded Colonel Mustang before sighing in defeat. It was too early in the morning to get worked up over someone like that, even if he did have to work with someone like that. So he decided to think about the nice apple pie that Winry would make when he got home.
Sunset frowned as she read over the beginning again. It looked good, but something about it just didn't seem right to her. It felt negative and sour, which could work but only in the hands of a seasonal professional. Perhaps, she should change it to something a little more upbeat? From the way she saw it, it made her main protagonist come off as a jerk who looked a touch too unsympathetic for the moment.
"Like how I was before the Fall Formal," She smirked to herself. Hey, she gotta poke fun at herself once in a while.
Still, she needed to get the readers to like him on some level. So, she tried to think about what would make a nice entry for readers to enjoy the beginning. She thought about making it an ordinary run-down of what his typical day was like, but the recycled cliché made her wrinkle her nose in mild annoyance. No, readers were smarter than what most writers give them credit for. They deserved to have a beginning that enticed them, after all. So, what could be really enticing for the readers?
"Maybe what they want is a hint of plot foreshadowing," Sunset rubbed her chin in thought. "After all, it would entice their interest while making Edward Elric relatable." She realized that she was talking to herself and blushed fiercely. "I really got to stop doing that."
With that in mind, she opened a new document and let her fingers flow with imagination.
Edward Elric stoically sighed as he watched the sun peek from the hills.
He hated Monday mornings as they were the beginning of a tediously long work week among other reasons. Today wasn't different. In an hour, he would have to rush to the train station to reach Central for a long day of work. Swarmed with files, hounded by the senior military officials, and generally being harassed was all part of the admittedly high-paying job. Still, it was a necessary evil as it was the only way that he could take care of Alphonse.
"Hey, Ed," He could hear Al's voice behind him. "Get back in the house! Your breakfast's getting cold."
He smiled as he obeyed his little brother. Although Al seemed energetic and spunky on the surface, he knew that inside he needed all the support that he could get after their parents died, one from tuberculosis and one from war. This resulted in Ed becoming the sole breadwinner of the family. He wouldn't let Al suffer anymore; he'd been through enough.
"There you are," Al said, putting down a plate of eggs. "Eat up! You're going to need your strength!"
"Thanks, Al," He laughed as he wolfed down his breakfast. "By the way, are Winry and Granny Pinako coming over today?"
"Maybe later in the evening," Al replied nonchalantly. "They're working on a new prototype today, so it's going to take a bit before they're free." He looked towards the clock. "If you don't want Colonel Mustang on your case, I'd suggest going in six minutes to catch the train."
"Alright, alright," Ed waved. "I'll get going. In the meantime, try not to work yourself too hard, okay?"
Taking a deep breath, he headed for the train station. Under his feet crunched the gravel of the rough pavement of a path that never changed, that always remained the same in the little town of Resembool. Of course, he didn't know that change would hit him hard when he reached Central Command Headquarters. He didn't know, as he boarded the train, that there would be people who would dramatically alter his life the moment he stepped down from the platform.
He didn't know, of course, that at this very moment in time, someone would lose their life in the vast maze called Central City.
Sunset sat back, exhausted but satisfied. That was a lot better than her first draft, even with its flaws. She yawned and just rubbed her eyes. This would be good for a short prologue for now as she wasn't ready to call this her first chapter. He was now more likeable to his readers and it set up his motivations for what and why he was going to his tedious job.
Plus, she left it off with a cliffhanger. Readers always love the cliffhangers.
Glancing at the clock, she herself stoically sighed as she realized how late it was. With only six hours of sleep, there was no fathomable way that she would have enough energy for tomorrow. Luckily, it was a Friday so she could just bolt when she reached study hall. But until then, she would have to power through the day. Scratching the back of her head, she decided to upload the prologue on the new writing site that she discovered. Of course, she had to make sure that it was authentic; Celestia knows the rage that she would feel if she uploaded on a site that was nothing but viruses and malware.
"Hmm," Sunset hummed in delight as she looked over the professional site. "This looks good so far. There seems to be no trace of malware or viruses whatsoever." She signed up and immediately uploaded the prologue.
"I'm beat," She murmured as she got up. "Maybe I can skip school tomorrow as well." She decided to make that decision in the morning. For now, she would freshen up before she went to bed.
While she was in the bathroom, a strange thing started to occur. The journal began to glow brightly, causing a thin magical wisp to circle around the laptop before entering it. The laptop bathed in a nice golden glow before settling down just as its owner entered the bedroom and settled down to sleep. Sunset stiffened a little as she sensed something amiss, but didn't get up to investigate. She didn't have the energy to.
"I'll probably write to Twilight about it tomorrow," She mumbled optimistically as sleep overtook her.
As the minutes dragged on, the apartment was quiet save for Sunset's soft breathing and the ticking of an old alarm clock. And the soft tones of mischievous laughter.
Author's Note
Hello, everyone!
So, the FMA world portrayed here is a mixture between FMA 2003 and FMAB. These two worlds will also retain their original art styles. That doesn't really change the story; I just wanted you guys to know. Also, see if you can spot the reference of the chapter title.
I understand that I have been deleting stories left and right without any rhyme or reason. I am extremely sorry that I have been less than professional lately. The truth is that I was burnt out for some time now. I wanted to engage with the reviewers and commenters of my story but I got sidetracked.
After a brutal reality check, I wanted to go back to scratch to the beginning of what a good writer has in their arsenal. This is why I need your honest feedback so that I can improve as a writer, just like Sunset.
On a side note, which of Sunset's beginnings do you guys and gals like better?